A New Otago Trail Reveals a Splendid Slice of New Zealand’s South Island
The wide path hugs serpentine cliffs. Above, the sky is sapphire-blue, reflecting the glacier-fed Kawarau River (above). In the distance loom snowcapped peaks, while flowing water and birdcalls create a soundtrack as relaxing as the gentle breeze. It’s like an epic scene from The Lord of the Rings, which makes sense, since large parts of the movie series were filmed here.
Set among tussocky native bush, the 32-kilometre Kawarau Gorge Trail, to be completed in early 2026, links the Gibbston Valley, east of Queenstown, to historic gold-mining town Bannockburn and about 530 kilometres of trails that crisscross Central Otago. The walking and biking (including e-bikes) track features two suspension bridges for cinematic views of roaring rapids, wrinkly hills and spindly pine trees – and the chance to take a breather.
Further rest can be found in the feather-soft beds of the nearby Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa. After the sun sets, Otago’s sea of stars stirs feelings of infinite possibility (nearby town Naseby was recently named a Dark Sky Community, the first in New Zealand, for its pristine night skies). Vaughan Mabee, executive chef at Amisfield, north-west of the trail near glass-smooth Lake Hayes, says there’s a reason for that. “We’re at the bottom of the world here but things are happening,” he says. The innovative restaurant and winery is attracting international acclaim for its upscale fare in a seasonal menu that prioritises local ingredients, such as wild hare from the surrounding area and pāua (sea snail) from Bluff in the south.
“When you use ingredients that are endemic and unique, people are wowed by that,” says Mabee, who thinks the sentiment could also apply to the Kawarau Gorge Trail. “There’s so much beauty around it. It’s like being on another planet.”
