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The Central Otago region is the only one to experience a continental climate, having the hottest summers and coldest winters in New Zealand. Old trails that provided access for thousands of miners in the gold rush of the 1860s can still be seen winding over the hills, along with stone cottages, cleverly engineered water channels, mines and machinery associated with the gold rush.
Alexandra, the main town on the Clutha River, is the centre for stonefruit, particularly golden apricots. The towns of Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell, Roxburgh and Ranfurly are ideal bases from which to explore the surrounding historic countryside. Hydroelectric dams along the Clutha River have formed Lake Roxburgh and Lake Dunstan. These now offer a range of recreational opportunities of their own, from power boating and fishing to wind surfing and sailing.
Wine has become one of central Otago's newest industries, with many of the wineries still small and offering tastings throughout the summer months.
Cromwell and district
Cromwell was originally known as 'The Junction', being at the confluence of the Clutha and Kawarau Rivers. In 1862 gold was discovered below the Junction by two miners, Hartley and Reilly. Once the word of a gold strike was out, there was an influx of several thousand miners to the area. As gold ran out, Cromwell became the service centre for an extensive farming and fruit-growing area. It has a strategic location between the Lindis and Haast Passes, and acts as a hub between the towns of Wanaka, Queenstown and Alexandra.
Clyde
Clyde was initially established as the administrative centre of the Dunstan Goldfields, so much so that for many years Alexandra was bypassed even by the coach route. The Clutha River extends south from its source in Lake Wanaka to enter the Pacific Ocean at Port Molyneux on the East Coast. The Clutha is some 16 km/10 miles shorter than the Waikato River's 354 km/220 miles but with an average discharge of almost twice the volume.
Alexandra
Alexandra is situated at the junction of State Highway 8 and provincial highway 85. At first Alexandra was just an offshoot of Clyde, but it made its own name in the gold dredging boom of the 1890s. At that time people also began to see the enormous fruit-growing potential of the area. Today the gold and the dredges have all but gone, but the fruit trees make sure Alexandra stays prosperous.
Roxburgh
Roxburgh can lay claim to wonderful stonefruit, and within a short distance are some of the region's best fishing,
swimming, boating and 4WD spots
Naseby
The tiny township of Naseby is the most charming of Otago's gold rush settlements (it is often referred to as the 'Jewel of the Maniototo'), with a wealth of surviving Victorian architecture and some buildings constructed from adobe (sun-dried mud brick). |
