Discover Arrowtown: Gold history and riverside trails

Arrowtown tells its story through more than a museum: historic buildings, a partly restored Chinese settlement and trails along the Arrow River give the town many different facets. If you’re looking for accommodation, you might first consider whether gold-mining history, a museum visit or active days are your priority.

Gold-mining history in Arrowtown

Buckingham Street is still home to a significant group of historic buildings dating from the 1870s. The distinctive building types include miners’ cottages and small stone buildings. They provide important links to both the history of gold mining and Arrowtown’s social history. Considering both aspects makes the street interesting if you’re looking beyond individual historical dates and want to understand how different buildings relate to the town’s development.

The Arrowtown Chinese Settlement has a particularly notable history. Following an archaeological excavation in December 1983, it was partly restored. Detailed information panels in English and Chinese tell the story of the region’s Chinese gold miners. Five hut sites were reconstructed to illustrate how people lived at the time. The story is therefore about more than gold mining alone: the settlement also recalls the Chinese presence on the goldfields of Central Otago.

Within the wider Queenstown Lakes District destination, the Arrowtown Chinese Settlement is a Category 2 public historic place. It is considered the last relatively intact Chinese settlement remaining in Otago. For planning your visit, the main track offers a practical guide: it is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Check conditions before your visit.

Riverside trails and walks with different character

The Arrow River Bridges Trail starts in Arrowtown near the Chinese Settlement and follows the willow-lined Arrow River. In summer, it offers swimming and picnic spots. This makes it a seasonal riverside outing, distinct from a visit to a historic site. The Queenstown Trail includes more than 150 kilometres of off-road routes from Queenstown to Gibbston via historic Arrowtown; the status of individual sections may change.

The local walking tracks also differ considerably. The Bush Creek Track starts at the Chinese Settlement and leads to the town’s old water intake. Along the way, it climbs steeply through beech forest and open grassland to a saddle with views of the Whakatipu Basin. Sawpit Gully offers a different kind of route: the seven-kilometre loop has steep ascents and descents, crosses rocks alongside a stream and runs high above the Arrow River. Check current advice before planning your walk.

Museum, art and guided insights

The Lakes District Museum & Gallery tells the stories of tangata whenua, gold miners and settlers through a range of settings, including a reconstructed grog shanty, a Victorian schoolhouse and a blacksmith’s workshop. The gallery space features changing exhibitions of works by local artists, which are available for purchase; exhibitions change over time. The museum offers private guided tours of Arrowtown for groups and individuals.

If you’d like to explore galleries, studios and museums independently, you can use the Arrowtown Arts Trail as a guide. This interactive, Google Maps-based guide brings together participating venues; which venues are included may change. Alongside the historic buildings and the Chinese Settlement, contemporary art venues offer another distinct focus for planning your trip.

Arrowtown or a broader stay?

Within the wider Queenstown Lakes District destination, walks in Queenstown offer a different time commitment. The Queenstown Hill Time Walk starts on Belfast Street and offers views as well as the “Basket of Dreams” sculpture. The walk takes two to three hours, including the return to the car park. The challenging Ben Lomond Track is a full-day walk from Queenstown, with 1,438 metres of elevation gain and panoramic views over Queenstown, Lake Whakatipu and the surrounding mountain ranges. Alpine conditions can vary by season.

If you’re also planning walks in Queenstown, consider them as separate regional options.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kingston, Gibbston, Hawea Flat, Dingle Burn, Mount Nicholas, Moonlight, Cardrona, Closeburn.

Back to the main travel overview: Queenstown Lakes District.