Cromwell sits in the heart of Central Otago, on the shores of Lake Dunstan, in a dry, sunny basin of tawny hills, schist rocks and orchards. It is a town of around five thousand people, known for its fruit, its wine and its huge sculpture of fruit at the entrance, and it is a good place to stop on a hot day in summer.
The lake is the swimming spot. Lake Dunstan was created in the early 1990s when the Clyde Dam was built on the Clutha River, and its rising waters drowned part of the old town of Cromwell. Some historic buildings were saved and moved to form the Old Cromwell Town precinct, on the lakeshore, with stone shops, a hotel, cafés and galleries. The lake is clear and blue-green, and on hot days locals swim from the beaches and jetties around town. The water is fed by the mountains and stays cool, but in summer it is refreshing.
Central Otago has a gold rush history. In the 1860s, prospectors flocked here after gold was found in the Clutha and its tributaries, and the hills are still scarred by old workings, tailings and stone huts. Bannockburn, just south of Cromwell, has a historic sluicing site where you can walk among the ruins. Today the area is better known for its wine, especially pinot noir, grown on the slopes around Bannockburn and Lowburn, and for its cherries and apricots, sold at roadside stands in summer.
The riding here is wonderful. The Kawarau Gorge, between Cromwell and Queenstown, is a narrow, winding road through a deep rocky canyon, with the river roaring below. The road north to Wanaka follows the lake with gentle curves and views, and the roads east towards Alexandra and the Maniototo cross dry, open country with big skies. In summer the heat can be intense, and in winter frost and ice are common.
Cromwell has fuel, supermarkets, cafés and accommodation, and it is also home to a motorsport park, Highlands, which hosts track days and events. Buy some cherries from a roadside stand, find a spot by the lake and cool off in the water.