Travelling from Queenstown to Dunedin, there’s a tapestry of routes.
One of the most quietly spectacular is the Central Otago Touring Route, a 341km journey through the vast Strath Taieri and Maniototo Plains, from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean. Opened in 2020, it invites you to rediscover the pleasure of the unhurried road trip.
Not long ago, I did just that, enticed by its ‘off the beaten track’ charm and the promise of time away from big-city bustle.
Travelling through landscapes that remind you why people cross oceans to come here was soul-soothing. Among the sweeping vistas, I found welcoming communities and eateries serving superb food with a generous side of Southern hospitality.
If you appreciate breathtaking views and outstanding cuisine, this journey is for you.
Queenstown to Cromwell
Flying into Queenstown is a great way to kick things off. With incredible dining options outnumbering hours in the day, there’s a delightful dilemma of choices to be made.
Rātā Restaurant and The Bunker Restaurant impressed with contemporary, flavour-forward plates, while Tanoshi Cow Lane and Kappa transported me to Osaka and Tokyo with their real-deal Japanese.
Housed in a restored church, Sundays turned out excellent shared plates, including a superb wood-fired pizza topped with local mushrooms, béchamel and garlic oil. It’s part of Country Lane, an artisan village near Queenstown airport, which is perfect for a leisurely mooch – don’t miss Black Lab Coffee Roasters and The Remarkable Cookie.
In Arrowtown, Ben Bayly’s Aosta delivered on its promise of exceptional Northern Italian-inspired fare cooked with the best of local produce.
Driving through the Kawarau Gorge, with towering schist cliffs and turquoise water constantly vying for my attention, is a stunning experience.
The Bannockburn Hotel offers exceptional globally inspired plates and a 200-strong wine list.
If you haven’t visited Cromwell recently, Wooing Tree’s cellar-door restaurant is worth a stop for vibrant, fresh dishes designed to pair with their incredibly popular wines, while Cloudy Bay boasts one of the most spectacular restaurant views in the region. A glass of their Te Wāhi Pinot Noir and some shared plates in their gorgeous dining room can easily turn into a whole afternoon.
Clyde to Ranfurly
As always, Historic Clyde charmed with its beautifully preserved buildings.
Olivers cleverly combines café, restaurant, brewery and food store within its heritage walls, while dinner at The Old Clyde Bank was all about creative cuisine with ultimate local freshness, the vegetables on my plate picked just hours earlier.
Set against relics of a mining past, St Bathans’ luminous Blue Lake stopped me in my tracks.A hot cheese scone at the Vulcan Hotel, thickly spread butter melting on contact, was perfect with a locally brewed pint and tales of Rosie, the resident ghost. In fact, exceptional baking was a theme of this journey, with Floral & Feast Kitchen and Fantail Kitchen and Larder in Ranfurly also putting on superb made-from-scratch fare.
Dunedin
Approaching Dunedin, we took a windswept walk along beautiful Blueskin Bay before enjoying excellent small-batch beer and food-truck fare at Arc Brewing Co.
Back in the city, No.7 Balmac delivered flavour-packed neighbourhood dining, while Piccolo proved an excellent call for aperitivos with focaccia, burrata and nduja-stuffed, crumbed and fried olives overlooking St Clair Beach.
Flying out was sweet sorrow after five days of rugged beauty, memorable meals, excellent wine and towns that treat you like locals. Definitely take this road less travelled. Your soul, and stomach will thank you.
For more information on the Central Otago Touring Route, visit southernway.nz
