Location: 15 minutes drive from Queenstown
We went to Arrowtown primarily because we heard it was one of the best places in New Zealand for Autumn colour. Actually we were about two weeks late for the peak of the season but we were still well satisfied. In the process we discovered a delightful little town now very much dependent on tourism.
Arrowtown literally sprang up overnight with the discovery of gold in the Arrow River in 1862. Thousands of miners from around the world flocked to the area and the river became famed as one of the world's richest sources of alluvial gold. At the height of the rush the population of the town rose to over 7,000 people.
Today Arrowtown is a picturesque town that retains its Old World charm through careful preservation of its colourful history. There are restaurants, cafes, bistros, hotels, a bakery, Chinese village, souvenir shops and a museum. We had great fun walking along the main street then exploring a little further amongst the immaculately maintained buildings and wonderful European vegetation.
After immersing ourselves in colour and history we drove on to Queenstown.