When we left Wanaka airport, we had two options to get to Queenstown. We could take the main highway via Cromwell or the slightly shorter but twisty route through the Cardrona Valley on the Crown Range Road.

I decided on the Cardrona Valley route and we would make a stop in Arrowtown on the way. We left the airport just after 1pm and followed the route to the Crown Range Road heading out of Wanaka.

The road was pretty normal for a while and then climbed as we approached the Cardrona Valley ski area. After we passed the ski area, things got very twisty and steep. It was fun to drive although it took a lot of concentration and there really weren’t many places to pull over for the views as the road was carved into the side of the mountain.

We came down into the Arrow Junction and rejoined Highway 6 briefly before turning off towards Arrowtown. We found parking in the main parking area near Buckingham Street, the main shopping and dining street in Arrowtown.

We spent an hour or so browsing the shops and having an ice cream at Patagonia Chocolates (which also has a location in Queenstown). I took a few pictures.

The main street has kind of a gold rush era look to it and many of the buildings date back to that mid-19th century period.

The town was quite busy with day-trippers from Queenstown, but not super crowded by the time we visited. My wife bought a few souvenirs and enjoyed browsing the shops.

Around 3:30pm we headed to Queenstown and it only took about 20 minutes once we exited the parking lot. We drove to the Sofitel where we would spend the first night in Queenstown.

If you have a chance and it fits your itinerary, Arrowtown is worth a visit. It’s not a must-do by any means unless you are visiting in April when the leaves change color as the fall colors there are supposed to be amazing. Driving the Crown Range Road was a real highlight as well.

Up Next: Sofitel Queenstown Review

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