10 Reasons why you should visit Cromwell
Having recently gone on holiday to the little town and of Cromwell and all its surrounding regions for my father’s birthday, here are a few reasons why you ought to make it your next getaway (despite it being branded as one of the “NZ Shit Towns”.
#1: They just repainted the fruit.
Boy howdy if those fruits don’t stand out like dog bollocks when you arrive at Cromwell after a long car trip. And when it comes to arriving in Cromwell, you either have taken a quick walk and/or drive/live there, or you’ve been driving for the past five hours. And that’s not even considering if you’re passing through to get to Wanaka or Queenstown.
#2: That view tho.
Wherever you are in Cromwell, that three-sixty view of those gorgeous mountains knocks the socks off your feet. Our whanau were lucky to catch the snow painting them like icing sugar. Good thing we slipped out before the place got fully coated in white like a Xmas cake.
#3: Vroom Vroom.
Dad had a blast at the famous Highlands race track, or he would have if the place weren’t down for either weather or maintenance, the latter of which we weren’t warned of.
We had a spin in an electric car going from 0 to 100 in 2.4 seconds and the go-karts are always worth it. The Loo with a View is great for a quick laugh while you’re having a tinkle, unless the numbers are greater and people are just wandering in to take a look while you’re genuinely emptying your water tank, creating some unwanted social anxiety.
The museum was splendid to observe too. Any gearhead or budding racer should stop by.
#4: Merlot I say.
From Bannockburn to Cromwell old town and everywhere in between, me and the folks basically had a wine and dine pilgrimage when other activities were out of the question or closed. This trip turned us into wine snobs, end of story. It is Central Otago after all, home to the best wine in NZ and even the world.
#5: That cute little mall.
The Cromwell mall is a humble and sweet little place to visit for all sorts. Cafes, a library, a pharmacy, and an iddy biddy map in case you get lost in Cromwell (somehow). And the stream passing through the street is a nice touch. Just don’t go when it rains.
#6: Just tap it in.
Just in case you have that weirdly esoteric itch for golf on a miniature scale, a halfway town like Cromwell is the perfect place for mini golf, the home of summer sunburns, time stretching out like taffy and mandatory family bonding. Good thing there’s at least one course every three kilometres throughout Otago.
#7: Retirement plans.
With housing prices continuing to soar, why would Cromwell be any exception? Maybe if you invest early and be without student loans or mortgage payments, there’s a slight possibility you might get a small hut by the ripe young age of 85 if you probably tried, maybe.
#8: It was this big!
Honestly no joke, apparently (according to some chatty chap at an old town cafe) the fish you can snap up from the lakes including out by the jetty are frequent in number and can take up the majority of your dinner table. So just in case you were running out of options on how to take up half the day, fishing is always a viable option.
#9: Freshly Roasted.
Not a fan of coffee? Too bad, you’ll encounter at least five cafes by the time you get to a place like Cromwell and if the price of fuel to get there from South Island shores doesn’t wake you up, the shots of caffeine certainly will.
#10: Dad couldn’t have been happier.
My old man turned 60 in Cromwell, and he cared not where he was, only that he had his family right there with him. And by gum that’s the best reason there is.
Thank you for reading this rather late blog and have a beautiful day!
Daniel
