Coal Creek Flat: Gardens and Cherry Picking

Coal Creek Flat comes to life through its garden experiences. At Coal Creek Gardens, pickles, jams and syrups are available at the stall; seasonal cherry picking is also offered. You can shape your stay around either the produce at the stall or an experience in the garden.

Gardens and Seasonal Harvest

The seasonal window for cherry picking at Coal Creek Gardens runs from 26 December to early January. During the cherry-picking season, picking is available from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm. As this is a seasonal experience with a limited time window, it is worth checking the latest information about the offering before you travel.

Stone House Gardens also offers cherry picking in summer. The distinction is useful for planning: Coal Creek Gardens has a stated period from 26 December to early January, while the offering at Stone House Gardens is described as a summer activity. Before visiting, check whether the relevant seasonal offering falls on your travel date.

Another fruit stop is in the wider Central Otago District: Berryland is four kilometres north of Roxburgh. Berries, stone fruit and vegetables are grown there for direct sale to passing visitors; at the roadside stall, you can sample seasonal produce. This includes raspberries, strawberries, boysenberries, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines, as well as potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes. The selection brings together fruit and vegetables, offering a different focus from cherry picking in Coal Creek Flat.

Routes in the Central Otago District

Those wanting to explore the Central Otago District will find a wide range of options for active days. The Roxburgh Gorge Trail follows the Clutha Mata-au River past eroded rock faces and old gold-mining sites. The one-day tour combines a 21-kilometre bike ride with a 13-kilometre boat trip and is graded 2–3. The cycling and boating sections together make up the tour as described.

The Clutha Gold Trail calls for a longer time commitment: the 135-kilometre route runs between Roxburgh Dam in Central Otago and Waihola in the Clutha region. It is described as an easy cycling and walking trail graded 1–2, and is intended for a two- to four-day tour. By comparison, the Roxburgh Gorge Trail is designed as a one-day combination of cycling and boating. Duration, mode of travel and distance help you compare the different itineraries.

Another option is the Otago Central Rail Trail. It is 152 kilometres long, graded 1, and can be planned as a tour of one to five days. The route can be ridden in either direction, with access available at various points. It is suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. This gives it a different time frame from the one-day Roxburgh Gorge tour and the two- to four-day Clutha Gold Trail.

Gold History, Landscape and Culture

The Bannockburn Sluicings in the Central Otago District are a scarred landscape shaped by a short-lived gold-mining era. Various paths lead through it on foot or by bike. Those interested in the traces of gold mining can also find this kind of landscape along the Roxburgh Gorge Trail, which passes old gold-mining sites.

The Lake Dunstan Trail follows the shores of Lake Dunstan between Cromwell and Clyde and runs through the Bannockburn, Cornish Point and Cromwell Gorge wine-growing areas. There are opportunities for swimming, boating and other water sports along much of the route. Modern, pioneering and Māori stories are also part of the trail; some are brought to life at the Clyde and Cromwell Historical Precinct. The trail thus combines landscape and culture, while the Otago Central Rail Trail offers a different approach to planning a trip, with its longer time frame and multiple access points.

When choosing accommodation, you could first consider what you want your stay to be centred around: seasonal cherry picking in Coal Creek Flat or a particular route in the Central Otago District. For garden experiences, harvest and operating times matter; for multi-day tours, distance, mode of travel and planned duration are the main points to compare.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Naseby, Waipiata, Ranfurly, Queensbury, Lindis Valley, Kyeburn Diggings, Lauder, Omakau.

Back to the main travel overview: Central Otago District.