Kawarau River

Embark on an eastward journey from Queenstown, tracing the rugged Kawarau and Cromwell Gorges—the very paths once tread by gold miners who pioneered The Southern Lakes and Central Otago. Along the way, we pause in historic Cromwell and Clyde, towns steeped in pioneer heritage. Our route leads us into the Maniatoto, a sparsely populated high country characterized by tussock-covered hills and craggy, rock-studded ranges—a landscape that vividly recalls the struggles of early settlers. Notable stops include Ophir, with its iconic wooden suspension bridge, and St Bathans, where a cyan-colored lake stands as a legacy of industrial mining in the late 1800s. The Vulcan Hotel, still operational, graces the bustling high street. We end the day in Ranfurly, the central town in the region, known for its art deco architecture. This will be our base for the next 2 nights.

Falls Dam

Discover old fisherman’s huts against the backdrop of the Hawkdun range—a snow-and-ice-clad wall that frames the Maniatoto landscape during winter. Choose to spend as much time as you need.

Experience vast sheep farms under expansive skies, stretching toward tor-covered ranges. Choose to spend as much time as you need.

Historic Hayes

Step into a fully operational early 20th-century engineering workshop and a 1920s villa. Here, innovative pioneers Hannah and Ernest Hayes once raised their family. Explore the chilly workshop filled with lathes, drills, and pulleys—where Ernest Hayes crafted useful farm devices, including his renowned fencing wire strainer. Choose to spend as much time as you need.

Famously featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this otherworldly high country reservoir nestles among hills adorned with rocky crags. Its shores host a collection of Kiwi fishing bachs, often charmingly dilapidated. Choose to spend as much time as you need.

Capture the stunning morning and evening skies against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains and endless valleys. Explore towns with evocative names like Drybread, Becks, Cambrians, Ophir, Omakau, Oterahua, St Bathans, Wedderburn, Moa Creek, and Lauder. Our return journey to Queenstown includes a side trip to The Nevis Valley, situated 1000 meters above Cromwell—the highest public road in New Zealand. From Duffers Saddle, the highest point, take in spectacular vistas: snow-capped Remarkables in one direction, the meandering Nevis River valley in another, and views across to Cromwell and Lake Dunstan.

Goldfields Mining Centre

En route, explore the hidden remains of a gold mining village dating back to the 1800s. Our final stop, the Goldfields Mining Centre, allows us to delve into the original Chinese miners’ village, wander through gold sluicings, and marvel at the machinery that once extracted gold from the landscape.