KUROW HOTEL

Ross and Trish welcome you to the Kurow Hotel, also known as “The Top Pub”, being an 1880 heritage hotel in the town centre. We are situated at 55 Bledisloe Street, Kurow, being walking distance to all amenities, including the Information Centre/Museum, shops, garage, cafés and the Waitaki River.

The Kurow Hotel is a 40-minute drive from Oamaru and is on the SH83 route to Omarama, being the gateway to the Mackenzie Basin and Aoraki/Mt Cook. The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, which begins at Aoraki/Mt Cook, goes right past our doorway on its journey to Oamaru.

Kurow Activities

• Close to the Waitaki River for fishing and boating

• Close to vineyards, being River-T Estate Winery, Ostler Winery and Kurow Estate (Pasquale) Winery

• On the The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail

• Close to the three lakes Waitaki, Aviemore and Benmore for all boating sports

• Golf course nearby with club hire available

• Near the Kurow Hill walkway

• Bowling green and tennis courts close by

• Covered swimming pool

• Squash courts

• Awakino Ski Field.

New Year’s Eve is an exception, with the Kurow Races drawing a crowd on December 30swelling the local population from just under 400 to over 4,000.

Then, with a day to recover (or party on), January 1st sees the town put on its annual Market Day where locals and visitors can ease into the new year with strong coffee, fresh produce and artisanal craft.

Roots still run deep in the agricultural industry and working the land with summer fruit orchards, vineyards. Growing additions to economic activity are boutique restaurants, craft and clothing stores, plus an unsurprising number of photographers now choosing to base their practice in this landscape with so much raw material on their doorstep.

Waitaki Valley locations are so sought after as backdrops for nuptials and wedding photos that a collective of local businesses has formed to support this market and share resources. Honeymooners and other travellers can stay over in one of Kurow’s iconic brightly coloured hotels or find boutique lodges, farmstays, glamping experiences, and even luxury treehouses in the area. CT

Nearby the Awakino Ski Field sits high in the St Marys Range and offers an affordable, backto-basics taster of the pioneering spirit of the early days of skiing in New Zealand.

The Kurow to Duntroon section of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, one of NZ’s ‘Great Rides’, can be slow going with the distractions of stunning views across the valley and the wineries it winds between.

This relatively new wine region, with its unique limestone/greywacke/schist soils, has attracted a handful of intrepid producers crafting Pino Noirs, Pinot Gris and Reislings.

An early travel route and settlement for the Waitaha people, then later a service town

Waitaki Glass & Glazing

for those who came seeking their fortunes during the gold rush, Kurow was end point of the Kurow Branch railway, opened in 1881 and closed in 1983.

Kurow became a base for the building of the Waitaki Dam and forming Lake Waitaki as the first in a series of hydroelectric projects were carried out on Waitaki River.

A visit to the quirky Kurow Museum is a chance to explore more of the history of early settlement, industry and agriculture. You can also pick up a Heritage Trail map and tour notable buildings in the area.

It’s a place that can hardly be described as bustling, but that’s part of the charm.

If you are thinking of selling or buying property within the Mackenzie and Waitaki regions, let’s talk!

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