Alexandra Area Guide
Alexandra lies in the heart of Central Otago, 190 kilometres inland from Dunedin, its barren hills studded with rocky outcrops, or tors, the town bounded by the Clutha and Manuherikia Rivers.
Affectionately known as Alex by locals, the town sprung up during the 1862 gold rush, but it now acts as a service town for the area's sheep farms, stone fruit orchards and vineyards, the fruit trees and vines flourishing in this climate of extremes, with its hot, dry summers and crisp, cold winters.
The historic stone piers, which stand alongside Alexandra's modern road bridge across the Clutha River, are all that remains of the first bridge across the river, built in 1882. Its construction was a major plus for residents who had previously braved the river crossing in a packing case attached to a cable and then later, on a precarious punt.
Looming over the town is one of Alexandra's most recognisable features, a giant electric clock 11 metres in diameter fastened to a rockface with steel supports. The clock is illuminated by 150 torch bulbs, and at night can be read a staggering eight kilometres away.
A wander across the 1879 pedestrian-only Shaky Bridge over the Manuherikia River takes you to the Shaky Bridge Cafe, and two kilometres on, to the Tucker Hill Lookout, which offers good views of the area. The gold diggings were named Tucker Hill because their gold reserves, while not rich, could be relied on to cover the cost of dinner.
The town celebrates the coming of Spring each September with a 17-day Blossom Festival, a chance to see the orchards in full bloom. Another annual event, but not one for the faint-hearted, the Great Alexandra Easter Bunny Hunt, is a 24-hour rabbit shooting competition, devised as a way of dealing with the thousands of rabbits which cause major erosion problems on local farms.
In summer, take a pleasant look around the local vineyards with the assistance of the Central Otago Wine Trail map. Just outside town, the Black Ridge Vineyard, among rugged outcrops of black schist rock, is one of the world's most southern wineries.
In winter, go skating at the town's Olympic-sized artificial ice rink or, if it's very cold, drive 10 minutes out of town to the Manorburn Dam, where there is beautiful natural ice-skating.
Alexandra is a great base for mountain biking, with many old goldminers' trails weaving through hills covered in tussock and wild thyme and over Central Otago's evocatively named Old Man, Dunstan, Raggedy and Knobby ranges. Each March, hardy athletes converge on the town to participate in the Goldrush MultiSport Event, a three-day 375-kilometre mountain biking, running and kayaking event. Alexandra is also on the Otago Central Rail Trail, a 150-kilometre cycling, horse-riding and walking trail through spectacular inland scenery, over hills, through gorges and past old gold mining towns.