This is part 1 of a 3 part series exploring some great spots in and around Arrowtown that are wonderful to either photograph, or to simply sit and enjoy soaking up the autumn colours.
Part 1 is based around the heart of the town, Buckingham Street, which is full of wonderful scenes within a small radius, perfect if you are short of time or don’t have a vehicle.
1. Buckingham Street Arrowtown - the backdrop to the main street turns to red and gold
There are two routes from Queenstown to Arrowtown that both take about 20-25 minutes to drive. The scenic route, or the back road as the locals call it, leaves Queenstown from Shotover Street, along Gorge Road and passes through Arthurs Point, past the Coronet Peak turn off and through farmland before reaching Millbrook Resort and then Arrowtown. The “main road” route heads out of Queenstown along Frankton Road, through Frankton towards Lake Hayes where you turn left and follow the sign posts to the township. If you are without a vehicle then there is also a regular Connectabus service to and from Queenstown and Frankton.
2. Along the middle of the main street is the Village Green, a restful area with picnic tables for takeaway food or lovely restaurants with outdoor seating
Head right along Buckingham Street past the Lakes District Museum and the historic Post Office and you reach the tiny heritage cottages that date back to the gold mining days. This is a popular spot to photograph so you are bound to meet other like minded souls looking to capture the charm of this area.
3. Just some of the historic cottages that line this block of Buckingham Street
Directly opposite the cottages is the lovely Library area and green where you will sometimes find Old Red parked. Old Red is home to the Arrow Miners Band described by some as “New Zealand’s most mature band”, with a combined age of over 655 years. Lots of lovely scenes to capture here whether Old Red is parked there or not. The sunlight coming through the trees makes for lovely images.
4. Old Red parked outside the library under the large trees
The contrast of the large trees, tiny cottages and the colourful bank of deciduous trees makes for a very pretty picture. Make sure you take some time to hang out at The Fork and Tap pub on the corner or Provisions café which is housed in one of the cottages when you've got your fill of photographing the heart of Arrowtown.
5. Step back and little and take in the whole scene of this end of Buckingham Street.
Check back soon for part 2 of 3 as we wander a little further from the centre of town to check out more great spots to capture Arrowtown’s awesomeness in Autumn.
This blog appeared in queenstown.com
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