Wide plains, tussock smothered mountains, rocky tors, clear rivers and opalescent
turquoise lakes. This is Central Otago, a region of some 11,000 kilometres squared.
It’s big sky country where crystal clear light draws mountains closer by day and
produces star-studded skies by night. Upon its plains visitors follow in the footsteps
of the hardy 1800s pioneers who flocked here by the thousand to chase their dreams
of gold. These early settlers carved a living from the land, transforming its scenery
and moving mountains of rock in their quest. Most towns and villages owe their origins
to the gold rush, and remnants from this era can be seen in the region’s display
of cob, mudbrick and stone cottages, and discarded mining equipment scattered throughout
the landscape. Today Central Otago’s greatest drawcards are its award winning vineyards,
its quaint villages, and historical sites. We spend three days exploring the region
and, as well as enjoying local wines, we fish for trout on Lake Dunstan, hike to
a deserted mine, stay in a haunted hotel, relax on the shores of St Bathan’s Blue
Lake, and learn how to pan for gold!
day one: queenstown to clyde
Key
- Destinations
- Apex Locations
Like those who have travelled before us, Bob’s eye has a gleam as we leave Queenstown
bound for Cromwell. En route we stop to watch brave types defy gravity by plunging
43 metres off the historic Kawerau Suspension Bridge from an architectural masterpiece
that blends into the rock walls of the canyon, then continue on to Gibbston Valley
Wines. It’s nestled in an idyllic setting beneath rocky mountains and here we take
a tour of the vineyard and winery, which concludes with a wine tasting in the ambient-lit
cool of a dark schist cave cellar.
“Magic,” says Bob, as he finishes his taster of Pinot Noir, and we walk to the on-site
cheesery, where handcrafted cheeses are made in small batches under the guidance
of Gibbston Valley’s head chef, Mark Sage. The flavour of the cheese changes subtly
with the seasons, and we purchase delicious brie and camembert for the picnic basket
before we leave.
On the outskirts of Cromwell we come to a halt outside The Gold Fields Mining Centre
where we try our hand at digging and panning for gold. Finders-keepers are the rules
and according to our guide Euan Moore most people find a few grains. “Some people
have even found whole nuggets,” says Euan, laughing as Bob suddenly begins to pan
like his life depends on it. The panning takes a bit of practice and I simply don’t
have enough patience, but Bob picks it up fast and accumulates a few flecks of gold.
After several unsuccessful attempts I leave Bob to it and instead spend time enjoying
the displays of old mining equipment including gravity fed sluice guns and stamping
batteries, before wandering through the replica miner’s cottages and Chinese village.
When I return Bob has a wild gleam in his eye and it’s clear that a few grains aren’t
going to be enough to satisfy his gold fever. “Won’t be long,” he calls out cheerfully
as he begins another pan...
please click the link to download the full Central
Otago scenic drive, courtesy of apex car rentals new zealand... the
kiwi way
to read more extracts from our driving holiday's guidebook please click on any of
the following links:
north island scenic drives
south island scenic drives
purchase new zealand driving holidays online
If you would like to purchase a copy of this stunning nz pictorial guidebook online
please click here (RRP $24.95 plus postage)
view today's best deals for central otago rental cars
With apex rental cars the longer you hire the lower the daily rate. Please click
the link to view today's best central otago rental car deal.