I’ve lived in Arrowtown/Kā-muriwai for 13 years. It’s beautifully preserved – like walking on to a film set in the gold mining days, but with Queenstown international airport at our doorstep.
Arrowtown is slower than Queenstown/Tāhuna. It’s 20 minutes away and there’s a real desire to keep that slow pace, though we welcome New Zealand/Aotearoa tourists as much as international guests.
In April Arrowtown autumn festival is a big deal; it’s a spectacular time to come. It looks as though the hills are on fire – our equivalent of the Japanese blossom season.
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Queenstown food
The Cow in Queenstown is hard to find but it’s an institution. The menu hasn’t changed since it opened in 1977, nor has the bolognese recipe. It’s a spot for super simple pleasures – spaghetti, pizza, zuppa – in a building that was once a stone barn for cows.
If you’re not seeking the formality of a table, my hot tip is bar dining at Rātā. It’s the same excellent food but you can interact with the bartenders. I love the starters that are twists on classic dishes, including a Southland sushi roll, which is like fine-dining cheese toastie.
Don’t miss dinner with a wine pairing at Amisfield winery. It ranked 99th in the World’s 50 best restaurants list this year. The chef, Vaughan Mabee, is a mad hunter-gatherer-forager guy – wild boar, elk and mutton bird have all been on the menu.
My partner and I opened the Spanish-inspired restaurant La Rumbla in Arrowtown 13 years ago. The lights were dimmer, the music louder and the flavours bolder than anything else around. We stay open later than other restaurants too (our kitchen closes at 10pm).
Alex Tong of Wolf Coffee, which has venues in Queenstown and Arrowtown, roasts his beans locally. His cafe on Buckingham Street, Arrowtown, serves coffee only and his amazing barista team does drip coffees, cold brew, the lot. He’s always got new single-origin beans to try. We serve Wolf Coffee at our Kahwah Cafe, too.
The Artisan Kitchen at Mora winery is in a gorgeous garden setting. Bespoke Kitchen in Queenstown, under the Skyline Gondola, prides itself on being fresh, unprocessed and local.
Nature in New Zealand’s South Island
Sawpit Gully trail starts at the Arrowtown Chinese settlement historic site, which is worth a look. It’s a 7.9km loop with a steep climb but the views are phenomenal. There are beautiful natural rivers and the whole Remarkables/Kawarau mountain range is your oyster. You could spend three hours or a whole week hiking up there.
From Glenorchy/Tāhuna, I love walking to the first hut of the Routeburn Track (one of the Great Walks of New Zealand) in Fiordland national park. It’s 16km return with a beautiful swimming hole by the old forgery. The native bush smells so good.
Everyone should take the steamship TSS Earnslaw from Queenstown across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak high country farm. The homestead offers gourmet barbecues and farm-to-table experiences or you can watch sheep shearing or collie dogs at work. I think everyone should see a working high-country New Zealand farm.
Queenstown and Arrowtown nightlife
There are some fantastic hard-to-find bars in Queenstown. I love the phenomenal cocktails at Soda and the waterfront vibes of The Lodge Queenstown.
The Winery is a fun self-service wine bar. You swap your credit card for a wine-tasting card and do your own circuit, choosing from wines that include single vineyard and reserve wines from across New Zealand, including spots with no cellar door. The tasting card tallies up what you drink – either half glasses or full glasses – and you pay when you leave. The Queenstown one stays open until 9.30pm; Arrowtown’s closes a little earlier.
Music fans shouldn’t miss a gig at Yonder. It does great food by day and transforms into a really cool music and comedy venue by night.
We also run Slow Cuts in Arrowtown. We do live jam sessions on Fridays from 7pm that can push on until midnight. It’s a really fun night of burgers, beers and music. The band plays in front of the kitchen and it’s hosted by Nemo Gent (the son David Gent from the New Zealand band the Exponents). It’s mostly covers – Fleetwood Mac, Roger Miller and the Eagles.
Inspiration
We have a phenomenal representation of art galleries showcasing New Zealand artists here. I love NMG (Nadene Milne gallery) and Astor Bristed in Arrowtown, and Starkwhite and Milford galleries in Queenstown. They’re all excellent at picking up emerging talent and nurturing them. There’s usually an opening or a talk happening at one of these galleries so scan the websites before you visit.
Lakes District Museum and Gallery is a treasure trove from the gold mining era. It could be corny but it’s done so well and it’s an inexpensive family outing if the weather’s bad. There are rooms set up in earlier eras and photography, maps and books. You can do a 15-minute whip-around or stay two or three hours.
You can hire a pan from the museum for gold panning in Arrow River. It’s one of the only places you don’t need a claim (similar to a licence) and a huge 70g nugget was found recently. The Saturday morning Remarkables market is a fabulous wander. I love the whitebait stalls, local eggs, hazelnut oil and Branch Creek honey.
Neighbourhood
Glenorchy is at the other end of Lake Wakatipu, past Queenstown. The 45-minute drive from Queenstown is ridiculously picturesque, with heaps of spots to pull over for photos. Stop by Mrs Woolly’s General Store for baked goods (the sweet pastries are fantastic) for a picnic lunch at the wharf.
Glenorch Lagoon Walkway is an easy 3.2km stroll and on a calm day the snowy peaks are reflected in the lagoon so you can get killer photos. You might see wetland birds including stilts, swans, oystercatchers and swamp harriers.
We’re really proud of our cycle trails around here. Take an e-bike out through our wine region and stop at Gibbston for a great day out with gorgeous scenery. It’s known for its pinot noir, riesling and pinot gris. There are a few wee hills but you don’t need extreme fitness. Better by Bike and Arrowtown bike hire are both good. I’d recommend hitting up Gibbston Valley winery and Coal Pit vineyard and winery and Gibbston Tavern and Mount Rosa Wines for food.
Arrowtown accommodation
The owner of Arrowtown Lodge (from NZD$220 a night), Paul Stevenson, is a hospitality legend famous for his home-cooked breakfasts. He’s a keen gardener too so the grounds are spectacular. You can sit outside with a firepit and look out over town.
At Kinross Vineyard Cottages (from NZD$459 a night), you wake up, open your doors and you’re in the winery vines. It has a great food and wine offering.
Everything’s within walking distance at Hampshire Holiday Parks – Arrowtown (from NZ$38 a night for an unpowered site). It’s a lovely open space with great views of the hills and it’s close to the Arrowtown River walk. Shades of Arrowtown (from NZ$144 a night for a studio unit) is right in the historic zone and the owners have loads of local knowledge.
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Penelope Johnson is the owner-operator of La Rumbla, Slow Cuts and Kahwah in Arrowtown. She’s also a sommelier and horse enthusiast
