Butchers Gully is within the Flat Top Hill Conservation Area, just off the main highway to Dunedin, southwest of Alexandra. It is one of several reservoirs created by damming a gully. Initially, it supplied water to Alexandra and the goldfields, but now it is used mainly to support agriculture in the region. There is also a gold mining history around the gully submerged under the reservoir.
It is naturally very dry in this part of Central Otago, and in autumn, the reservoir's additional gold and blue are especially pretty. You can take a short walk to the dam or longer walks (and bike rides) around Flat Top Hill.
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