New Chum Gully Track
A 7.5 km loop above Arrowtown: up Tobins Track, through a gold-sluiced gully, along Glencoe Station's poled ridgeline and back beside the Arrow River.
Published 15 September 2026 · Last checked 18 September 2026 · By Queenstown Pocket
Key facts
Open, with cautions. Neither DOC's alerts nor the council's storm updates name New Chum Gully. The loop's return uses Macetown Road near the Norman Smith footbridge, which the council lists as closed because of multiple slips and washouts (read 18 September 2026), and DOC also reports slips there with 4WD access closed. Near the start, the Trust lists the Arrow River Bridges Trail closed between Tobins Bridge and Whitechapel Road, and the council lists the river trail on the true left (Tobins side) as closed without saying whether the approach to Tobins Track is affected. Until the road reopens, come back the way you went, via Tobins Track. Checked 18 September 2026 on Queenstown Lakes District Council, Roading impacts in Queenstown Lakes (Macetown Road) (opens in a new tab).
- Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours loop
- Distance
- 7.5 km loop
- Track type
- Loop
- Grade
- Intermediate/Advanced
- Surface
- Gully track beside streams and a ridgeline route poled with orange markers
- Winter
- Care needed in winter
- Starts at
- Tobins Track entrance, O'Callaghan Park at the bottom of Ford Street
- Bus
- Route 2 and Route 4 at Centennial Ave, opposite Jack Reid Park, about 200 m from the start
- Bikes
- No bikes
- Cost
- Free
In short: New Chum Gully Track is a 7.5 km loop that DOC times at 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours. It leaves Tobins Track above Arrowtown, follows a gold-sluiced gully and Glencoe Station's orange-poled ridgeline, and returns by the Norman Smith footbridge and the Arrow Gorge Track.
What the track is like
New Chum Gully was worked hard in the gold rush, and sluicing scars and the remains of water races still show beside its streams. The orange-poled ridgeline looks out over Arrowtown and the Whakatipu basin.
Cross the Arrow River from the reserve at the bottom of Ford Street and start up Tobins Track, a 4WD track that climbs to the Crown Terrace. The New Chum Gully Track leaves on the left about halfway up, 15 minutes from Arrowtown on the covenant map; Destination Queenstown describes the entrance as nondescript, so watch for it.
The track follows the streams of New Chum Gully past sluicing and old water races, graded Intermediate on the covenant map. A 5-minute link climbs to the New Chum Ridge Track, where the Glencoe Station ridgeline is poled with orange markers; the ridge sections are graded Intermediate/Advanced. The covenant map's key puts Intermediate/Advanced between Intermediate (for people with limited backcountry experience) and Advanced (moderate to high backcountry skills, with navigation and survival skills required).
Both the gully track and the ridge track come down to Macetown Road, and DOC's loop returns over the Norman Smith footbridge and along the Arrow Gorge Track to Arrowtown, 30 minutes on the covenant map. The map puts the ridge track's end 25 minutes up Macetown Road from the footbridge, so the return includes a stretch of that road. DOC says the loop can be walked in either direction and needs a good level of fitness and sturdy footwear.
Miners Track: the covenant map shows a longer option off the New Chum Ridge Track, the Miners Track (Intermediate/Advanced), 1 hour 15 minutes to the Peters Way junction and 10 more minutes to Brackens Saddle. The Motatapu Miners Trail Run uses Tobins Track, Glencoe Station and New Chum Gully for a 15.2 km course from Wilcox Green with 837 m of cumulative climb and a 1,052 m high point, according to the organiser, who treats it as alpine terrain with mandatory gear. No managing body publishes a Miners Trail walking loop with its own distance or time.
How to get to the start
Arrowtown is 20 km north of Queenstown off SH6, according to DOC. Tobins Track starts on the true left of the Arrow River near O'Callaghan Park at the bottom of Ford Street, with a car park on the reserve and a bridge across the river. Orbus Routes 2 and 4 stop on Centennial Avenue opposite Jack Reid Park, about 210 m from the park, $2.50 with a Bee Card.
- Start: Tobins Track entrance, O'Callaghan Park at the bottom of Ford Street (directions (opens in a new tab)).
- Parking: Car park on the reserve at the bottom of Ford Street (Destination Queenstown)
- From Queenstown: Arrowtown is 20 km north of Queenstown off SH6 (DOC)
- By bus: Orbus Routes 2 and 4 stop on Centennial Avenue opposite Jack Reid Park, about 210 m from O'Callaghan Park at the start, $2.50 with a Bee Card. Routes and fares are in the bus guide.
Is it open, and what is it like in winter?
Open, with cautions on 18 September 2026. Neither DOC's alerts nor the council's storm updates name New Chum Gully. The loop's return uses Macetown Road near the Norman Smith footbridge, which the council lists as closed because of multiple slips and washouts (read 18 September 2026), and DOC also reports slips there with 4WD access closed. Near the start, the Trust lists the Arrow River Bridges Trail closed between Tobins Bridge and Whitechapel Road, and the council lists the river trail on the true left (Tobins side) as closed without saying whether the approach to Tobins Track is affected. Until the road reopens, come back the way you went, via Tobins Track. Check Queenstown Lakes District Council, Roading impacts in Queenstown Lakes (Macetown Road) (opens in a new tab) on the day; conditions change quickly.
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Spring (September to November) | The ridge is exposed and DOC warns the higher tracks can hold snow and ice from autumn through winter and often into spring. After the late August 2026 storm, check the Macetown Road and Arrow River trail closures before setting out. |
| Summer (December to February) | Settled summer days suit the ridge, but it is open with little shade, so carry water. Rain makes the gully streams and the steep sections slippery. |
| Autumn (March to May) | Cooler walking and clear views from the ridge; shorter days call for an earlier start on a 3-hour loop. |
| Winter (June to August) | Poled routes are much harder to follow under snow and the ridge catches the weather. Walk it only on a clear, settled day with no snow on the tops, or keep to Tobins Track. |
What to know before you go
- The ridge is a poled route graded Intermediate/Advanced, not a formed path. Follow the orange markers, and turn back if cloud or snow hides the next pole.
- The ridge is open to wind and cloud, and DOC notes the weather here can change quickly at any time of year. Carry a warm layer, a rain jacket and water.
- The covenant map recommends carrying the NZ Topo50 CB11 Arrowtown map, and QEII says backcountry tracks on the covenants may be unformed and lightly marked.
- The track crosses private land on Glencoe Station under a QEII National Trust covenant. Stay on the track, keep clear of stock and leave gates as you find them.
- The loop's return uses Macetown Road, which the council has closed because of multiple slips and washouts; DOC also reports slips there with 4WD access closed. Until the closure is lifted, turn around and return via Tobins Track, and check DOC and Queenstown Trails Trust alerts before you go.
For emergencies call 111. The Queenstown safety guide covers the rest before a long or winter walk.
Questions people ask
How long does New Chum Gully take?
DOC times the 7.5 km loop at 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, and Destination Queenstown calls it a 3-hour loop.
Where does the New Chum Gully Track start?
About halfway up Tobins Track, on the left. Start from the reserve at the bottom of Ford Street, cross the Arrow River and climb Tobins Track for about 15 minutes.
Is New Chum Gully hard?
It is a clear step up from Tobins Track. DOC asks for a good level of fitness and sturdy footwear, Destination Queenstown rates it moderate to difficult, and the ridge sections are Intermediate/Advanced on the covenant map.
Is New Chum Gully open right now?
Neither DOC's alerts nor the council's storm updates name it, but the loop's return uses Macetown Road, which the council has closed because of multiple slips and washouts, and the Arrow River Bridges Trail is closed between Tobins Bridge and Whitechapel Road. Return via Tobins Track until the road reopens, and check the alerts before you go.
What is the Miners Trail in Arrowtown?
It is the Motatapu Miners Trail Run course, 15.2 km from Wilcox Green with 837 m of climb and a 1,052 m high point, linking Tobins Track, Glencoe Station and New Chum Gully. The covenant map shows a Miners Track climbing to Brackens Saddle, but no managing body publishes a Miners Trail walking loop.
Can I bike New Chum Gully?
No. Destination Queenstown says mountain bikes are not allowed, and the covenant map lists walking only.
Can you walk New Chum Gully in winter?
Only on a clear, settled day. Poled ridge routes are hard to follow under snow and the ridge catches the weather.
Can I get to New Chum Gully by bus?
Yes. Orbus Routes 2 and 4 stop on Centennial Avenue opposite Jack Reid Park, about 210 m from O'Callaghan Park at the start, $2.50 with a Bee Card.
Nearby walks
- Tobins Track
6.3 km return · 1 hour return · Easy to intermediate walking track
- Sawpit Gully loop
7.9 km loop · About 3 hours loop · Intermediate/Advanced
- Arrow Gorge Track
1.5 km one way · 25 minutes one way (about 1 hour return) · Easy to intermediate walking track
- Arrowtown Millennium Walk
4 km loop · 1 hour (loop) · Grade 2, easy
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Related guides
- Arrowtown by bus: $2.50 from Queenstown or the airport
Route 4 from town, Route 2 from Frankton, $2.50 with a Bee Card, and the last bus back.
- The Queenstown Trail, section by section
Ten sections, over 150 km, with the Trails Trust's distances, grades and times, and the $2.50 bus back from each end.
- Queenstown safety: the numbers, the hills, the roads and the lake
111 and 105, the Land Safety Code, chains, the 10-degree lake, and why ACC is not travel insurance.
Sources: DOC, Queenstown day walks and bike trails brochure (#24 New Chum Gully Track, #19 Tobins Track) (opens in a new tab), Mahu Whenua Covenant Tracks: Arrowtown Tracks map (QEII National Trust with QLDC, DOC, Queenstown Trails Trust and Walking Access) (opens in a new tab), QEII National Trust, Central Otago: Mahu Whenua (opens in a new tab), Destination Queenstown, Arrowtown Walks (opens in a new tab), Destination Queenstown, Tobin's Track listing (opens in a new tab), Motatapu, UDC Finance Miners Trail Run course details (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Trails Trust, network alerts (opens in a new tab), DOC, Macetown Historic Reserve (alert: Macetown Road slips, first published 2 September 2026) (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Lakes District Council, Latest update on Queenstown Lakes weather event (28 August 2026, trail closures and cautions) (opens in a new tab) and Queenstown Lakes District Council, Roading impacts in Queenstown Lakes (28 August 2026, updated since) (opens in a new tab), retrieved 18 September 2026. Distances, times and grades are the managing body's published figures; fit walkers are often quicker. Department of Conservation information is used under CC BY 4.0. Start coordinates: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). This independent guide is published by Tally Sphere Limited, a New Zealand company. Spotted a change? Report a problem with this page and the page address comes with your email.
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