In March, I spent a week in Central Otago, and it reminded me just how breathtaking New Zealand really is. We based ourselves around Arrowtown, with days spent moving between cafés, vineyards, bike trails, hot pools, and, finally, the mountains. It was the perfect mix of slow travel and big landscapes.
Arrowtown
AirBnb Arrowtown
Arrowtown was an ideal place to stay: close enough to Queenstown for easy access, but with a quieter, more charming rhythm of its own. Its historic streets, autumn-coloured trees, and easy access to walking and biking trails made it feel like the right place to start and end each day.
The Dishery - Amazing breakfast
One of our favourite stops in Arrowtown was The Dishery, a café that suited the pace of the trip perfectly: relaxed, local, and easy to return to each morning for breakfast.
Ayrburn - with very special friends
Billy’s at Ayrburn
Ayrburn: Food, Wine and Beautifully Restored Buildings
Nearby Ayrburn was another standout. From the moment we arrived, it felt like somewhere special — not the kind of destination you usually find in New Zealand, but more like a carefully restored estate, with layered gardens, heritage buildings, and a real sense of occasion. The grounds are beautifully kept, and the old farm buildings have been thoughtfully repurposed into restaurants, bars, wine spaces, and places to explore.
We visited Ayrburn three times, which probably says everything. Billy’s was a must — not only for the food, but also for the interiors. The wallpaper, colours, decoration, and careful detailing made the building feel memorable before the food even arrived. The exterior still carried the character of the original structure, while the added garden atrium gave the space a generous, light-filled feel.
Billy’s at Aurburn
Three Days on the Routeburn
The final part of the trip was three days tramping the Routeburn Track with friends. We opted to carry our own packs, and were rewarded with amazing weather and even better views. Each day brought a different version of the landscape: alpine ridgelines, clear rivers, still lakes, beech forest, open valleys, and long stretches where the track seemed to unfold into another perfect view.
We swam in rivers and lakes along the way, which became one of the best parts of the tramp — cold, fresh, and completely unforgettable.
Amazing mountains
The top of the Conical Hill Track - an extrension from the main track on the Routeburn from the Harris Saddle shelter.
Onsen in Queenstown
After the Routeburn, we visited the Onsen in Queenstown, which was the perfect reset. Soaking in the hot pools with mountain views felt like a quiet pause — a chance to slow down, take in the surroundings, and properly relax before heading home. We opted for the hot and cold plunge pools at sunset; again, the views are just incredible.
Projects
The week also included visiting Queenstown Hill to look at a section, and we snuck into a few open homes to see how interiors are being done in Queenstown. The views are truly expansive, and no photo could ever do them justice.
I also had the pleasure of visiting a completed project in Wānaka, which was incredibly special. There is something so rewarding about seeing a project completed, loved, and lived in.
Homes on Queenstown Hill & Vineyards by bike on the Shotover River
This trip was a reminder of how much variety sits within one small corner of the South Island. In a single week we had excellent food, thoughtful design, heritage towns, vineyard landscapes, hot pools, bike trails, mountain tramping, river swims, and long sunny days outside. Arrowtown made the perfect base, and Central Otago once again proved why it is one of the most special regions in New Zealand.
The Routeburn
