Arrowtown (Māori: Kā-muriwai) is a historic gold mining town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.

Arrowtown is located on the banks of the Arrow River (Māori: Haehaenui) approximately 7.5 km from State Highway 6.

There are many well preserved buildings that were used by the European and Chinese[3] immigrants who settled during the town's gold mining era.

Chinese settlers, who first arrived in the 1870s[4] in Arrowtown were forced to live in huts on the banks of Bush Creek.

[5] At the high point of the gold rush, the population of Arrowtown rose to over 7,000 and it became the centre of a larger municipality, which covered the new settlements of Macetown, Skippers Canyon and Bullendale (today only ghost towns).

A large fire burned down Campbell's bakery, the Morning Star Hotel and a significant portion of Pritchard's Store in 1896.

[8] After the gold rush ended, Arrowtown provided services to the local farms.

January is the warmest month of the year with an average maximum temperature of 16 and 18 degrees Celsius.

July is the coolest month of the year with an average maximum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius.

[15] Arrowtown is the home of the historic Chinese Settlement which includes Ah Lum's store.

[27] This championship golf course is a private membership club, but does allow green fee players by appointment only.

These surviving examples of cottages that gold miners of the time lived in are listed with Heritage New Zealand.

[36] Saint Patrick's, located on Hertford Street, was built between 1873 and 1902 and is a category two historic place.

It has a gothic design and is built out of local schist rock with a Star of David rose window.

[41][42][43] Festival attractions include the street parade, The Arrow Miners Band would play on an Old Red Truck and the Buckingham Belles Can-Can at the lunchtime entertainment.

[44] There is also gold panning championships,[45]  There will be also multiple musicians and performers, street entertainment, vintage car display and plenty of market stalls selling New Zealand made products.

The show will start with a mihi (welcome) followed by a karakia and songs by Waiata group, followed by performances by a Kapa haka from students from Wakatipu High School.

[47] In 2015, it was reported that Arrowtown had had one of its worst air pollution readings on record reaching a level of 168 mcg per cubic metre of PM10 particulates.

[48] A combination of domestic wood burning heaters and the geography of the Arrowtown region causing temperature inversions was thought to be the problem.

Poor air quality was linked to cold winter nights with a smaller impact on the following mornings.

The air quality was consistent with the usage of where in the town that domestic wood burning heaters were being used.

[51] Arrowtown had 23 high pollution nights, where PM10 particulate levels exceeded the national environmental standards in winter 2021.