Arrowtown is a well-established, growing tourist town built on what was once one of the biggest gold mining centres in New Zealand. It is located between Queenstown and Wānaka along the Arrow River (Haehaenui).
In 1862, Jack Tewa (or Maori Jack) discovered gold in the river. This set off a local gold rush, and there was soon a town of over 1,000 people. Another prospector, William Fox, also claimed to have been the first, and the town was known as Fox's for a while. Gold mining quickly spread from Arrowtown into the hinterland with towns at Macetown, further northeast on the Arrow River, and Skippers Canyon to the northwest on the Shotover River. Today these are remote ghost towns that are accessible by 4WD or foot. At its peak, there were 7,000 people in Arrowtown, compared with about 3,000 full-time today.
This history is core to the town's attraction. Many historic gold-era buildings surround the town centre, immediately above the river. These are replete with cafes, restaurants and boutique shops. The historic Chinese Arrowtown Settlement is also a short walk from the town centre and main car park.
However, Autumn colours make the town unique in NZ. When the miners arrived, there were no trees to speak of, so they planted the European deciduous trees they were familiar with. These have long self-seeded around the river and nearby hills. Combined with Arrowtown's more extreme temperatures, these trees make for an unusually colourful Autumn. You can spend about an hour walking around the small town, the river, and the Chinese Settlement, then to the top of Feehly Hill, 140 metres above the main part of the town. The view is particularly pretty in Autumn. There is an Autumn Festival in April.
The miners also left a network of longer tracks behind. The easiest is the Millennium Track, which heads south along the river to the golf course and Arrow Junction on State Highway 6. More dramatic is the hike along the edge of the Arrow Gorge, or take the Sawpit Gully Track, a three-hour loop around German Hill (780 metres) which perches over the river to the north of the town. Another half-day option is the New Chum Gully and Tobins Track loop. For a multi-day adventure, you can tramp to the Macetown campsite on the Big Hill Walkway, also a section of Te Araroa. From there, it is two to three days to Wānaka on the rugged Motatapu Track / Te Araroa.
If you have a 4WD and are confident, you can drive to Macetown up the Arrow River (there are multiple river fords). Guided tours are also possible.
From State Highway 6, you can take the short drive to Arrowtown from Arrow Junction or Lake Hayes. From Queenstown, the best route is Gorge Road to Arthurs Point, then Arthurs Point Road, which becomes Malaghans Road (about 20 minutes). There is a large parking area between the river and the town.
