Arrowtown's festival of changing seasons
Arrowtown Autumn Festival 16 - 25 April 2010
The change of seasons marks a special time in Arrowtown's calendar - the Arrowtown Autumn Festival commemorating the town’s pioneering history and natural beauty. Arrowtown - an historic gold mining town in the Queenstown-Lakes district of New Zealand’s South Island - is known for its beautiful, tree-lined streets that provide a visual feast each autumn as the leaves turn vibrant shades of red and gold.The little town is also famous year-round for its carefully preserved heritage buildings - miners’ cottages, churches, old gaol, and a freemason’s lodge - that have turned the town into ‘a living museum’.
Picnics and masquerades
The Arrowtown Autumn Festival offers a mix of entertainment including live music, guided historical walks, gold panning, workshops and high tea with local Kiwi celebrity chef Jo Seagar.The Central Lakes Trust Community Harvest Picnic on 24 April is designed especially for younger family members. The old-time picnic features hula-hooping, bouncy castles, pony rides and a Mad Hatter’s tea party with magic, clowning and riddles. Visitors bring their own picnic blankets and home-grown produce, preserves and cakes to barter for other goods at the special Trading Post.
Hotels und Unterkünfte in Arrowtown
Another highlight is the Allan Hamilton Wines Masquerade Ball - a masked party at a fake 'Venetian palace' complete with harlequin dancing and a fine dining banquet. The festival wraps up on 25 April - New Zealand’s Anzac Day which marks the anniversary of the landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers at Gallipoli during WWI - with early morning commemorations, and an evening variety show.
Arrrowtown’s golden dreams
The Lakes District Museum highlights the rich local history with unique exhibits on early Māori, European pioneers, and the goldrush of the mid-to-late 1800s. The museum was opened in 1948 in the billiards room of Arrowtown’s Ballarat Hotel before relocating to an old bank. The museum includes an authentic 1800s schoolhouse, printers, joinery shop, farm shed and a butcher-baker. Across the road from the museum, Arrowtown Post Office is a quirky little building - originally built in 1915, it is one of New Zealand's few remaining post offices still called a ‘Post and Telegraph’ office.
Background: Arrowtown
Arrowtown’s red and gold autumn leaves provide the backdrop to one of New Zealand’s most charming little towns. Visitors to Arrowtown can enjoy a range of activities from gold panning to heritage tours and walking trails, visiting the historic Chinese miners’ settlement, and discovering gourmet food and fine wines. Arrowtown began life as a gold mining town in 1862 when gold was discovered in the nearby Arrow river by Māori sheep shearer Jack Tewa. After the initial goldrush and population boom, Arrowtown developed into a permanent community that included hotels, a bank, post office, prison, school and hospital.
Hotels und Unterkünfte in Arrowtown
Arrowtown’s rich history makes it a great holiday destination. It is also renowned for its restaurants, delicious ice-cream, and wineries, and provides a convenient starting point for holidays in the Southern Lakes region. The Southern Lakes ski areas are a premier winter destination, and the region also hosts several major festivals during this time including the Queenstown Winter Festival and Wanaka Snowfest. In hotter months, visitors can enjoy river fishing, garden tours, rodeos, adventure sports, food and wine trails.
Foto-Credit: Arrowtown Post Office, Rob Young, Lizenz: CC- by-sa 2.0