retrace new zealand’s first settlers’ footsteps
For a truly unique experience head out to Central Otago this month. Every year in February, the Goldfields Cavalcade retraces the footsteps of New Zealand’s early settlers across some of the country’s most remote and dramatic landscapes.
The event is based on the first Cobb & Co stage-coach trip which left the Provincial Hotel in Dunedin [...]
The event is based on the first Cobb & Co stage-coach trip which left the Provincial Hotel in Dunedin [...]
article label
17/02/10
by mcphee
For a truly unique experience head out to Central Otago this month. Every year in February, the Goldfields Cavalcade retraces the footsteps of New Zealand’s early settlers across some of the country’s most remote and dramatic landscapes.
The event is based on the first Cobb & Co stage-coach trip which left the Provincial Hotel in Dunedin to cross the Dunstan Trial to Central Otago’s Dunstan Goldfields on 22 November 1862.
cavalcade horse trails
Central Otago was the scene of New Zealand’s biggest gold strike, and the discovery in the 1860s led to a rapid influx of foreign miners. Remnants of the mining hey day can still be spotted throughout Central Otago, and each year the Goldfields Cavalcade chooses a different destination or host town so that there is an opportunity to learn more about the region’s association with the gold rush.
There are nine different trials that make up the Goldfields Cavalcade including walking trails that can take up to five days over areas not always available to the public, week long horse riding trails that cross dramatic hills and rivers, and wagon trails that are great for anyone wanting to enjoy the scenery from the comfort of their own wagon! This year all the trails will reach their final destination on the shores of Lake Wanaka for a grand parade and hoedown on February 27th.
Check out Central Otago on our action pack summer adventure experience.
enquire here or
