Top Things to do in Cromwell
Top Restaurants in Cromwell
- 1. Carrick Winery & Restaurant
- 2. Lazy Dog
- 3. The Winery Restaurant at Mt Difficulty
- 4. Cromwell Brew House
- 5. Nichols Garden Cafe
- 6. Bannockburn Hotel - Wine Country Restaurant and Bar
- 7. Armando's Kitchen
- 8. Wild Earth Outdoor Kitchen & Cellar Door
- 9. Tarras Country Coffee Shop
- 10. Thai Crom Restaurant
Top 10 Things to do Good for Kids in Cromwell, South Island
Discover the best top things to do in Cromwell, New Zealand including Heliview Flights, Goldfields Jet, Cheeki Cherries, Bannockburn Sluicings Walks, Goldfields Mining Centre, Highlands - Experience the Exceptional, Cromwell Museum, Cromwell Heritage Precinct, Mrs Jones Fruit Orchard, Jackson Orchards.
Restaurants in Cromwell
1. Heliview Flights
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 271 reviews
Richard and Jolanda Foale from Heliview Flights invite you to take to the skies over Central Otago, near Queenstown. 5 reasons we make your holiday awesome * Heliview Flights - a family business with the personal touch; we spend more time with you, making your trip special * Cromwell has the best flying weather in New Zealand, with only 400mm of rain per annum! * Dramatic landscapes, majestic vistas or a stunning sunset all from our luxury 7-seater helicopter * Your pilot Richard has extensive experience (over 30 years) including search & rescue, police, corporate and UK Army AirCorps * Experience Cromwell: an authentic, gentler pace, only a 45 minute drive from bustling Queenstown, NZ's adventure capital Blending a luxury helicopter, personalised service, friendly staff and the stunning Central Otago landscape, family-owned Heliview Flights offers a range of scenic helicopter flights and heli-biking trips (guided and self-ride). From their base at Cromwell Racecourse Airfield, flights take in the majestic vista of the surrounding area and Southern Alps. Note: we used to be in New Plymouth, which old reviews reflect, but it's the same people and helicopter as before, so expect the same high standards, combined with new scenery.
2. Goldfields Jet
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 103 reviews
Your experience starts as soon as you arrive in the stunning Kawarau Gorge. Step aboard one of our high-spec purpose built V8 Jet boats and hold on tight for a unforgettable experience through the Kawarau Gorge. Your highly trained driver will navigate the shallow braided waters of the Bannockburn Arm. Power up stream, racing past canyon walls before arriving at the impressive Staircase rapids. The only trip to offer shallow braided water, deep rapids and 360 spins in one adrenaline hit. No need to look anywhere else - Experience the best! Not the rest!
3. Cheeki Cherries
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 147 reviews
Cheeki cherries is now the home of Dam good fruit, come along and have a great day with the family. We offer 18 varieties of cherries with over 2000 trees to choose from. We also have peaches, apricots, plums, nectrarines, raspberries and strawberries.
Reviewed By kordia345
We had a blast going in to pick cherries at this PYO orchard! Prices got explained by a lovely staff member at the start then we were taken in and shown how to actually pick a cherry which was very helpful. Found some lovely cherries and picked light and dark ones! Overall it was such a nice experience being able to pick your own fruit, will definitely be back next year! ????
4. Bannockburn Sluicings Walks
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 85 reviews
Reviewed By kestonr2018 - Wellington, New Zealand
We visited the Bannockburn Sluicings Walks yesterday and walked the loop track in an anticlockwise direction. The walk was fantastic and the landscape, like many others have said, was like very few others you will see on walks in New Zealand. It was especially meaningful to myself as my great great grandfather was a digger at Bannockburn and was actually arrested there with some of his colleagues in 1870 for sheep rustling. Awesome to see the type of place he would have been living in at the time. But back to the walk, as others have said, it takes about one and a half hours to do the loop track and take in Stewart Town. We did it in this time with three children and a certain amount of photo taking and climbing in and out of tunnels. The view from the top is awesome. We went in the steeper direction as climbing up into Bailey’s Gully seemed to provide a scenic view on the way up. Coming down the other side was then a gentle, easy roll back down to the carpark. It is quite cool and damp in Central Otago at the moment when compared to normal summer temperatures, meaning it was sunny but cool when we did the walk. This was a good thing as I can imagine it gets pretty hot and dry out the track on other days. The wild thyme added to the goldfields feel. As others have said, you can smell it all around the track. The information boards around the track were very informative, although the walking times for return to the carpark at various points were a bit askew. We also visited the General Store at Bannockburn township. There is an old slicing jet sitting outside the front which was helpful for explaining to my kids what had caused the landscape. In all, even if you aren’t descended from a miner I would highly recommend this walk!
5. Goldfields Mining Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 195 reviews
Reviewed By Michalo416 - Hawera, New Zealand
Glad we turned around. Cool self guided walk around the old miners huts and shafts then met up with Bruce who showed us lots of interesting stuff and how to pan for gold. We managed to find 3 pieces to take home. Well priced at $25 each.
6. Highlands - Experience the Exceptional
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 746 reviews
A world-class tourism destination just 45 minutes from Queenstown Airport, Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park is home to a range of exceptional experiences which are exciting for the whole family. From the moment you arrive, you’ll be looked after by their friendly team – treating you to some authentic kiwi hospitality! Voted the #1 Thing to Do in Cromwell by TripAdvisor, Highlands – Experience the Exceptional is conveniently located along SH 6 in Cromwell in beautiful Central Otago. It’s a must do when you’re exploring the region – ideal for day trips because Highlands really does offer something fun and extraordinary for everyone. So whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple, in a group, or with family, Highlands is an NZ must-do for the ride of your lives.
Reviewed By Mandanz - Queenstown, New Zealand
We had an Absolutely Fantastic morning at Highlands. They have amazing friendly staff, awesome go karts and go kart track, a wide variety of cars to view in the museum and lastly a hugely talented pro driver (Andrew) for a fast lap in the taxi. Thanks we loved every minute and look forward to our next visit. Highly recommend visiting, something for everyone, even if your not a car freak.
7. Cromwell Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By MarieAnnNZ - Rotorua, New Zealand
We were visiting Cromwell, and wandering around came across this museum. We spent sometime talking. to this lovely lady called Ann what a wealth of knowledge she was. You need a bit of time it might, look small but goes on and on. Wonderful. A gold coin donation
8. Cromwell Heritage Precinct
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 316 reviews
History |Galleries | Cafes | Boutique shops Central Otago's best kept secret - a free visitor attraction that has something for the whole family. When the Clyde dam was completed in 1990, Cromwell's main street disappeared under Lake Dunstan. Some of the historic buildings dating back to the gold rush of the 1860's were saved or lovingly rebuilt on higher ground, creating the Cromwell Heritage Precinct. Step back in time to the gold rush and explore heritage buildings, many with artisan businesses in them, located on the shore of beautiful Lake Dunstan. Open daily.
Reviewed By musketeers123 - Gold Coast, Australia
Visited this area on the day of the markets which was Sunday morning - great stories of history in the different preserved buildings as well as good mix of places to grab a bite to eat - the markets were unique with lots of fresh produce and cakes as well as craft items - a great walk to this area from our accommodation along the lake with lots beautiful houses throughout the neighbourhood as well
9. Mrs Jones Fruit Orchard
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By Naina-Damani - London, United Kingdom
This was a stopover which was absolutely incredible with brilliant large bright pink orchids display. A wonderful place to visit with a fantastic variety of fresh and dry fruits, nuts, honey products, snacks and real fruit ice cream. There was gorgeous garden with statue for perfect photos.
10. Jackson Orchards
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 43 reviews
Jackson Orchards is a family owned and operated Orchard based just outside of Cromwell. Central Otago is renowned for the rich, flavoursome stonefruits grown in the region. Cold crisp winters, hot dry summers, and a low annual rainfall combined with the rich mineral soils of a former gold-mining area provide the optimum conditions for producing fruit. Jackson Orchards grow a variety of cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, greengages, apples and pears during their season from November to April. Shop our fruit stall via the below link, or better yet pop in and say hi! Central Otago's tastiest, freshest tour operates most days of the year, on the hour from 9am to 4pm.
Reviewed By jaemariee2017 - Babinda, Australia
We drove through Cromwell on our way to Wanaka from Queenstown. Randomly looked up somewhere for fruits as we had seen the fruit sculpture and this came up. We are so glad that it did! The real fruit ice cream is so creamy and delicious! It was nice having a look at the fruit and veges, honeys, chutneys and relishes. A nice stop for an afternoon break.
