Tourist drivers have been sentenced for nearly colliding head-on with other vehicles.

Appalling driving by tourists, including nearly causing a head-on collision while taking scenic photos, crossing the centre line and speeding, peppered court appearances in the Queenstown District Court on Monday.

Joy Lei Turnbull, 52, a manager living in Australia, was charged with dangerous driving on March 2 after she was seen driving on the wrong side of the road in the Kawerau Gorge, between Cromwell and Arrow Junction, more than 30 times, nearly causing several head-on crashes.

At least seven of those times Turnbull crossed double yellow lines or the vehicle was three quarters in the wrong lane.

Other incidents involving Turnbull were reported to police earlier in the day, including nearly causing a head-on crash while driving towards Central Otago, trying to overtake dangerously between Luggate and Cromwell forcing another driver to take evasive action.

Judge Christina Cook told Turnbull it was "lucky that there wasn't an accident as a result of your poor, prolonged driving".

Turnbull was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for six months.

A German tourist blamed his driving, including nearly causing a head-on crash on the Devil's Staircase, on trying to take photos of the "beautiful scenery".

Elias Maximilian Oerke​, 20, took 22 photos on his iPhone while driving between Garston and Frankton, at speeds between 80kmh and 90kmh, on March 5.

Oerke said he did not pull over at several vantage spots along the way because he was in a hurry to get back to Queenstown.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Ian Collin said the stretch of road demanded drivers pay full attention, with a cliff face and a steep drop on either side.

A concerned member of the public called police after seeing Oerke cross the centre line up to eight times, one of those times forcing a driver to take evasive action to avoid a head-on collision.

Oerke did not believe he had crossed the centre line that many times, or nearly caused an accident.

He had had planned to drive to Auckland on Monday.

The judge, who said Oerke put his personal needs over the consideration of other drivers, fined him $800 and disqualified him from driving for six months.

The actions of Ajay Bakhshi​, 62, of the United States, could have been "catastrophic" if he crashed while driving at 157kmh on March 6.

Bakhshi was driving on the Te Anau-Mossburn highway when he attempted to overtake a truck.

After realising there was another vehicle in front of the truck, he "committed to the manoeuvre" speeding up to pass it as well, while another vehicle was approaching.

"Clearly if there had been a collision at that speed the impact would have been catastrophic," the judge said.

Bakhshi was fined $700 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Sahil Rakesh Bansal​, 26, of India, who was travelling New Zealand on his honeymoon, was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for six months for dangerous driving on the Crown Range, between Queenstown and Wanaka, on March 4.

Concerned members of the public alerted police about Bansal's driving, including one witness who saw his car cross the centre line of the road at least five times, including over double yellow lines, causing drivers to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

At the Crown Range turn-off to Queenstown, Bansal drove on the wrong side of the road towards a blind corner.

Police followed Bansal for a short time where he was seen driving on the wrong side of the road again.

In a separate incident on February 27, Bansal was spotted on the West Coast driving at excessive speed in the middle of the road, with other cars having to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

The judge said the driving was at the higher level of the dangerous driving scale and he should have realised his skill was not up to the level required and stopped.