In Arrowtown, an authentic gold mining town from the 1860’s, stroll through the “western-styled” main street, ringed with cafes, pubs and arts and crafts shops. The informative Lakes District Museum features an excellent collection of gold mining relics. Not long after the first European settlers established farms in the Wakatipu area, gold was discovered. The find was concealed for a short time, but news soon spread. In 1862 Jack Tewa, a shearer, found gold in Arrow River. Arrowtown, originally named Fox’s, began to populate as news of gold in the Arrow River spread. Within weeks, 1,500 people in search of golden treasure arrived and built shanties on the riverbank that were washed away in a violent spring flood. The following year, the town was rebuilt more solidly on the terraces above the riverbank, and Arrowtown’s population grew to almost 7,000 at the height of the gold rush. Not far away, the action continues as the Old Kawarau Bridge, where people of all ages bungee jump straight down to the Kawarau River, a daring drop of 120 feet!
