From Alexandra, the walking trails and Pinot Noir vineyards of Central Otago beckon. This town has a golden history, dating back to the 1880s.
Alexandra is an attractive oasis of trees and civilisation within the weathered rock landscape of Central Otago. The town boomed during the late 1800s, when huge gold dredges worked the Clutha River. The most successful dredge was the Dunedin, which extracted an estimated 528kg of gold.
Today Alexandra owes its prosperity to orchardists and wine makers. On foot or on a mountain bike, you can follow gold miner’s trails in the hills to appreciate the unique beauty of the area. You can also visit Pinot Noir vineyards and discover gold mining history at the museum. In summer and autumn, enjoy local apricots, peaches, cherries and apples. In winter, go ice skating on Manorburn Dam with its 30 hectares of natural ice.
