Image: Sharleen Briden | ©
Maltilda Battery.
Bendigo area

Located in the Otago region

Bendigo's historic and scenic reserves and associated conservation areas are well worth visiting for their historic and natural features.

Bendigo’s conservation areas consist of three separate blocks on the western side of Central Otago’s Dunstan Mountains.

There are old and very deep mining shafts throughout this area. Extreme care must be taken and children closely supervised.

Bendigo scenic and historic reserves

  • Provide easy and interesting opportunities for day trips, walks and rambling around relics of our gold mining past.
  • The Bendigo Scenic Reserve has a uniquely terraced band of kānuka, along with unequalled views of the Upper Clutha Basin and the farmland and vineyards on the slopes and valleys below. 
  • The Kānuka Loop Track circumnavigates the Chinaman’s Creek catchment and provides a wonderful opportunity to have a longer walk in a shrubland environment – a rare experience in Central Otago.

Bendigo Conservation Area

  • A high and isolated 1,980 ha area with all the natural features of Otago’s alpine tussock land. It also has panoramic views west to the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana and east to the Otago hinterland. 
  • Spanning the crest of the Dunstan Mountains, its highest point is Mount Apiti at 1509 m. 
  • Provides plenty of good recreational opportunities: mountain biking, hunting, walking, cross-country skiing and 4WD driving along the crest. 

Ardgour Conservation Area

  • Straddling the ridge line of the Dunstan Mountains in the Thomsons Saddle area, Ardgour’s 303 ha gives access to interesting walks along the tops to Mount Kamaka at the northern end of the conservation area.
  • A remote and isolated area but well worth a visit if you want a mountain-top walk with great views of Central Otago and its surrounding ranges. Mountain biking and cross country skiing is also possible up here.
  • Apart from the Bendigo Historic Reserve, which was private protected land, the conservation area has become public land following tenure review of Bendigo and Ardgour Stations. The Bendigo Conservation Area is still leased and grazed by Bendigo Station as part of their high country farming operation.

The main entrance to Bendigo is off SH8 at Crippletown, just north of Lake Dunstan and the Rocky Point picnic and boat ramp area. Here Loop Road goes up the hill, passes through the old Bendigo Township, past the schoolhouse ruins at Schoolhouse Flat to the main historic sites of Logantown and Welshtown and the mining remnants scattered throughout. Parking and toilets are at Welshtown, along with interpretation panels explaining these sites. Exploration on foot or bicycle is from this point as this is the heart of this entire historic site.

Motor vehicles of any kind are not permitted past the car park.
 
Alternative access to Bendigo is via Thomson Gorge Road, up and over the Dunstan Range from the Manuherikia Valley at Matakanui. There are spectacular views from this road, as it passes several historic sites on the way, including the delightfully named Rise and Shine and Come in Time batteries. This is a four wheel drive road and should not be attempted in winter or in adverse conditions. The western end of this road provides access to Bendigo Township via Bendigo Creek or out via Ardgour Road and back on to SH8 at the Lindis River Bridge. 

There is also walking access to the scenic reserve off SH 8 just south of the Rocky Point picnic area. This is the Mount Koinga Track and it leads up to the spur that the Kanuka Loop Track follows. It can be used as a link to the eastern end of the scenic reserve.

At the top of Thomson Gorge Road there’s a signposted track leading to Mt Moka and the Bendigo Conservation Area. This is the start of a 4WD track that traverses the Dunstan Mountains south to Leaning Rock. Currently, due to damage on the 4WD road between Thomson Gorge Road turnoff and Mt Moka, motorised vehicles are unable to drive into the Bendigo Conservation Area, no other access routes are available for vehicles.

Bike and foot access is still possible.

Landowner permission is required to use the route beyond the conservation area, and conditions may be extreme.

Alternative walking access to the Bendigo Conservation Area can be found via Devils Creek off SH8, 5 km south of Bendigo Loop Road. This walking route follows a ridge on the true left of Devils Creek for six kilometres before reaching the Bendigo Conservation Area boundary.

Ardgour Conservation Area

Access to the Ardgour Conservation Area is signposted off Thomson Gorge Road at the top gate, where the road comes up from the east side of the Dunstan Range. From here walking or mountain bike access only is possible, and a track leads off to Mount Kamaka in the north eastern corner of the DOC managed area.

Warning: There are old and very deep mining shafts throughout this area. Extreme care must be taken and children closely supervised.

Your safety is your responsibility. Stay safe in the outdoors and follow the five essential steps of the Land Safety Code.

Due to the harsh nature of the country and possibly changing conditions, care should be taken in the Bendigo reserves and conservation areas. The climate is typical of Central Otago and can swing to either extreme in the course of a day. In winter the ranges are blanketed in snow, a complete contrast to the low humidity and very hot conditions of summer. Prepare for these extremes with suitable clothing and equipment: sun hat, sun screen, water, warm and water- and wind-proof clothing and suitable footwear.

When walking ensure that you have a map and compass. The relevant NZTopo50 series map for this area is CB13 Tarras.

The high Dunstan Mountains contain a rich diversity of short tussock grasslands dominated by Poa colensoi and Festuca novae-zelandiae and some snow tussock, as well as cushion vegetation communities at higher altitudes. 

Lower down in the scenic reserve area, the stand of kānuka, is one of the few significant remnants of its type in Central Otago. The kānuka has regenerated and is probably no more than 140 years old as the original stands were used by miners for building materials and firewood. Ground cover vegetation in the Bendigo Scenic Reserve after 140 years of burning, mining and rabbit infestation is sparse. It grows short tussock, scabweed, and a wide range of introduced weeds – predominately briar rose.

The conservation area is now bounded on the lower edge by vineyards that are gaining an international reputation. A lack of water has always hindered development in this region. Now that irrigation systems have been established here the land has become much more productive.

The Bendigo Historic Reserve is probably the best and most accessible example of quartz reef mining in Otago. 

The battery on the The Come in Time Battery Walk is a virtually complete example of this kind of heavy gold mining equipment.