Arrowtown is about 25 mins drive from Queenstown so it make sense for me to visit this historical gold mining town dating back to the 1860's. The Chinese settlement at the edge of the Arrow river give tourists a glimpse of how harsh the life of Chinese immigrants working as gold prospectors during the old days of the gold rush era ! In the mid 1980's, while on an official visit to Australia, I was driven by an Australian colleague to visit the historic gold mining town of Ballarat in Victoria. Both Arrowtown & Ballarat had a similar piece of history about the stories of the early Chinese settlers who as immigrants trying to eke out a living during the gold rush years.
I did a short walk following the Arrow River trail & spent the rest of my time to appreciate this living historic settlement, trying to grasp a piece of history of the early Chinese settlers working as gold prospectors or miners living a hard life far away from their home lands. But there were some hopefuls who became rich after discovering gold and returned to their home lands leading a wealthy life !
For those who enjoy mountain trekking, you could follow the Arrow River track uphill (6-8 hrs) to the Macetown Historic Reserve, now a gold-mining ghost town but a tourist attraction.
From the Queenstown town Centre, you could easily catch a mini bus to Arrowtown. So make a date to visit this quaint heritage village called Arrowtown when you are in Queenstown.
Arrowtown Chinese Settlement Area, South Island, NZ
Arrowtown Chinese Settlement Area, South Island, NZ
The stories of the early 1800's Chinese gold prospectors
Arrowtown Trails
My 1km walk following the Arrow River Trail
Macetown - Arrow River Track - most challenging one !
Lakes District Museum, Arrowtown
Arrowtown Buckingham Street & Historic Buildings
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