Tours

Stewart Town: How they lived

Start: Pipe Clay Gully Road (Time: 40 minutes return)

Imagine providing a home, maintaining an orchard, building a dam and finding gold... Learn about the Scottish prospectors and their achievements in this harsh environment. Walk around the old cottages, stand on the dam, see the impact of sluicing on the hillsides and imagine where water came from and how the goldfields used this valuable commodity in a very low rain fall area.

Stewart Town and Menzies Gully: How they lived and what they did

Start: Felton Road (Time: 1 hour - 20 minutes one way)

This tour encompasses features such as Stewart Town, Menzies Dam, Pipe Clay Gully, ground and hydraulic sluicing, water races, tunnels, tailings, caves and panoramic views.

Come away with an idea of the scale and complexity of these mining operations and the lonely life people lived they got to the goldfield, found gold, sheltered from the elements and coped with disaster and disease.

Goldfield Circuit Tour : See it all

Start: Felton Road (Time: 2hrs - 30 min return)

Do a complete circuit of the goldfield and experience all that this amazing place has to offer.

Carrick Range Goldfields Tour

This 4WD tour starts at Bannockburn and climbs to 1400m at the summit of the Nevis Road and then traverses along the original supply route from the Nevis Road down to Bannockburn. This area is rich in history and historic sites.

Understand the value of this area to early Maori explorers and find out how the land passed from Maori to the colonial government. Begin to imagine the challenges faced by the early run holders and the impact later parliamentary acts had on the area and its natural resources.

Become aware of the diversity and extent of alluvial and hard rock mining activity that took place over the Carrick Range during and beyond the gold rush era. All this activity involved successes, failures, disappointments and tragedy for the characters who became part of Central Otago goldfields history. Familiarise yourself with the impact of Chinese miners, find out how they lived and worked during this period of our history and what they left behind on the Carrick Range.

Look for a large overshot water wheel and the remains of other gold rush era, machinery, look in a mine driven into the hillside and pass through an abandoned, historic, goldfields settlement on the side of the Carrick Range at 900m and imagine what daily life was like in the 1870’s, realise the perils of travel and difficulties of supply and cross over a major, 33km. water race constructed in the 1870’s

All of this is set in the unique Central Otago sub–alpine environment with a constantly changing panorama of spectacular scenery.

This tour is weather and road conditions dependant.

Use our contact details for up to-date information on road and weather conditions and tour start time.

Poverty Gully Boutique Olive Grove

Poverty Gully Boutique Olive Grove has 200 Leccino and Frantoio Olive trees in the heart of Bannockburn . Growers Trevor and Sue McNamara based the label for their olive oil on the historic mining map which defined the area as a naturally formed dry gully with no gold that lay between two ridges that were rich in gold during the booming Central Otago Gold Rush in late 1800s.

Over a century later the same area now produces approx 200 litres of certified cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil with herbaceous flavours and peppery finish. The oil has enjoyed both Gold and Silver medals at NZ Olives National Awards and is popular with locals and chefs in the region.

Trevor and Sue welcome visitors to their grove and to taste their oil.

Domain Road Vineyard

The vineyard, located in the heart of the historic Bannockburn gold mining area overlooks some stunning land formations that are a legacy of the gold mining history of the area. The vineyard is located in a small valley with a unique microclimate providing shelter and heat to the vines. Areas of high quality soils, gravels and mineral rich clay, untouched by the goldminers, produces its award winning Pinot Noir. Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling grapes are grown on parts of the vineyard that were stripped of gravels in search of gold. These unique characteristics produces wines that are becoming known worldwide for quality and consistency.

Domain Road is owned by the Crosbie family who have had family connections with the area over several generations. After purchasing land for themselves in the 1980's they eventually purchased the property on which Domain Road vineyard has been developed. An historic goldminer's cottage, built of earth during the 1880's by one of the properties first owners has been restored and improved during 2006 and is now a symbol of the vinyard's heritage. Further restoration and rebuilding of farm buildings during 2011 have enabled Domain Road to be able to offer wine tasting at the vineyard as well.