Naseby

Naseby lies to the north of Ranfurly. Once the largest gold-mining town on the Maniototo, it is now a sleepy little place with only a few old buildings left to conjure up an impression of the wild gold rush days. Worth visiting is the Maniototo Early Settlers Museum as well as the old watchmaker’s shop to which it is connected. In winter the local ice rink is popular among followers of the sport of curling.

The unsealed road that heads north-west from town leads past the Kyeburn Diggings, where miners gouged away the cliffs in a fevered search for gold, to the historic Dansey Pass Hotel. Built in the 1880’s to serve the goldminers, the hotel still offers food and accommodation in the remotest of surroundings. Continuing on from Dansey Pass, it is another 29 miles (48km) to Duntroon and the Waitaki Valley.