Bendigo Cabin's Guidebook

Bendigo is located at the top of Lake Dunstan, in the heart of Central Otago. We are in the middle of nowhere and at the centre of everything. The area has a rich history of pioneer gold mining and merino farming and is best known today as one of the finest Pinot Noir producing regions in the Central Otago area. You will probably not want to leave the cabin, but if you do, Bendigo has an activity for everyone. The mining relics of Welshtown and Logantown are a short drive down the road and into the winding hills. There are beautiful and secluded swimming, fishing and picnicking spots on the Clutha River and Lake Dunstan shores below the cabins. You can amble around the hills and lakefront or walk the Quartz Reef Reserve, an 1-hour return walk through mining tailings and the Kanuka Track (4-5hours return) is the only DOC run bushwalk in Central and is definitely worth the longer length for the views alone. The Tarras Golf Club down the road is golf at it's most relaxed, you'll be sharing the fairway with the local sheep. And for the Wino's there are some of the best tasting experiences nearby at next-door Mondillo, tranquil Cloudy Bay down the road and low-key Maori Point along the Clutha.

Bendigo serves as the perfect base to explore everything else Central Otago has to offer. 15 minutes away is the nearest centre Cromwell, grab a coffee in Cromwell Old Town Area and check out the local art scene at small galleries by the lakefront. It also hosts a small but amazing artisan food and craft market most weekends where you can try local produce and stock up on picnic supplies. 5 minutes further down the road is Bannockburn, a striking wine region where you can indulge in an afternoon of cheese platters and wine tasting at a number of wineries. A long lunch at the historic Bannockburn Hotel is a must, their food and wine list is like no other in Central Otago. Driving through the shear sided Dunstan Gorge you will reach the small historic town of Clyde that has an impressive dam, boutique cinema, and a selection of shops, cafes and fine-dining restaurants. You can hire a bike and cycle part of the world-famous Central Otago Rail Trail as it follows the Clutha river toward Alexandra. If you carry on past Clyde toward the Manuherikia Valley you will be greeted with the wide-open landscapes, made famous by the New Zealand Landscape painter Graham Sydney. The area is has a number of traditional small-town pubs where you can stop for a meal and a handle and get a chance to meet some proper southern men. For the adventurous (and 4WD capable) the Thompson's Gorge Track will bring you back over the Dunstan Range directly to Bendigo via a bumpy but spectacular high country track. Further afield - a full day outing through the majestic Kawarau Gorge can find you wine tasting on a bike in the Gibbston Valley, strolling quaint Arrowtown or amongst the bustling tourism mecca of Queenstown. 45 minutes away in Wanaka you can walk the lakefront, climb insta famous Roys Peak or ski the hills in Winter. For the angler, some of the best trout and salmon fishing in New Zealand is found in the lakes and river catchments near the cabins. The drive through Lindis Pass to Ahuriri Conservation Area is straight out of Lord of the Rings and two hours further North you can soak in a hot spring in Tekapo or undertake a bushwalk in beautiful Mt Cook National Park. And that's just the beginning...

CARRICK 247 CAIRNMUIR ROAD RD2, BANNOCKBURN 9384 (20-minute drive) One of the bigger tasting rooms in Bannockburn, with a fine-dining restaurant available for lunch and views over the Bannockburn inlet. Carrick is certified organic and also produces a small range of natural wines, you can taste a selection of wines informally in the restaurant or book a private wine and tasting tour. MT DIFFICULTY 73 FELTON RD, BANNOCKBURN 9342 (20-minute drive) Another of the more established tasting rooms with a separate casual tasting area and restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating looking out over the Bannockburn landscape. It is open for lunch, with platters only in the afternoon in summer. MT ROSA 91 GIBBSTON BACK ROAD, GIBBSTON 9371 (40-minute drive) One of our favourite relaxed tastings, in a beautiful and quiet spot off the main road of Gibbston’s famous wine region. With delicious platters to enjoy in the sun alongside their informal tastings run by Trish and Guy and their matching dry NZ humor. PEREGRINE 2127 GIBBSTON HIGHWAY, RD1 QUEENSTOWN 9371 (40-minute drive) Peregrine’s vines surround us in Bendigo so go sample what the area can produce, especially their Pinot Noir’s, in their beautiful and modern tasting room. CARGO BREWERY WAITIRI CREEK, 2323 CHURCH LANE, GIBBSTON 9371 (40-minute drive)
Their cellar door is in a beautifully resorted church originally built-in 1894. There’s nowhere better for a cold beer and pizza or platter in the sun. Their expansive beer garden also plays host to games of cricket, croquet or badminton on the lawn if you’re feeling athletic after a few beers. CHARD FARM 205 CHARD FARM RD, GIBBSTON 9371 (45-minute drive) A small family-owned vineyard who were one of the pioneers of wine in the region. They specialize in single-vineyard Pinot Noirs that are like nothing else around. It’s off the beaten path down a private road that’s not for the faint-hearted, but it’s worth the drive for the absolutely spectacular views. CLOUDY BAY 45 NORTHBURN STATION ROAD RD3, CROMWELL 9383 (10-minute drive) Just down the road from the cabins in the most tranquil of tasting spaces. Lovely spot for an outdoor lunch in the Summer and for cosy tapas by the roaring indoor fire in Winter. You can also book private tasting experiences and vineyard tours as well. MAORI POINT 413 MAORI POINT ROAD, TARRAS 9347 (10-minute drive) A special tasting experience, the vineyard is owned by two families of scientists so they have an amazing wine knowledge to share. They take the tasting themselves and are passionate about what they do, it also helps their wine is delicious. They are based on the banks of the Clutha so pack a picnic, buy a bottle of wine from them after your tasting and make an afternoon of it! SCOTT BASE 27 MCNAB ROAD, CROMWELL 9384 (15-minute drive) Relaxed tasting room, with a large outdoor area on the hillside of the vineyard with views over Cromwell and Lake Dunstan. You can taste Scott Base and Allan Scott wines as well as Moa Beers with an all-day grazing menu. AURUM 140 STATE HIGHWAY 6, CROMWELL 9384 (15-minute drive) A family-run, single-vineyard organic winery that runs tastings in the original farm cottage. Definitely worth a visit if you’re into natural and organic wines, they’re one of only a few vineyards in the area that offers them.