After spending a few hours on the North Otago Coast, head to Trotters Gorge for a gorgeous DOC campground. This is set within an area of recovering native forest alongside Trotter Stream. There are signposted walks of 30 minutes to two hours. The first short walk follows the stream to caves and continues further into the Gorge, including stream crossings.
The second walk option at Trotters Gorge takes you to the top of the Gorge bluffs, with views to the coast. A less obvious short walk takes you opposite the campsite on the north side of the stream below the gorge bluff and includes a short natural arch. In early Spring, the forest margins around the campsite are rich with kōtukutuku (native tree fuschia) and kōwhai.
The gorge is in the Horse Range, which is geologically truly ancient, even by Otago standards. As what would become New Zealand separated from Gondwana, braided rivers reworked and eroded the terrain. The result was piles of sediments, today up to 400 metres high, called the Horse Range. Trotters Gorge has, over time, been carved out of these sediments by the stream.
To get there from State Highway 1, turn onto Horse Range Road between Moeraki and Kātiki Beach. Follow this for four km, then turn right onto Trotters Gorge Road. Note that the campsite's vehicle entrance gate is closed in winter. You can still camp there, although the grassed area may be very wet.
