Cromwell

Introducing Cromwell

There’s a couple of really good reasons to visit Cromwell: the sweet little historic precinct near the lake, and to eat (and eat, and eat). Courtesy of great local farms and orchards the little town has way more than its fair share of great eateries. If you’re passing through on your way east to Dunedin or west to Queenstown, it’s worth stopping here for lunch. Oh, and a third reason: take a photo of yourself the beside spectacularly ugly giant fruit salad at the entrance to town.

Inside the town’s monstrous shopping mall is the Cromwell i-SITE (03-445 0212; cromwellvin@xtra.co.nz), with an abundance of local info and a disturbing stuffed sheep. Grab a copy of Walk Cromwell, which covers some cool local mountain-bike and walking trails, including the nearby gold-rush ghost-town of Bendigo. Bikes can be hired from the nearby Cycle Surgery (03-445 4100; www.cyclesurgery.co.nz) for $35 per day.

Cromwell has a legendary chip on its shoulder. Back in 1992 when the Clyde Dam was completed, it flooded the original Cromwell village including the town centre, 280 homes, six farms and 17 orchards. Luckily, many of the town’s historic buildings were disassembled and moved uphill before they were flooded, and they’ve since been restored as Old Cromwell Town. This peaceful pedestrianised zone sits beside the lake that swallowed the old town, and as well as having interesting historical buildings to look through, it offers yummy eating and a couple of interesting galleries. Many of the buildings are now home to artisans; see cool artworks at Hullabaloo Art Space (www.odelle.com) or interesting metalworks at Stoop Gallery (www.stoop.co.nz). And don’t miss the excellent Grain & Seed Café. Grab a copy of Old Cromwell Town Historic Precinct for a self-guided tour.

Bannockburn, about 5km south of town, has a couple of great restaurants and old gold works to look around (grab brochures on Bannockburn and Carricktown from ­the i‑SITE). On the way you pass the Chafer Beetle Nature Reserve. That’s right…beetles.

You can speed around the gorgeous Kawarau River at five-zillion km/h on a 40-minute jetboat ride with Goldfields Jet (03-445 1038; www.goldfieldsjet.co.nz; adult/child $85/49). Or for a more gentle option, check out local bird life on a four-hour boat trip with Eco Experience (03-445 1745; www.eco-tour.co.nz; 4 people $350).

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009