. LAWRENCE CENTRAL OTAGO DayOut A sleepy, little town with a special character. Its claim to fame was the Mention Central Otago to a devotee and you’ll be surprised at first gold discovery in Otago. In 1861 Gabriel Read discovered gold 3 how normally prosaic New Zealanders can wax lyrical about its km away at what is now called Gabriel’s Gully. charms. ROXBURGH Its dry, rugged landscape, with rivers flowing between folds of A centre for stone fruit orchards. Around the end of the 19th Century gold hills dotted with rock outcrops, is dear to many hearts. So much dredges worked the Clutha River. Today the river provides electricity so that generations of families return each year for camping from the hydroelectric power station at Roxburgh. holidays in the same spot. The rivers, lakes and dams are ideal for swimming, boating and ALEXANDRA fishing; tracks for walkers and mountain bikers abound; the golf The swift Clutha river flows through a town surrounded by gaunt hills courses have wonderful views, and skiing and ice skating are strewn with rocky outcrops and scented with wild thyme. Orchards popular pursuits. In summer, Central Otago temperatures are flourish on the south-west side of the river at Earnscleugh, and in often amongst the country’s highest; in winter, it holds the record September, when their trees are in flower, Alexandra hosts a Blossom for the most severe frosts, which bring their own beauty to the Festival. landscape. The town is an excellent base for a DayOut exploring the Maniototo; Vineyards and orchards also attract visitors. Central Otago, it has excellent mountain-biking trails, good fishing streams close at comparatively new to growing grapes in quantity, is developing hand, and Black Ridge Vineyard (open daily) offers wine tasting. fast as a wine region. Its orchards have long been known for their apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines and apples. HERITAGE As well as allowing plenty of time for outdoor recreation and Gold! sampling the region’s products, you should spend at least a In 1862 miners began to settle here. A bustling canvas town of several dayout visiting some of the historic buildings and sites which are thousand inhabitants boomed for a few years when alluvial gold was a legacy of exciting times when the region teemed with miners easy to find. By 1866 the population had dwindled to 100 Chinese trying their luck on the goldfields. and 148 Europeans. The Chinese who worked on the alluvial tailings The towns are Lawrence, Roxburgh, Alexandra, Cromwell and established businesses and owned a billiard saloon, stores and the Royal Clyde. Queenstown and Wanaka are the best-known holiday resort Mail Hotel. towns in Central Otago. Because of their popularity, we have The invention of the first gold dredge here attracted attention worldwide. individual Guides for them. We also cover the MANIOTOTO Towards the end of the 19th Century, over 30 gold dredges worked in the area of Central Otago in a separate Guide. Alexandra-Clyde area. You can still see the piles of tailings left by the dredging along the river banks. 1 Fruitlands ALEXANDRA - EXCURSIONS Safari Excursions have a range of 4WD trips including goldfield sites, 13km south of Alexandra on SH8 landscape tours and wildflower tours. Known as Bald Hill Flat during the mining period, the area gained its name from an ambitious orchard enterprise established www.wildflowerwalks.co.nz after World War 1. When the scheme failed because of the severe climate, many Dunedin families as well as soldier settlers lost all ALEXANDRA - ADVENTURE/SPORT they had invested. • Mountain biking Old stone buildings in various states of decay are reminders of the The Rail Trail passes Alexandra. For other trails in the area, get the boom days of the past. The best surviving example is Mitchell’s Mountain Biking pamphlets from the Alexandra Visitor Information Cottage, Symes Road (13km south of Alexandra off SH8). Centre. Shetland Islander, Johnnie Mitchell, started building his cottage • Fishing in the 1880s. It stands on a great slab of rock and is a fine example The Visitor Centre provides licences and a guide to the lakes, dams, of the stonemason’s art. Mitchell is said to have carried for miles rivers and streams of the area. any stone he judged a perfect fit for the walls of his cottage. Fruitlands Gallery ALEXANDRA - PICNIC/PARK Formerly the Speargrass Flat Hotel, built in the goldmining era, Rotary Park this stone building has been restored, and is now a gallery which also serves lunch and morning and afternoon teas. Clutha River and Boat Harbour at the end of Dunorling Street. Grassy area overlooking the river; jetty and boat ramp; picnic tables Alexandra Historical Museum and toilets. Open Mon-Fri, 11am - 5pm; Sat and Sun, 2 - 4.30pm Manorburn Dam The museum has a large collection of goldmining relics. Swimming, canoeing, fishing and walking. Old Courthouse - 1879 Conroys Dam Open weekdays, 9am - 4pm Cross the Clutha Bridge and turn first right onto the Earnscleugh You can listen to a tape reenacting court cases from the disorderly Road. goldrush days. Swimming, fishing, walking. Old Bridge - 1882 Butchers Dam In 1958 the present bridge over the Clutha replaced the handsome early bridge made of local schist. The stone uprights still stand Cross the Clutha Bridge. About 10 minutes on SH8 alongside the newer bridge. Good fishing. 2 Fraser Domain When Hartley returned to the gorge, he was almost lynched by unsuccessful, angry diggers. Protected by Major Jackson Keddell of Signposted off the Earnscleugh Road. the Mounted Police, he had to demonstrate to the crowd how to get the Swimming, fishing, walking. BBQ area and toilets. alluvial wash from the bottom of the Clutha River. With proof of gold in the river, the diggers rushed to peg claims. ALEXANDRA - GARDENS Muttontown Gully, over a kilometre south of Clyde, was the site of the Orchard Garden canvastown. Here the diggers bought mutton from William Fraser’s Earnscleugh sheep station. Philip Levy, the first storekeeper, later 576 Dunstan Road. Open daily 10am - 5pm gained notoriety as a bushranger and was hanged for his crimes. Large country garden with ponds, borders, walkways, aviary, More substantial buildings - some of which you can see today - soon stone walls. Also a maze and licensed cafe. replaced the tents. When the goldrush was over some diggers remained, taking up land for fruit growing. Orchards still play an important part in www.theorchardgarden.co.nz the prosperity of the district. Jolendale Park CLYDE - HERITAGE/WALK 9 Peterson Place (Earnscleugh Road - Aronui Road - Kamaka A short walk along the town’s main street from the Dam end takes you Crescent - Peterson Place) past historic buildings. Private reserve open to public. Established in 1961 to research the Hartley Arms Hotel - 1869 growing of hundreds of tree and shrub species in a dry rockland setting. Now a private house, this building is thought to be the first single storey stone hotel. CLYDE Town Hall - Masonic Lodge - 1868-69 A small township where historic stone buildings and a large hydro-electric dam make an interesting contrast. You can spend This building, with its Corinthian columns and unusual windows, was a very pleasant dayout here exploring the pioneer buildings and to be a Masonic Hall and Temple. However, when the masons ran out relaxing at a picnic spot at Lake Dunstan, created by the dam on of money, it became the Town Hall. An Athenaeum was added in 1874. the Clutha River. Dunstan House - 1900 CLYDE - HERITAGE Cobb and Co coaches brought weary travellers to this early hotel Once named The Dunstan, the town was at the centre of the 1862 made of local stone. It has been restored recently and again provides Dunstan goldrush. The rush started when two Californian miners, accommodation and also a restaurant. Hartley and Reilly, arrived in Dunedin with eighty-seven pounds Dunstan Hotel - 1903 of gold. After payment of a large reward, they agreed to reveal the site of their find in the Cromwell Gorge - (a plaque now marks A saloon opened on this site as early as 1862. The present hotel replaced the spot). a wooden building which was destroyed by fire. 3 Oliver’s courtyard and Restaurant Stationary Engines Museum Benjamin Naylor came to The Dunstan in 1862. He opened a Open 2 - 4pm, weekends Christmas to Easter general store for the miners, and as he grew prosperous he bought more land for businesses and built a large house. The house was A collection of restored engines used for water pumping, chaff cutting, restored and opened as a restaurant in 1977. shearing and general farm chores which are today performed by electric machines and modern tractors. Turn right off the main street into Matau Street and then left into Blyth Street.You will pass: CLYDE - WALK St Michael’s Church - 1877 Lookout Walk Of traditional English design, this stone church replaced an Start at the Goldminers’ Monument at the foot of the hill. earlier wooden church. You walk up the hill to a lookout point above the Clyde Dam. Post Office The Clyde Dam - 1992 A bar and cafe attract people to the fine stone building which once housed the Post Office. A National government ‘Think Big’ Project, the dam has been very controversial. Many people were opposed to flooding the Cromwell Dunstan Courthouse Museum - 1864 Gorge and its orchards, and claimed the earthquake faults made the site unsuitable for a dam. Extra work needed to stabilise hillsides and Strong winds destroyed Clyde’s first courthouse. The townspeople to build a road higher than originally planned meant the project far rebuilt in stone and included offices for the Commissioner of the exceeded original costings.