The crash, which occurred on Thursday near Luggate in the South Island, resulted in "carnage", police said.
They named the dead as Allan Chan, 60, Connie Chong, 61, and Ng Yin-wan, 56, all Hong Kong nationals.
"It just shows you the level of carnage that can happen," local police acting sergeant Phil Vink said of the crash at a notorious blackspot.
Police refused to speculate on the cause of the crash, saying it was still under investigation, but local media reports said it appeared the van had turned into the path of the oncoming truck.
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