Discover Earnscleugh: Fraser River and local history

Earnscleugh brings together river, history and rural experiences in different ways. Fraser Domain is in the heart of the town next to the Fraser River and invites you to enjoy a picnic; the Alexandra-to-Clyde River Track passes through the historic Earnscleugh Tailings. There is also a family-run stone fruit orchard and a local store. This gives you several options when planning your trip: a break by the river, exploring on foot or by bike, and a visit centred on Central Otago stone fruit.

Picnics and exploring at Fraser Domain

Fraser Domain is a place to enjoy a relaxing picnic right next to the Fraser River. From there, you can walk on to Fraser Dam and explore the surrounding area. This lets you combine two ideas for a visit: a break by the river or a walk towards the dam afterwards. If you prefer a more leisurely outing, make the picnic the focus; if you want to explore further, head from Fraser Domain to Fraser Dam.

Walking and cycling through historic tailings

The Alexandra-to-Clyde River Track passes through the historic Earnscleugh Tailings. It is a combined walking and cycling track and is suitable for the whole family. Here, exploring on foot or by bike goes hand in hand with the history of the area: the track runs through the tailings rather than treating them as a separate destination. For families, the track offers a shared way to explore the area in two ways.

Stone fruit, a store and horse trekking

Strode Road Orchard is a family-run stone fruit orchard with a packhouse in Earnscleugh. The business invites visitors to discover Central Otago stone fruit, or can be contacted. As seasonal availability should be confirmed before your trip, it is a good idea to coordinate your visit in advance. The Roberts Family Fruit Country Store is also in Earnscleugh and welcomes visitors to the store.

Backcountry Saddle Expeditions offers horse trekking tours; the operator's property is in Hidden Valley in Earnscleugh. If you would like to include a tour in your travel plans, confirm the booking and arrangements before you arrive. The local options are quite distinct: from a picnic by the river and a walking or cycling track to an orchard visit or a horse trek.

Central Otago District: different landscapes and trails

The wider destination of Central Otago District offers more landscapes and trail experiences. The Bannockburn Sluicings are a scarred landscape shaped by a brief gold-mining era, which can be explored on a range of walking and cycling trails. This offers a different focus from a picnic on the Fraser River or the track through the Earnscleugh Tailings: here, the landscape and traces of a gold-mining era take centre stage.

The trails in Central Otago District also differ in length and format. The Otago Central Rail Trail is 152 kilometres long, graded 1, and suited to trips of one to five days. It can be used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Along the route are mountainous, dry landscapes, river gorges, tunnels, viaducts, historic dwellings and preserved gold-mining settlements.

The Roxburgh Gorge Trail has a different focus: it follows the Clutha Mata-au River past eroded rock faces and old gold-mining sites. The trip combines 21 kilometres of cycling with a 13-kilometre boat ride, is graded 2–3, and is designed for one day. For choosing between these two regional trips, the duration is a clear distinction: one to five days on the Otago Central Rail Trail, or one day combining cycling and a boat section in the Roxburgh Gorge.

Discover more destinations: Coal Creek Flat, Millers Flat, Roxburgh, Omakau, Ranfurly, Conroys Gully, Patearoa, Waipiata.

For the wider travel overview: Central Otago District.