Discover Roxburgh

Discover Roxburgh on short walks through art, local history and traces of gold mining. Metal sculptures shape the town, a walking loop leads to historic buildings and viewpoints, and the Clutha Gold Trail brings the river landscape into view. When planning your holiday, it makes a difference whether you mainly want to explore Roxburgh or also include longer trails in the Central Otago District.

Art and history in the townscape

Among Roxburgh’s distinctive features are unique, quirky metal sculptures. One tells a story and stands by the public toilets. A large mural reflects the cultures associated with the Teviot Valley. Even the street names tell of the town’s origins: all the streets are named after places in the Scottish Borders, reflecting Roxburgh’s Scottish heritage.

St James' Church is architecturally significant: built from local stone in a traditional English style, the church has a simple Gothic Revival design. It is the place of worship of Roxburgh’s Anglican community, which has been active there for more than 130 years. The church is designated as private. The Teviot District Museum is housed in the district’s first Methodist church. The local-stone building dates from 1872. Together, the church and museum offer insights into different religious and architectural chapters of local history.

A walking loop or a trail by the river

A 5 km loop follows footpaths through town and a riverside path to historic buildings and viewpoints. It combines views of the town with proximity to the river in a single circuit. Those interested in gold-mining history can explore a different scale on the Clutha Gold Trail: the 9.4 km section from Commissioners Flat to Roxburgh Town follows the Clutha Mata-au River and passes traces of the original gold prospecting.

Pinders Pond is near Roxburgh, on the Clutha Gold Trail, and makes a good rest stop along the way. The Roxburgh Gorge Cycle Trail is also close to Roxburgh; check specific access points when planning. These trails do not all offer the same experience: the town loop brings together historic buildings and viewpoints, while the Clutha Gold section focuses on the river and traces of gold mining.

Trails in the Central Otago District

If you plan to go beyond Roxburgh, you can consider the Central Otago District as a separate, wider area. The Bannockburn Sluicings reveal a scarred landscape shaped by a brief gold-mining era, which can be explored on various walking and cycling trails. The Roxburgh Gorge Trail in the Central Otago District also follows the Clutha Mata-au River, passing eroded cliffs and old gold-mining sites. It is planned as a one-day trip with 21 km of cycling and 13 km by boat; its difficulty rating is 2–3.

The Clutha Gold Trail offers another regional-scale option: it stretches 135 km from the Roxburgh Dam in Central Otago to Waihola in the Clutha region. Classified as an easy cycling and walking trail, it is rated for a two- to four-day trip and has a difficulty rating of 1–2. The shorter section near Roxburgh and this longer route answer different planning questions: would you like to explore a single part of the trail, or include a multi-day route in your trip? The stated distances, durations and difficulty ratings can help you make this decision based on your planned itinerary.

Local specialities and seasonal fruit picking

Roxburgh is home to family-run Jimmy’s Pies. Nearby, Hobbs Family Partnership Orchard and Fruit Stall offers pick-your-own apricots, peaches and nectarines. Since the fruit is seasonal and opening periods depend on availability, check before you travel. This lets you plan a fruit-picking outing for the right time of year, without confusing it with the town and trail experiences described as available year-round.

Planning the right holiday

When looking for holiday accommodation in Roxburgh, use your planned itinerary as a guide: if metal art, local history and the 5 km loop are your priorities, focus on Roxburgh itself. If you are considering longer distances, you can also compare the regional information about the Clutha Gold Trail or Roxburgh Gorge Trail. For fruit picking, the season matters. These different priorities can help you match your destination to the experiences you want to include in your holiday.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Naseby, Alexandra, Lindis Valley, Cromwell, Chatto Creek, Kokonga, Coal Creek Flat, Patearoa.

For the broader travel overview: Central Otago District.