Carved by glaciers thousands of years ago, the mountain ranges, rivers and lake dominate the natural landscape of the Whakatipu Basin. Eleanor Hughes explores and discovers that it’s not all smooth sailing (or cycling) in this wonderfully rugged landscape.
Over the last few centuries, Whakatipu Basin has changed – settlers arrived, gold fever hit and in the last 100 or so years, towns and tourism have grown. I deeply appreciate the landscape and the history – taking it in slowly, enjoying it almost to myself on a recent visit.
Cycling Coronet Half Loop
The full 50km Coronet Loop cycle trail begins and ends in Arrowtown. It ascends Bush Creek Track to Coronet Face Water Race, then to the steep Grade 4 Pack Sack and Track trail. To be honest, it sounded way out of my league when Finn O’Connor from The Ride Guide explained it to me. He also mentioned that its mountain bike grading of 3/4 is more aligned to a grading of 4/5 under the trail grading system used for the Queenstown Trail.
Still challenging, requiring a good fitness level and mountain biking experience, I opted for an easier-sounding 40km alternative, the Coronet Loop Lite. At the top of graveled Skippers Road, with a few tips I was ready… or not…
With Mt Aurum ahead (thought by 1860s miners to be the source of gold in the area), I descended, on e-bike, to Dirty Four Creek. What followed were ascents and descents, switchbacks on single dirt trails, some of which were once gold-mining tracks, and some steep drop-offs.
I crashed off the bike several times and carried it through the river six times. The trail meanders through vast, rugged backcountry landscapes, taking in the historic stone Greengates Hut, and looking down on a flat, grassy spot dotted with tall poplars where partial stone walls stand, all that remain of the 1864-built Greengates Hotel. Deep Creek, a tributary of Arrow River, runs through a narrow gorge far below.
From Picnic Rock I look out over crumpled, green, zig-zagging ranges. Faint lines running horizontally across mountains on the opposite side of the valley are old water races, used to transport water from streams to wash away gold-bearing gravel and dirt.
Easter Island Rocks do bear a resemblance to the Easter Island statues. Golden tussock covers an area known as the Golden Terraces; piles of rocks are waste rock from gold-mining. The narrow trail means I walk my bike just after the corrugated-iron Eight Mile Creek hut.
Reaching Macetown Road, a left leads to Macetown just a few kilometres away. Apparently, it’s one of Otago’s most intact goldfield towns with restored historic cottages and a stamping battery. From Arrowtown, it’s a 32km one way ride, with 40 river crossings! We turn onto a deeply-rutted 4WD, 1884-built, dirt road. Much of it sits high above a bushy valley cut by the Arrow River. It has a few scary descents that I push the bike down. Surrounded by creased brown hills, roadside pink and blue lupins deliver a splash of colour.
The trail challenges right to the end, with steep stairs and a narrow section where my handlebars graze rock on one side and a safety fence on the other. The 5hr 20m ride leads into Arrowtown, next to Arrow River where gold was first found, and near the Arrowtown Chinese Settlement, established by Chinese goldminers in the 1880s. Had they too made their way through the unforgiving landscape I’d just ridden, albeit by foot?
Driftaway Queenstown
From Driftaway Queenstown, on Lake Whakatipu’s shoreline, the sun sets golden disappearing behind a distant peak. The Remarkables become a silhouette. Campervans lining the waterfront have prime position, as do the camp’s private hot tubs where windows give a picture-perfect view while recuperating the body after a day’s cycling…in preparation for another day of cycling.
Arrowtown Riding
An easier ride from Arrowtown follows the Countryside Loop, and Tucker Beach, Shotover Gorge and Wharehuanui Trails to complete a 43km return.
Mere metres from the trail start by the Chinese Settlement, Better by Bike set us up with e-bikes. The Countryside Loop leads through Millbrook Resort’s landscaped grounds, passing Millhouse Restaurant, once an 1860’s flour mill, and enclaves of upmarket homes.
We sidetracked to Ayrburn, a recently-opened hospitality precinct amongst manicured gardens. Late 1800s reconstructed farm buildings now accommodate a variety of restaurants. It was too early for us to stop but this would be a great lunch location, perhaps with shared plates at The Manure Room. Or plug the e-bike in at a charging station at ride end and enjoy a drink at The Woolshed, or ice cream from The Dairy.
All around here picturesque, verdant, rolling countryside is peppered with drooping willow trees, eucalypts, stone walls, and white-flowering hawthorn accompanying you via trail and country roads to the Lower Shotover River. Crossing the Old Lower Shotover Bridge, Coronet Peak dominates in one direction, and the jutting Remarkables in the other.
The 4.3km Tucker Beach Trail gives views of the river before it disappears around a bend backdropped by towering, brown, sand cliffs. Kimi-Akau Bridge crosses a milky-green river, leading onto Shotover Gorge Trail. Narrow, tricky switchbacks descend to Hugo Tunnel, on Shotover’s riverside. Illuminating the 108m historical tunnel’s blackness, yellowish-lights guide us through.
Ascending through native bush and ferns brings us to Arthurs Point Road, which leads to riverside Canyon Brewery, adjacent to the Shotover Jet base, minutes away. A little further on, you can stand on Edith Cavell Bridge as the river thunders below through Shotover Gorge.
We instead turn left and ride on past The General Store café and Onsen Hot Pools and Day Spa, ideal for a mid-ride soak while overlooking the Shotover River and out to the Southern Alps. Next to pizza restaurant Rakau, we lunch in the beer garden of the 1863-built stone hotel, Gantley’s Tavern, before joining the Wharehuanui Trail. From here we cycle wide gravel trails traversing lush, green countryside, with the Remarkables towering beyond providing a distracting scene.
As we skirt Coronet Peak’s base, we pass mountain bikers, and also paragliders serenely floating down from its ridge, a tranquil way to take in the landscape, as is Coronet Peak Gondola.
Arriving back in Arrowtown via Millbrook Resort, I was thankful I’d had an e-bike on the almost five hours’ ride considering some of the hills we encountered.
Other Top Day Rides
Queenstown Trail offers a network of over 150kms of cycle trails forming multi-day and day rides. There are plenty of bike and shuttle providers in Queenstown and Arrowtown.
Twin Rivers Trail
Graded Intermediate, this trail runs alongside the once gold-bearing, vibrant blue Kawarau and Shotover Rivers. The few hills give expansive views over spectacular gorges and beyond to The Remarkables. From Queenstown Gardens, ride to Frankton to join the trail which connects to the Arrow River Bridges Trail, alongside Arrow River, and cycle into Arrowtown. In autumn it’s especially picturesque, the landscape a palette of green, yellow and golds with red splashes. Information boards en route detail gold-mining history.
Arrow River Bridges Trail and Gibbston River Trail
A 25km ride on the easy-graded Arrow River Bridges Trail and Gibbston River
Trail takes cyclists over the 1880-built Kawarau Bridge, above the deep, stunning Kawarau Gorge and site of bungy-jumping. Kawarau River’s blue hues are stunning as you head for the vineyards of Gibbston Valley. Stop in for wine tastings, tour Gibbston Valley Winery’s wine cave, or visit Gibbston Tavern.
Stargazing
Stargazing guide Simon Williams from AuthenticAs took me to a Kelvin Peninsula park, on Lake Whakatipu’s shores. Beneath a dark sky broken only by a quarter moon, I felt like a speck in the universe. Sirius, the brightest star, appeared light-like on a Remarkables’ peak, the Southern Cross, and its pointers, Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, and Orion’s belt sparkled.\
By naked eye, I see only one star; with binoculars, a few; while a Unistellar Equinox telescope reveals clusters in the same spot. A satellite whizzes across the sky.
With Simon’s guidance, I photographed the night sky with my iPhone but his astro-portraits are way better! A faint red glow silhouetted The Remarkables under the Milky Way.
It’s food for thought when Simon suggests life could be slowed down by aligning it with the moon’s cycles; resting in the quarter moon phase, being creative when the full moon is energising. As it disappeared behind Cecil Peak, his advice for in the middle-of-nowhere motorhomers is to get outside, turn off outside lights and enjoy the stars; to learn the names of a few and follow them over evenings as they move across the sky. Possibly better than what’s on TV, and another way to appreciate life and landscapes.
Other Camping Spots
- Hampshire Holiday Parks, Arrowtown
- Hampshire Holiday Parks, Queenstown Lakeview
- Queenstown Top10 Holiday Park
- There are also a few designated spaces in carparks for certified, self-contained motor vehicles
Top food spots
Breakfast: The Boat Shed Bakery at Queenstown Marina, a 15-minute walk from Driftaway Queenstown. Enjoy the early morning tranquil setting on Lake Whakatipu’s shores.
Coffee with a view: Norka’s Kai Café, Queenstown Marina.
Lunch: The Boat Shed Café, Frankton Road, housed in a restored, 1869-built New Zealand Railways Shipping Office.
Dinner: Frankton Arms Tavern offers casual dining opposite Driftaway’s entrance, with a view up Lake Whakatipu.
Evening: Discover Fino Wine Bar for upmarket dining, at Queenstown Marina.
