Locals describe their favourite hidden spots - what do you love about this place and why is it special to you?

Aimee Wilson

What I love about having grown up in Alexandra and then returning years later as an adult, is discovering places that trigger a memory back to childhood.

The drive to Conroys Dam is interesting from the start - my son and I passed an old timer coming back out the windy gravel road, and he wound down the window and told us about his gold claim success.

We carried on to the dam carpark and consulted our maps about the location of the walk that promised old gold mining ruins and huts. 

I should’ve known by the topography of the DOC map that it wasn’t just a quick 4km loop walk.

It was late morning on a summer’s day and I decided to leave my drink bottle in the car - but by the time we walked out 1.5 hours later we were hot and dehydrated.

I should've learned by now never to go anywhere in Central Otago in the middle of summer without liquid.

Following an old 4WD track on the true right bank of Conroys Creek at first, a more narrower interesting foot trail then leads to gold sluicings, and after 30 minutes of climbing steadily up hill and then winding around into a gully, a well-preserved rock shelter appears under overhanging bluffs.

There are further alluvial gold workings on the left bank of Conroys Gully. You can possibly drink from the stream at the bottom of the gully, before winding your way back out the other side.

Soon you come back out into the open where the Mokomoko Dryland lizard sanctuary is, and you follow the special fence line back down to the carpark - always a welcome site to see your vehicle in the distance, knowing water will be on hand again soon.