We have spent a couple of winters working and playing down in Central Otago. Tiff got work in the little hospital of Clyde for 3 winters in a row, and whilst she worked in Clyde, we got to live in the picturesque town of Alexandra. Spending our evenings walking along the Clutha River and our weekends thoroughly exploring the surrounding Central Otago.
After coming back again and again to this little slice of paradise in New Zealand, we wanted to share all of our favourite activities and walks in the region. From the Blossom Festival to great wineries and stunning Central Otago bike rides and walks. There is so much to see and do here, with the great outdoors being the main attraction and the backdrop to some epic seasonal events.
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Walk Up To The Iconic Clock
Alexandra is the town with the clock. But it’s not just any town clock; this clock greets you well before you make it to the town centre. Sitting proudly above the town on the face of the mountains that form the backdrop of Alexandra is the famous Alexandra clock. You really have no excuse for being late in this little town, as you can see the clock from pretty much anywhere. It even lights up at night, making it helpful on Tiff’s late-night call-outs too!
There is a steep but short trail that runs up to the face of the clock that we had been telling ourselves we needed to hike up since our very first stint in the town. But of course we didn’t actually climb up here until the last weekend of our last time working in the hospital. A good 2 years after we first promised ourselves we’d hike up to it. Don’t make our mistake of waiting till the last minute! It’s a cool clock to check out up close, and it has epic views out over the town of Alex.
Ice Skating In Winter
Have you ever wanted to go ice skating outside? How about skating on the largest outdoor ice rink in the Southern Hemisphere? Then Alexandra is THE place for you! We love this ice rink. There is something extra special about getting to ice skate outside; feeling the chill of a winter breeze on your face as you skate past tall pine trees is just really special.
The ice rink is rather seasonal and has a tendency to close earlier in the season than expected if it’s been a particularly warm winter. So coming in the heart of winter is your best bet for getting a great time on the ice here. It’s worth adding this to a road trip from Queenstown even if it’s the only thing you end up doing in the area.
Blossom Festival In Spring
The entire town of Alexandra comes alive for the Blossom Festival. It’s a great celebration of the coming spring with a parade down the centre of town and a huge festival space with food trucks, market stalls and carnival games and rides. The art gallery hosts events and photo competitions as well, giving you plenty to see and do over the weekend.
The town itself is covered in flowers, from the fruit trees lining the roads blossoming with pink and white blooms to add to the festivities. It’s a truly beautiful time of year, and the entire town comes out to celebrate the coming of spring and the end of the dreary winter months. The festival has been celebrated for 68 years and counting! To find out exact dates and what is in store each year, check out the festival page here.
Bike The Rail Trail Into Clyde
Central Otago is well known for its biking trails. If you don’t have your own bike, there are plenty of options to hire one from the shops in town. The ride from Alexandra into Clyde along the rail trail is a must-do to get your first glimpse into the biking culture of the area. It’s a gentle track to take, making it perfect for beginner and experienced riders alike. With some great stops along the way, including a winery or two!
The trail takes you along an old railway track that has been turned into a smooth bike path. You’ll find a few railside relics, like old signposts and lights along the way. Passing through farmland and crossing wooden bridges before crossing the main highway at an underpass and making your way to the historic town of Clyde. Be sure to pop into the pub for lunch before riding back to Alexandra. Or if you have hired bikes, you can often get a lift back to Alex, making this a shorter ride.
Explore The Historic Town Of Clyde
Whether you arrive by bike or by car, Clyde is the perfect town to spend a lazy afternoon wandering around. There are plenty of cute, cosy shops selling all sorts of beautiful products, a lot of which are from the region, making them perfect to buy or just browse. Then there are the shopfronts themselves, which are historic buildings creating the sense of walking back in time when you enter the town.
Be sure to check out the old post office (now a restaurant) and the church in town too. If you are a foodie, then Clyde is a great place to spend a night or two so you can sample more of the delicious restaurants and cafes. Everyone has a favourite place in Clyde to eat at, and they all seem to be different! We absolutely loved The Old Clyde Bank, so much so it was the first place we took our friends for dinner when they came to visit us.
Bird Watch At Butchers Dam
Whether or not you are into birding, Butchers Dam is a great place to go to take in the classic Central Otago scenery. You can go for a fish on its banks (if you have a freshwater fishing licence), take one of the trails along the lake and up to the small hills surrounding it, or just sit on the rocks and wait to hopefully catch a glimpse of the crested grebe. It’s particularly beautiful sitting up here at sunset watching the light change around you as the birds slowly glide along the water.
Try A Winery Or Two
Central Otago is a world-renowned wine region, so it would almost be rude not to try a wine or several at a few of the different wineries dotted around the region. We particularly loved the wine at Misha’s and enjoyed a great tasting at their tasting room in Cromwell. But by far our favourite way to sample the wine in the region was to go to a wine festival! There are two held in Clyde each year: The Clyde Food and Wine Festival and the Alexandra Basin New Release Tasting.
We were in town for the new release tasting and had the best afternoon wandering around to all the different wine tents and tasting our way through all the wineries on offer. We purchased a few bottles as we went along and filled the van up with wine we got to enjoy for the next year.
Walk Along The Clutha River
One of our favourite things to do in the afternoon after a day of work is to wander along the Clutha River. There are so many paths you can take on either side of the river, walking either into or away from the town. We particularly loved the little track on the town side of the river that you can access from the boat ramp car park.
Following the track away from Alexandra and heading in the direction of Clyde will see you walking through lush green forests on the banks of the river. This particular route was accessible from the accommodation we stayed at, and we followed it on countless afternoon walks even in winter when we would start to lose the light before getting back to our hotel room!
Take In The Sights Of Cromwell
The gold mining town of Cromwell is now better known for its production of stone fruit. Driving into town, you’ll come across the famous Big Fruit sculpture celebrating the region’s orchards. It’s a great town to explore, situated on the banks of the stunning Dunstan Lake. Make sure you make it down to the ‘Old Cromwell Town’, which is closer to the lake than the main modern shopfronts of today.
The two areas are separated by suburban housing, and we didn’t actually realise that Old Town was there until a friend mentioned how much they loved visiting that part of Cromwell. The town and surrounding region are home to many a great winery and restaurant as well as some good walks along the lakefront and up a steep hill to the 45th parallel.
Walk The 45th Parallel In Cromwell
The 45th South Parallel is a line of latitude that marks the halfway point between the equator and the South Pole. During summer, daylight hours at this latitude last for 15 hrs and 37 minutes on the longest day of the year. On the shortest day of the year there are only 8 hours and 46 minutes of daylight.
The hike is a loop track starting at the monument on the side of the road. You’ll then need to cross the road and climb up the steep hill in front of you to gain impressive panoramic views over Lake Dunstan and beyond. Follow the flat top of the mountain to the exact point of the 45th parallel where you will find a cute sign letting you know where you are! From here, descend down the hill to Hanging Gully, a little inlet of the lake, and cross the road back to the main lake to walk along the waterfront to your parked car.
Road Side Fruit Stalls
Central Otago is the place to be if you love stone fruit or any kind of fresh fruit, really. There are so many orchards here, and in season they all have little roadside fruit stalls. Fresh and reasonably priced fruit around every bend in the road (well, almost). Our favourite one to stop at is Jackson Orchards, just outside of Cromwell. Not only do they have great fresh fruit and veg, but they also have homemade jams and conserves and the Kiwi favourite Real Fruit ice cream.
Bike The Rail Trail From Lauder to Poolburn Viaduct
The rail trail is one of the top 8 cycle trails in the world, with people coming from all over to bike this epic 152km trail from Clyde to Middlemarch. Taking in some great historic towns, wineries, local shops and stunning Central Otago scenery. They even have metal sculptures of the solar system placed along the trail so you can ride past all the planets along the way!
With our cheap Kmart bikes, taking on the full trip seemed a bit much. So we picked two popular day sections of the track and rode these. The Lauder to Poolburn viaduct section takes you into the Poolburn Gorge and through two tunnels! There is a great picnic spot along the gorge with a picnic bench and beautiful views. Pack a picnic and make a day of this short 10km bike ride taking in many of the highlights of the main trail in one small go.
Walk Part Of The Lake Dunstan Trail
The Lake Dunstan trail is another bike track in the area that runs from Clyde to Cromwell along the side of Dunstan Lake and up the impressive gorge that runs through the mountains. It’s a full-day ride of 55 km and does require pick-up at one end or the other. We never managed to find a way to do this bike ride without paying for a transfer and bikes (our Kmart bikes just wouldn’t cut it in this terrain), so we opted to walk part of the track from both ends.
Whilst we missed out on the middle, the start and end of the trail became favourite walks of ours. The Clyde end, we did quite a few times, as there is a great freedom camp on the water’s edge at the start of the trail. We definitely recommend riding the trail if you have the money or the gear to do so. But if, like us, you can’t manage the full day on the bikes, be sure to walk a little of the trail to get a feel for the views you’d be getting on the bike.
Visit Ranfurly
Ranfurly is a gorgeous town to visit in Central Otago. You feel as if you have stepped back in time with all the stunning art deco buildings. Wandering around the town, you’ll find some gorgeous shops inside the buildings too! From handmade woollen jumpers to photo studios and art galleries. Be sure to check out the Curiosity Shoppe, which is just outside the main town area located directly on the rail trail. It’s full of awesome second-hand treasures which make great souvenirs. All you need to make the day perfect is an ice cream from the shops or a delicious baked treat from Fantail Kitchen and Larder.
Stargaze And Watch Out For The Aurora
Stargazing pretty much anywhere in New Zealand is incredible. There isn’t a lot of light pollution here, especially in the smaller towns. We loved stargazing in Alexandra and found that going up the hills to the Alexandra Lookout was a great place to do so. It also proved to be a wonderful spot to catch a glimpse of the aurora! But even if the Southern Lights aren’t putting on a show, it’s well worth heading up to the lookout at night to take in the stars and gaze down at the few lights of the town itself. Just be sure to rug up when you do go out, as it gets really cold up here!
Keen for more inspo? Be sure to check out:
- Trash On Our Travels: How To Reduce Your Waste And Pick Up Rubbish On The Road
- The Best Hot Pools on the North Island
- 10 Epic Walks In Northland New Zealand
