Where history meets nature

In Arrowtown our vibrant history melds with glorious nature to make an enchanting must-do experience. A walk down Arrowtown’s heritage main street is a journey back in time, while the hills and rivers that teemed with gold mines a century and a half ago are now a mecca for hikers and bikers.

Historic Arrowtown is a New Zealand treasure, and it is recognised as a Tohu Whenua. It is a scenic 25-minute drive from Queenstown, and a popular winter base for international ski teams. It's charming and quirky – a delightful gold-rush village nestled below the beautiful peaks that surround the sparkling Arrow River.

The heart of its history is Buckingham Street, a procession of small-town heritage buildings that stretch into a tree-lined avenue of tiny miners’ cottages that date to the 1870s. The buildings in this lovely precinct house shops, galleries, bars and restaurants – many classy, most individual, not one from an international chain. It is a wonderful place to browse and relax, enjoy a meal, and soak up Arrowtown’s lively heritage.

Buckingham Street is home to the Lakes District Museum with its memorable display of life in a goldfields town. Many of the early gold miners were adventurous Chinese men, and the restored remains of their very separate village lie by the river. The museum serves as the town's information centre – a first stop for local information and maps of walking and cycling trails. If you’d like to make Arrowtown the uncrowded base for your visit to New Zealand’s Queenstown region, there are varied accommodation choices, which the friendly staff will help you book.

Biking through the Arrow River

Buckingham St, Arrowtown

View from Tobins Track, Arrowtown in Autumn

Arrowtown in Autumn from Feehly Hill

Arrowtown from Feehly Hill in Autumn

Views over Arrowtown

Arrow River in Autumn

St Pauls Anglican Church, autumn colours

Avenue of historic cottages, Arrowtown

Miners Cottages, Arrowtown in Autumn

Arrow River in Summer

Views over Arrowtown

Arrowtown cottage built in 1878

Buckingham Green and historic building, Arrowtown

Family on Arrowtown River Trail

Young family enjoying Arrowtown trails

Cycling near the Arrow River

Arrowtown main shopping street

Shopping in Arrowtown's historic main street

Lake Hayes in Summer

Historic miners cottages, Arrowtown

Al Fresco Dining in Arrowtown

Feehly Hill, Arrowtown

Diners in Arrowtown Alley

The Arrowtown Golf Club

View of Lake Hayes and Millbrook Resort from Feehly Hill, Arrowtown

Children enjoying water play in the Bush Creek/Arrow River on Arrowtown's outskirts

Gold Panning in Arrowtown

Lake Hayes, Arrowtown