Nestled on the South Island of New Zealand, the charming historic town of Arrowtown is a delightful destination for everyone. I have spent months living and working in the picturesque Arrowtown during my New Zealand Working Holiday, and I absolutely love it!
I miss the early morning walk to work in this small town!
Neighboring just next to the busy, overwhelming Queenstown, Arrowtown gives off just the right balance of serenity and liveliness. It’s a homely town that gets a healthy stream of tourists in the town center.
Best Time To Visit Arrowtown
Autumn
If you only get to visit Arrowtown in one season, definitely go during mid Autumn (mid April – early May)! Arrowtown is known as a beautiful autumn town when the leaves turn into lively red and gold colors.
View of the colorful hills from the town center (opposite of Arrowtown Museum).
Just look at those colors! (Location: Wilcox Green in autumn)
The front yard of the rental house I used to live in.
Village Green park (there’s a signature red phone booth nearby). From around November to late April, a pop-up Sunday market will happen here every week.
P.s.: If you walk along the main road of Hertford St, you’ll find fruiting apple trees overloaded with ripe apples (especially around autumn). They were planted by the city council and you can pick the abundant apples and eat them! Though not as tasty as commercially grown apples, you’ll get to experience how naturally grown, unpruned apples taste like.
Winter
Come winter, the bright red leaves fall off the trees and turn dull as they decompose. While winter sceneries may turn gloomy, Arrowtown is a magical place to be in the winter. Layered up! This town gets colder than its neighbors.
Due to its geographical location just next to high mountains, Arrowtown is more likely to snow compared to the nearby Queenstown and the suburbs. It also gets less sun (hence colder) in the winter as the mountains block the sun from the North (the sun is closer to the north horizon in winter for the southern hemisphere). There are many times when Arrowtown was covered in snow when Queenstown wasn’t. If you want to see snowfall, Arrowtown is a good bet. It’s also a good place to have a good meal after skiing at the nearby snowfields.
Spring
As daylight hours get longer, warm days and cool evenings welcome the arrival of spring. Butterflies and bumblebees get attracted to the blossoms, and birds come for the fruiting trees.
Cherry blossoms near Rose Douglas Park.
Summer
Summer brings the kiwi holiday mood into the town. Long daylight hours as the sun rises as early as 5am and sets as late as 10pm.
The warm sunny days mean fun at the cold Arrow River!
Walking & Hiking Trails In Arrowtown
There are actually many great less-known hiking trails in Arrowtown, just a short walking distance from the town center. This is because the trails are not visible on GoogleMaps, and not listed in DoC’s hiking map. From super easy short walks to amazing day hikes, Arrowtown offers hiking trails catered to all levels of fitness:
Arrow River Bridges Trail (Easy)
Arrow River Bridges Trail is a mostly flat, enjoyable walking / cycling trail that can be done in a loop.
Stroll through picturesque woodland along Arrow River.
I like to start the walk from the town center, taking Tobins Track first and cross the first bridge to Arrow River Bridge Trail here to the left bank of Arrow River. Then at the other end of the trail is another bridge to cross back over to the right bank of the river, where I used to head back to the town center.
Tobins Track (Easy)
Named after the person who built and maintained the road in the 1870s, Tobins Track is one of the many easy walking tracks in Arrowtown. It features Arrowtown’s residential houses along the track and the distant mountain ranges from the top viewpoint.
Mount Beetham Summit Trail (Easy-Moderate)
At the furthest end of Tobins Track, you may continue your hike through Mt Beetham Summit Trail for a stunning 360 views of the mountain ranges surrounding Arrowtown.
Sawpit Gully Trail & German Hill (Moderate)
The 2-3 hours loop of Sapit Gully Trail offers a variety of scenery, including the Arrow River, gold mining relics, creeks, mountain ranges, and open grassland. At the Northern half-point of the loop, a steep but short climb up the German Hill presents a breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains, lakes and towns below.
Arrowtown to Macetown Hiking Trail (Moderate-Hard)
Take a day hike and cross the chilly Arrow River multiple times to explore the ghost town of Macetown. This track should not be done during winter or wet season, as the river may become uncrossable.
Big Hill Trail (Moderate)
The 5-6 hours return hike to Big Hill is part of the 3,000km Te Araroa Track. It’s a great hike on the Mahu Whenua Covenant Tracks through mountain grasslands to Big Hill Saddle before the climb to Big Hill top. I included the Big Hill Trail for my hike to Macetown via Big Hill to turn it into a loop.
Another more challenging day hike branched from Big Hill Trail is the hike to Brow Peak. It is also possible to hike from Arrowtown to the Coronet Peak.
Lake Hayes Walkway (Easy)
Lake Hayes is a beautiful lake in between Queenstown and Arrowtown. Surrounding the lake is an easy walking loop. It is also a good place to just chill or have a relaxing picnic by the lake, watching the ducks and geese wading in the water.
Things To Do In Arrowtown
Visit Historic Arrowtown Chinese Settlement
Take a historic free tour of an 1880s village of Chinese gold miners, with rustic huts & interpretive signs. Historic Arrowtown Chinese Settlement portraits the hardship and discrimination faced by the resilient Chinese miners during Arrowtown’s gold rush era.
Satisfy Your Hunger With Delicious Food In Arrowtown
Get your hands on the famous and delicious pies in the signature Arrowtown Bakery!
Feed The Goats! (Arrowbelle)
Meet and feed some cheeky goats at Arrowbelle Feed the Goats! Ready some spare change ($2) to put into the honesty box in exchange for the jars of goat food.
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