We woke to a world still dusted white the mountains glowing behind the campground, the trees bowing gently under the weight of melting snow. It was calm, bright, and peaceful; the kind of morning that makes you stop and just stare for a bit.
After breakfast, we headed into town. The main street looked like something from a movie set quaint wooden shopfronts, red phone boxes, and white roofs against blue sky. Yesterday’s chaos had melted into a slow, quiet charm.
With the bank holiday over, Arrowtown was open again, and it felt completely different. We wandered into the old shops the ones built during the 1860s gold rush where you can still smell the timber and history.
We stopped at The Gold Nugget gift shop, one of the town’s oldest trading buildings, its sign glinting under a thin frost. The red post box out front looked straight out of London a quirky reminder of Arrowtown’s colonial roots.
Georgia loved spotting the little details: the carved shop signs, the creaky floors, and the ivy-covered pharmacy that looked like something from a storybook.
After exploring the main street, we followed the path to Arrowtown’s Historic Chinese Settlement, a short walk from the centre.
Built in the 1860s, this small cluster of stone huts was home to the Chinese gold miners who came seeking fortune but faced harsh discrimination. The huts are tiny barely large enough to stand inside and the old outdoor toilets still stand, made of stacked stone and timber.
Seeing them dusted in snow made the whole place feel frozen in time. It’s humbling to think people lived through winters here with nothing but a fireplace and grit.
☕ Coffee, Cocoa, and the Lord of the Rings Crossing
We stopped at a nearby café for coffee and hot chocolate, warming up before walking to the Arrow River crossing one of the filming spots from The Lord of the Rings.
Standing by the river, with snow still clinging to the trees, it was easy to see why they chose it. The water shimmered under the pale sun, and the hills looked straight out of Middle-earth.
We walked past the sweet shop again (because apparently, it’s impossible to walk by without going in). Georgia picked a few treats for movie night, then found another DVD to add to our growing camper collection.
By afternoon, most of the snow had melted but not before a few snowball fights broke out at the playground. Georgia took aim with what remained of half-melted snowmen from the morning.
Back at the van, we closed the day with hot drinks, warm blankets, and a film while the last of the snow disappeared outside.
The historic centre dates back to 1862, built during Otago’s gold rush boom. The Chinese miners’ huts were restored in the 1980s and are now part of a protected heritage site. The Arrow River was used in The Fellowship of the Ring as the Ford of Bruinen. Average October temperature: 13 °C so snow like this is very unusual!
It’s a town that feels alive with history and charm.
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