Discover your pioneering spirit in Cromwell, a town built out of the Gold Rush era where dreams were born and fortunes made!

Less than an hour’s drive from Queenstown, you’ll find Cromwell, a quiet little town that was at the heart of one of the most fascinating periods in New Zealand’s history.

It was a place where individuals fought against the odds in dangerous conditions for the prospect of fortunes that would set them up for life.

You needed a sense of adventure back then and you can easily get a sense of it today with plenty of things to see and do that capture that pioneering spirit!

The history of Cromwell

Cromwell was a town born out of the Gold Rush era in New Zealand in the mid-late 19th century when thousands of miners descended on what was known then as ‘The Junction’. This was because of the fact that it was a point where a junction formed between the two rivers of Clutha and Kawarau. As the settlement grew, it was eventually named Cromwell after the English political and military leader, Oliver Cromwell.

By the early 20th century most of the gold had been mined and the area became a focus for farming and stone fruit growing as well as a hub between the popular spots of Queenstown and Wanaka.

The town went through another big transformation in the 1990’s with the building of the Clyde Dam which meant a relocation of the Old Town centre and an increase in the residential areas, services and facilities. During this time it also became a great place for wine enthusiasts with some of the country’s best wineries in close proximity.

Things to do in Cromwell

With its fascinating history, superb landscape and incredible produce, there’s no shortage of things to do in Cromwell and these are some of our favourites!

Experience Cromwell’s Stone Fruits

As mentioned earlier, Cromwell has a great reputation for stone fruits, so much so that it is known as the ‘Fruit Bowl of the South Island’ and there are a number of ways you can experience this.

Undoubtedly, the first is to take a selfie in front of the giant sculpture of fruit which has to be seen to be believed. After that, you might fancy doing some fruit picking yourself and there are some great places to try like Cheeki Cherries! The staff there are really friendly and you won’t have seen so many cherries in your life.

You can also go on Orchard Tours like those offered by Jackson Orchards, riding their yellow electric tour bus in a 45 minute journey that showcases the best of their summer fruits.

Walk through Cromwell’s Heritage Precinct

The Clyde Dam Project meant the submerging of the Old Town, but before that happened many of the buildings were moved or recreated in the new settlement where they could still be appreciated.

This area is known as the Cromwell Heritage Precinct and is a great place to wander through to see some old-style buildings from the Gold Rush era. In the precinct itself, you’ll find galleries, cafes, boutique and gift shops and more.

It’s a great little time capsule to experience that will give you a taste of the pioneering spirit.

Goldfields Mining Centre

Another way to get a taste of the pioneering spirit is to do a bit of it yourself by visiting the Goldfields Mining Centre.

The Goldfields Mining experience is a great activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It’s an opportunity to visit a historic reserve and appreciate the way in which gold mining was done. Better still, you’ll be able to try a bit of gold panning yourself with the chance to find your own small fortune and visitors actually do!

Really good fun this as an authentic and historically informative experience.

Wine Tasting

Central Otago is known as one of the best wine regions in the country and attracts thousands of visitors for this sole reason alone.

Cromwell is in the perfect place to take full advantage of this with a good number of wineries situated in the Cromwell Basin. Many of these also have cellar doors and restaurants to enjoy and sample world-class wine and cuisine.

Some of our favourites include Wooing Tree Vineyard, Aurum Wines and Quartz Reef Wines but you can’t really go wrong here.

Walking Trails

This part of the country is not short on picturesque scenery so it will come as no surprise that there are many walking trails to enjoy as one of the highly recommended things to do in Cromwell.

The walks cover an interesting variety of terrain including lakes and rivers, high hilltops and arid canyons. What’s also extremely fascinating are the old mining relics and ruins that you get to see along your way that really enrich the experience.

Some of the more popular walks include the Bannockburn Sluicings, Cairnmuir Track, Old Reservoir Track and the Quartz Reef Tailings.

Highlands Motorsport Park

What may come as a bit of a surprise to you is that Cromwell is also known for motor racing with the Highlands Motorsport Park based there.

Besides hosting premier racing events like the Sprint Series and the Carters Tyres New Zealand Endurance Championship, it’s also a place you can spend a day having a full motorsport experience. This is because they have a car museum, go-karts, fast laps, driver training, the ‘Highlands Taxi’, a great cafe and more!

You don’t have to be a petrolhead to enjoy this one. Great fun for the whole family!

Events and festivals in Cromwell

A great time to visit Cromwell is during one of their fantastic annual events that are organised right throughout the year. The town really comes alive with locals and visitors from far and wide coming together for the festivities. Below are some of the best from Cromwell and the wider Central Otago region!

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