Day Walks in the Maniototo

If you want to get away from it all, there are some really great walks in and around Naseby. As Peter Dymock says in his book Day Walks of Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes District, “The Maniototo is to many the ‘real’ Central Otago... the home of the ‘southern man’, of the brewery ads and of the empty big sky country.” It’s where Central Otago is called ‘Central’; where the Royal Hotel in Naseby is called the ‘bottom pub’ and the Ancient Briton the ‘top pub’.

Walk 1.
This Grade 1 walk takes in the Naseby Forest and the Hogburn Gully where gold was discovered in 1863. It takes about 3 hours, although it’s highly recommended that you take time to stop for a picnic at the many picturesque spots along the way. The forest has a network of walking tracks and is also a mecca for mountain bikers from all over the country with trails of all grades of ability. The track passes several dams and the Mt. Ida water race as it winds its way through the old forest which was
established in the early 1900s. Stop off for a refreshing pint at one of the pubs, or for great coffee and cake at the Black Forest Café after your walk.

Walk 2.
The Mt. Buster walk is a Grade 3 walk and with a 550 metre vertical climb is a little easier than the Hawkdun Range walk. It will take you between 4-5 hours for the return walk if you don’t get side-tracked! Gold was found here in 1864 soon after it was discovered in Naseby. Just below the 4,000 ft summit of Mt. Buster, the mounds of dazzling white quartz pebbles and the landscape created by the miners’ sluicing guns, are testimony to the lengths to which gold miners went in order to recover gold.

These are just two of many walks in the area, and there are variations on these as well. The tourist centre in Naseby has more information and Peter Dymock’s book is well worth purchasing if you’re serious about a good days walk in ‘Central’. You are welcome to borrow our copy if you wish when you stay with us.

For more information contact;
Reed Publishing
Email         info@reed.co.nz
Website www.reed.co.nz

Naseby Information Centre
Email         naseby@centralotagonz.com
Website www.centralotagonz.com