March 10

From Queenstown, local bus service extends to Arrowtown, a village from the gold mining days of the 1860s to 1880. Today it’s a trendy spot to visit for mountain biking, hiking and skiing.

The storefronts on Main Street have been preserved as cafes, restaurants, high-end clothing and souvenir shops. The Canada Goose line of outerwear was featured in one boutique. The street reminds me of a set for a western movie.

The Stitching Post, a yarn and quilt shop, had these beauties on display and available as kits and patterns.

These kiwiana fat quarters are coming home with me.

The gold diggings were worked by men from China who lived near the river, isolated from village life, in their own community of small stone huts and a store that has been restored and preserved. Their settlement was frequently wiped out by flooding on the Arrow River after heavy rains in the mountains.

Local artifacts are stored in the village museum. Alongside gold pans and scales are displays of clothing, military medals, household items and a piano. The local school room, bakery, horse buggies and printing press have all been moved and reassembled here. Visitors can rent gear to try panning for gold in the river.