Chinese driver fined for driving 'completely' on the wrong side of the road

Dingxuan Yu was photographed driving on completely the wrong side of the road on the Crown Range, Queenstown. Photo / Supplied

A Chinese honeymooner was this week fined $500 by Judge Mark Callaghan after admitting to dangerous driving on the Crown Range Rd on Sunday.

In the Queenstown District Court, Dingxuan Yu, 28, of Shanghai, was also disqualified for six months and ordered to pay $130 court costs.

Prosecuting sergeant Ian Collin said Yu was driving on the alpine road between Cardrona and Queenstown on Sunday, when police received calls from two people about his driving about 11.30am.

At one point Yu had straddled the centre line on a passing lane, which meant other drivers couldn't pass.

He also tried to pass another vehicle on the wrong side of the road without sufficient visibility and narrowly avoided a head-on collision at least once.

Defence counsel Joseph Mooney said the electrical engineer was in New Zealand on his honeymoon and had studied the New Zealand road rules before travelling here.

However, he accepted he had made mistakes behind the wheel.

Yu said when he was photographed on the wrong side of the road by a witness, he was attempting to pass another "very slow" vehicle in front of him, but realised his car didn't have enough power, so braked and pulled back in.

Judge Callaghan said one of the photos showed he was "clearly, completely in the wrong lane", with one vehicle travelling straight towards him and another in the correct lane, but ahead of him.

"There is no suggestion you were trying to pass at that stage.

"It just seems like you were on the completely wrong side of the road."

Judge Callaghan ordered the fines and costs to be paid immediately.