CLUTHA DISTRICT, CENTRAL OTAGO HIGHLIGHTS
Roxburgh there are plenty of things to do.
WHAT TO DO IN ROXBURGH, HIGHLIGHTS
- Roxburgh hydroelectric dam & lookout
- Roxburgh’s cinema – NZ’s oldest continuously operated theatre
- Quirky hillside golf course
- Cycling trails from Roxburgh Gorge to Clutha Gold Trail
Roxburgh Dam car park has a short walk to the lower lookout or drive to the upper lookout above the dam for the amazing views. It’s stunning when the floodgates open.
Hankering for a fresh fruit ice cream? Fairview Orchard is an ideal stop with coffee, snacks and the favourite freshly crushed fruit wrapped around vanilla ice cream.
Order Coal Creek Gardens online for nationwide delivery (New Zealand only) and check out where all that delicious goodness comes from.
Check the orchard calendar so you don’t miss out on the short cherry season.
Accompanying the ice cream is another kiwi food group, the pie. Jimmy’s Pies has over 50 versions of the classic pie. With over 50 years practice it is hard to beat an Otago favourite roadie treat.
Check out the quirky golf course, forget pristine manicured grass, rather rock tor and hillsides challenge golfers to wonder where the ball landed.
WHERE TO TAKE THE BEST SELFIE IN ROXBURGH
- Outside the Centennial Bar
- Parents trying to play golf
- Your enormous fresh fruit ice cream
ROXBURGH’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Work, Live, Play in Roxburgh. A community.
WHAT TO DO WITH KIDS IN ROXBURGH
- Rainy days Roxburgh cinema
- Ice cream from the art deco Centennial Bar
- Roxburgh dam exploration and the work of hydroelectricity as a renewable resource
Tevoit Museum
Looking for an interesting way to spend an hour? Take the family for a visit to the Teviot Museum.
About the Teviot Museum
The Teviot Museum is located in what was originally built in 1872 as the first Methodist Church for the district.
Inside you will probably meet Robin Christie, local historian and volunteer enthusiast. Robin can tell you many different stories about the history of the Roxburgh township, the people who live, and have lived here, and the events that occurred over the history of the area that have shaped the town, making it the wonderful community that exists today.
ROXBURGH’S FAME
- Roxburgh has New Zealand’s oldest operating cinema. In 1897 the cinema opened with 258 seats and is one of the few cinemas continuing to operate in Otago.
- The Roxburgh War Memorial (1923) lists 42 men from the town and local region who died in both World War One and Two. The plinth originally had trophies, a German Rheinmetall 17 cm mittlerer Minenwerfer and a Maxim MG 08 Heavy Machine gun which was mounted on a tripod. The Mortar captured by the 12th Company ( Nelson ) 2nd Canterbury Infantry Battalion on The Maxim Gun was pinched during the 1970’s with locals continuing to be on the trail of the thieves. The mortar was relocated when, in 2003 a new Memorial Plaque was placed outside the Council Building & Returned Services Association club-rooms.
- Roxburgh was the film location for town scenes In My Father’s Den (2004)
WHAT KEEPS ROXBURGH TICKING?
- The Otago Gold Rush started the place off with sheep and stone fruit as agricultural mainstays. Apples are an important part of the fruit industry.
ROXBURGH’S POPULATION
- 552
WHO TURNED UP AND NAMED ROXBURGH?
- Roxburgh was a major centre of gold dredging at the end of the 19th century. The Ladysmith dredge, named after the South African war siege of the British stronghold of Ladysmith, operated for some years on the east bank of the river. The sluicing channels made by miners were later used for irrigation, allowing orchards to develop at the start of the 20th century. Some of the apricot yield was canned locally until the early 2000s.
- Roxburgh (previously called Teviot and Teviot Junction). It is in Teviot Valley on the banks of the Clutha River. The town takes its name from a Scottish border town, and its streets are also named for border localities.
Every town adds to the richness of things to do and see. For more details about the region check Dunedin & Otago Region nearby attractions and events.
BEST BITS TRAVEL GUIDE
