Arrowtown is in the Queenstown Lakes district, around 20 minutes northeast of Queenstown, in the Arrow River valley at the foot of the Remarkables' northern end.

Is Arrowtown worth visiting?

Arrowtown's gold rush heritage streetscape, the Chinese settlement remains, the Arrow River fossicking, the Lake District Museum and the autumn colours make it one of Central Otago's most visited towns year-round.

Can you still pan for gold at Arrowtown?

Yes. The Arrow River below town is one of the more reliable recreational gold panning spots in Central Otago. Equipment is available locally; find a shallow riffle and work the crevices.

What is the Chinese settlement at Arrowtown?

The Chinese settlement on Bush Creek, on the edge of Arrowtown, preserves the remains of the miners' quarter, with restored stone cottages, an interpretation centre and New Zealand's best-preserved example of Chinese gold rush history.

How do I get from Queenstown to Arrowtown?

By car, around 20 minutes via State Highway 6 and Malaghans Road. Connector bus services and tour shuttles run regularly from Queenstown.

Which schools are in zone for Arrowtown?

Arrowtown is not covered by a school enrolment zone. Nearby schools may accept enrolments under open enrolment or by application.

How do I check my school zone in Arrowtown?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Arrowtown, Otago | Postcode, Population & Property Values

Living in Arrowtown

Arrowtown is the gold rush town that never really left the gold rush, and it has made this a sustainable business model. The stone and schist cottages that Chinese miners built along Buckingham Street in the 1860s are now cafes and boutiques selling things the miners never imagined, but the bones are original and the autumn plane trees lining the main street perform their golden routine every April with the consistency of a heritage attraction that knows its best angle.

Around 2,500 people live here permanently, an unusual number of them in architecture that predates most New Zealand buildings by several decades. The Arrow River runs below town, still yielding the occasional colour for the fossickers working the banks, while the Lake District Museum holds the proper historical record for those who prefer their gold in print.

The town's second economic engine is proximity: Queenstown sits 20 minutes south, close enough to service Arrowtown's visitors with accommodation overflow and far enough to make Arrowtown feel like a genuine escape. The Millbrook Resort golf course has added a third layer of clientele who bring their own footwear requirements.

Arrowtown School anchors the local years with Mount Aspiring College and Wakatipu High the secondary options. The autumn festival each May fills every car park the township possesses, plus several paddocks.

Is Arrowtown a good place to live?

Arrowtown is home to roughly 3,351 people across 2.3 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Arrowtown scores 73 out of 100, with a safety score of 97/100 and 66% green space.

Schools: Arrowtown has 1 school in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $2.19M, and weekly rent typically sits around $600.

Lifestyle: Arrowtown has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 0.0°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Arrowtown is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety97
Amenities100
Schools77
Housing Affordability17
Green space100
Community89
Transport19

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $2.19M
Median Weekly Rent: $600/wk
Median HH Income: $121K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): -0.5%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Queenstown-Lakes District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Arrowtown?: Arrowtown is in the Queenstown Lakes district, around 20 minutes northeast of Queenstown, in the Arrow River valley at the foot of the Remarkables' northern end.
Is Arrowtown worth visiting?: Arrowtown's gold rush heritage streetscape, the Chinese settlement remains, the Arrow River fossicking, the Lake District Museum and the autumn colours make it one of Central Otago's most visited towns year-round.
Can you still pan for gold at Arrowtown?: Yes. The Arrow River below town is one of the more reliable recreational gold panning spots in Central Otago. Equipment is available locally; find a shallow riffle and work the crevices.
What is the Chinese settlement at Arrowtown?: The Chinese settlement on Bush Creek, on the edge of Arrowtown, preserves the remains of the miners' quarter, with restored stone cottages, an interpretation centre and New Zealand's best-preserved example of Chinese gold rush history.
How do I get from Queenstown to Arrowtown?: By car, around 20 minutes via State Highway 6 and Malaghans Road. Connector bus services and tour shuttles run regularly from Queenstown.
Which schools are in zone for Arrowtown?: Arrowtown is not covered by a school enrolment zone. Nearby schools may accept enrolments under open enrolment or by application.
How do I check my school zone in Arrowtown?: Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Arrowtown

Schools in zone for Arrowtown

No enrolment-zoned schools cover Arrowtown. The schools below are the nearest options — many operate open enrolment.

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Arrowtown. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Arrowtown that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Arrowtown School
Full Primary · roll 422 · decile 10 · 2.0 km away

Explore Arrowtown

Things to do(19)

Arrowtown Memorial Pool

Millbrook Cricket Club

Lakes District Museum

Derelict hut

O'Callaghan Park

Chinese Village

Nadene Milne Gallery

Arrowtown Mining Company @ Dudley's Cottage

X Marks the Spot

Sawpit Gully Track

Arrowtown Bowling Club

Health & Fitness Centre - Millbrook Resort

Horsempire

Butel Park

Jack Reid Park

Wilcox Green

Rose Douglas Park

Golf Queenstown

Waterfall Park

Parks & green spaces(6)

O'Callaghan Park

Butel Park

Jack Reid Park

Wilcox Green

Rose Douglas Park

Waterfall Park

Healthcare(1)

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.84	11.29	2.81	11.72
☀️ Feb	19.83	10.13	3.18	11.24
🍂 Mar	16.36	6.93	4.05	9.61
🍂 Apr	14.75	5.95	4.12	8.24
🍂 May	10.54	3.3	3	5.85
❄️ Jun	6.71	0.67	2.11	5.67
❄️ Jul	6.17	-0.82	2.81	5.6
❄️ Aug	7.05	-0.9	2.79	7.34
🌸 Sep	10.17	1.42	9.72	7.73
🌸 Oct	12.95	2.93	6.26	9.46
🌸 Nov	16.44	5.9	2.51	11.3
☀️ Dec	20.03	10.23	3.77	11.89

Living in Arrowtown

Is Arrowtown a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Arrowtown

Schools in zone for Arrowtown

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Arrowtown School

Explore Arrowtown

🎯Things to do(19)

Arrowtown Memorial Pool

Millbrook Cricket Club

Lakes District Museum

Derelict hut

O'Callaghan Park

Chinese Village

Nadene Milne Gallery

Arrowtown Mining Company @ Dudley's Cottage

X Marks the Spot

Sawpit Gully Track

Arrowtown Bowling Club

Health & Fitness Centre - Millbrook Resort

Horsempire

Butel Park

Jack Reid Park

Wilcox Green

Rose Douglas Park

Golf Queenstown

Waterfall Park

🌳Parks & green spaces(6)

O'Callaghan Park

Butel Park

Jack Reid Park

Wilcox Green

Rose Douglas Park

Waterfall Park

🏥Healthcare(1)

Unichem

Eat & Drink in Arrowtown

🍽️Places to eat & drink(52)

Cave Japanese Sake and Tapas

Gibston Valley Cheesery

The Fork And Tap

Arrow Thai Food

Māori Jacks

Millhouse Restaurant

Postmasters

Terra Mia

Slow Cuts

Arrowtown Bakery

Fork and Tap

The Stables

Patagonia Chocolates

Wolf Coffee's Toast Club

Wolf Coffee Roastery and Cafe

The Winery

Cloe

Hyde Liquor and Social

The Chop Shop

Italia Mia

Aosta Casa

Little Aosta

Provisions of Arrowtown

Mantra Restaurant - Fine Indian Cuisine

Patagonia Chocolates

Stables Restaurant

The Blue Door Bar

Kobe Cuisine

Espresso Love

Dishery

Paulies Fish n Chips Arrowtown - Kāmuriwai

Smithy's Smoke House

Ayrburn

The Remarkable Sweet Shop

Things to do(19)

Parks & green spaces(6)

Healthcare(1)

Places to eat & drink(52)

Tradies & services(10)

Shops(23)

Beauty & fitness(13)