New Chum Track & the Arrow River Gold-Panning Loop
While day-trippers crowd Buckingham Street, savvy visitors follow the Arrow River upstream on the New Chum Track — a quiet, moderate loop through native bush that traces an old mining water race and rewards you with gold-rush relics, clear mountain water and the very real possibility of panning a flake of gold from the riverbed.
The Track Itself
The New Chum Track is a hidden gem for those looking to explore Arrowtown's lesser-known trails. This moderate 7.4 km loop takes you through a quiet gully, offering a peaceful escape from the more popular routes. The track follows an old mining water race, weaving through native bush and past relics of the town's gold-mining history — stone channels, collapsed sluice boxes and rusted machinery half-swallowed by the hillside.
Waterproof shoes are a bonus given the stream crossings, and the scenery is especially picturesque in autumn when the gully is lit by turning leaves. The pastoral scenery, with imposing hills and rolling bush surrounding the track, makes it feel like a hidden world just minutes from the village.
Gold Panning on the Arrow River
The Arrow River (Haehaenui) is the original source of Arrowtown's fortune, and you can still try your luck. The Arrowtown Gold Panning Co. on Buckingham Street rents pans and gives a quick tutorial; from there, head to the river shallows where the gravel bars have been yielding colour since 1862.
In summer, the Arrow River becomes a hotspot for locals and visitors to cool off and play in the long afternoon light. Combine a morning on the New Chum Track with an afternoon at the river and you have a full, deeply satisfying day that costs almost nothing.
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