Take a trip back through a golden era of New Zealand’s history in the South Island’s scenic Otago region. Much remains to evoke the spirit of those golden days of the late 1800s. The dry Central Otago climate has helped to protect mud and stone buildings, examples of gold mining equipment and machinery. There are also deep mine shafts and tunnels, impressive sluiced cliffs and tailings. The Otago Goldfields Park brings together more than twenty sites which are managed by the Department of Conservation. Try your hand at gold panning, or follow the goldfields trail from Dunedin or Palmerston through to Queenstown and beyond.