Acrylic Afternoons

The majority of folk exploring New Zealand's South Island opt to spend at least some time in the sports and adventure capital of Queenstown. Whilst Queenstown buzzes with jet‑boats, queues for activities and hums with the heavy traffic of thrill-seekers, a quieter option, still in touching distance is just a short drive away. Arrowtown is a historic gold‑mining settlement in the Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island, tucked along the banks of the Arrow River. The town lies only 19.5 km east of Queenstown but feels like a completely different world. Founded during the Otago Gold Rush of the 1860s, much of the original settlement survives, giving it the appearance of a frontier town from an old western film. 

Queenstown, New Zealand

After our hectic adventure through New Zealand Arrowtown gave us some much-needed space to relax and catch our breath. Its old gold‑rush main street, wooden shopfronts, and quiet river trails are very popular during the day but every evening the day‑trippers melt away, leaving the town glowing softly under the mountains. It's also got a few decent pubs which always helps!

Arrowtown, New Zealand

Beyond its gold rush history, the river is known to Lord of the Rings fans as the filming location for the Ford of Bruinen, where Arwen carries Frodo to safety from the Black Riders. The surrounding landscape appeared throughout Peter Jackson's films, and it remains remarkably recognisable. When we went searching for the Ford a helpful lady standing in the river pointed out the exact filming location and we even saw two horse riders strolling down the river, thankfully they were not Nazgul!

Filming location for the Ford of Bruinen, Arrowtown

Continuing on our Middle-earth pilgrimage we visited Deer Park Heights, a working farm high above Queenstown that has become famous for both its scenery and its role in The Lord of the Rings films. Numbers are strictly controlled and bookings need to be made well in advance. Visitors drive their own vehicles along a network of steep gravel roads that climb high into the mountains. The experience is part wildlife park, part scenic drive and part film-location treasure hunt.

Aragorn falls to his doom, Deer Park Heights

The drive itself was occasionally nerve-racking. Along the route were numerous stopping points where you can feed deer, goats, alpacas, donkeys, pigs, sheep and miniature horses. More importantly, at least from my perspective, there were seven marked Lord of the Rings filming locations scattered across the property. We spent a couple of hours tracking down and photographing where Aragorn tumbled from a cliff, and where Hama met his unfortunate end at the hands of Warg riders and several scenes from the plains of Rohan.

Hama meets the Warg riders, Deer Park Heights

The real star, however, was the scenery (and the animals!). From the summits, panoramic views stretched across Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown towards The Remarkables mountain range. The range earned its name because it runs almost perfectly north to south, an unusual orientation in a country where most mountain chains follow a northeast-southwest direction. Early surveyors considered this alignment remarkable and the name stuck.

The stars of Deer Park Heights

The vast lake below also has an interesting history. Lake Wakatipu occupies a glacial valley carved during the last Ice Age and is New Zealand's longest lake. Local Māori legend tells of a giant named Matau whose buried body forms the lake basin, with his beating heart causing the lake's mysterious rise and fall known as the "lake heartbeat." 

Arrowtown

Queenstown is also the hub for a whole host of excursions to visit the famous Milford Sound. The Milford Sound, or Piopiotahi as it is known in Māori, sits deep within the Fiordland National Park on the rugged south-west coast of the South Island. Despite its name it is a fiord, carved by vast glaciers during the last Ice Age rather than a river-cut sound. 

Plane journey over the Milford Sound

We'd decided on a fly and cruise trip to see the Sound from above and then from the lake, but the weather curtailed our boat trip as an approaching front meant we had enough time for an extended scenic flight over Milford Sound, but not enough for the planned cruise. From the air the scale of the landscape was incredible, with sheer granite cliffs rising almost vertically from dark waters and countless valleys disappearing into the surrounding Southern Alps. It was easy to see why the area is often described as one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. The isolation and dramatic scenery felt almost prehistoric, as if we were flying over a corner of the world untouched by time. The flight itself was equal parts terrifying and magnificent, skirting very close to sheer mountain faces. The little aircraft bounced through occasional turbulence and that's when you became very aware of how tiny the plane is.

Plane journey over the Milford Sound

Back safely on the ground we explored Queenstown's lakeside. Sitting on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown has reinvented itself from a nineteenth-century gold rush settlement into New Zealand's go-to adventure hotspot. Even before lunchtime it was becoming noticeably busy with visitors arriving for jet boating, bungee jumping, mountain biking and every other activity involving adrenaline and liability waivers. We opted for a leisurely stroll around the piers and gardens. It was pleasant enough, but the growing crowds made us appreciate our decision to stay in nearby Arrowtown.

Queenstown Harbour

After a relaxed three days it was time to be on the move again. The route to our next destination of Lake Tekapo is widely regarded as one of the most scenic inland journeys on New Zealand's South Island. We re-joined Highway 6 before turning onto State Highway 8 near Cromwell and followed the shores of Lake Dunstan. Vineyards, orchards and brilliant blue water accompanied us through the heart of Central Otago. This region sits in the rain shadow of the Southern Alps, making it one of the driest parts of New Zealand. The climate has helped create a thriving wine industry, particularly for Pinot Noir, while the surrounding landscapes often feel more like parts of western North America than the lush scenery many associate with New Zealand. Beyond Cromwell the terrain became noticeably more rugged and arid as we climbed towards Lindis Pass.

The Lindis Pass

At 971 metres above sea level, Lindis Pass is one of the country's highest highways and crosses a landscape of golden tussock grasslands that looks almost desert-like. The pass forms a natural boundary between Otago and the Mackenzie Basin and has been an important travel route since long before European settlement. We stopped at the summit viewpoint but by then the weather had begun to deteriorate. Rain arrived and remained a constant companion for the rest of the drive To Lake Tekapo.

The Mackenzie Basin

Descending from the pass, the landscape opened dramatically into the Mackenzie Basin, an enormous glacial valley shaped by ice thousands of years ago. The basin takes its name from James Mackenzie, a Scottish shepherd who famously stole sheep through the region in the 1850s and whose exploits have become part of local folklore.

Lake Pukaki

Just beyond Twizel, which is the gateway to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park we stopped at Lake Pukaki. Even under grey skies the lake's colour looked almost unreal. Its distinctive turquoise appearance comes from finely ground rock particles known as glacial flour, suspended in the meltwater flowing from the Southern Alps. Normally this is one of the best places to view Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain at 3,724 metres. Unfortunately, we could only make out the faintest outline through the cloud and rain.

Lake Tekapo

A little later Lake Tekapo emerged from the gloom, another vast glacial lake glowing an improbable shade of turquoise beneath the surrounding mountains. Along the waterfront is the Church of the Good Shepherd. Built in 1935 as a memorial to the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country, the small stone church occupies one of the most photographed locations in New Zealand.

The Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo 

Fortunately, the evening would redeem the day's overcast weather. We had booked an evening stargazing experience with the Dark Sky Project and were transported to the University of Canterbury's Mount John Observatory overlooking the lake. The Mount John area forms part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, one of the largest dark sky reserves in the world. Strict controls on light pollution preserve extraordinary night-sky viewing conditions. The temperature was decidedly chilly, but the organisers provided warm jackets and our guide turned out to be both knowledgeable and entertaining. Most importantly, the clouds cleared.

International Dark Sky Reserve, Lake Tekapo 

Above us the Milky Way stretched across the sky with astonishing clarity. We observed Jupiter through telescopes and peered deep into space at objects so distant that their light had begun its journey long before human civilisation existed. We were even lucky enough to catch a faint glimpse of the Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights, dancing low on the horizon.

University of Canterbury's Mount John Observatory

One particularly interesting fact from the evening was that the Milky Way appears especially spectacular from the Southern Hemisphere. Looking south gives us a more direct view towards the dense central regions of our galaxy, making the band of stars appear brighter and richer than it often does in northern skies.

The Milky Way

After a rather disappointing afternoon, Lake Tekapo ultimately delivered exactly what it is famous for. Sometimes all it takes is for the clouds to get out of the way.