Trotters Gorge (sometimes rendered Trotter's Gorge) is a locality in the
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
region, in the
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
of New Zealand. It is located 12 kilometres to the north of
Palmerston, inland from
State Highway 1. The gorge and the creek which runs through it (Trotters Creek, which runs to the Pacific Ocean near
Kātiki
Kātiki is a small settlement in North Otago, New Zealand. It lies between the townships of Palmerston and Hampden on State Highway 1 at the northern end of Kātiki Beach, close to the Moeraki Peninsula. The tip of the peninsula, Kātiki Point ...
) were named for the family of early settler W. S. Trotter.
The area is a popular day trip for visitors from
Oamaru and
Dunedin, with several walking tracks, a picnic area, and campsite, and the area around the gorge itself is noted for its geological and botanical features. The area is protected as a scenic reserve, and is reached by road via the inland route from Palmerston to
Moeraki (the Horse Range Road).
The scenic reserve is dominated by
limestone cliffs through which the Trotters Creek has carved the gorge. The gorge itself is filled with
native bush
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and enterta ...
, including
kōwhai,
kanuka, and other species. Some of the plant and insect life is unique to the area, and birdlife is abundant. Tracks lead from the head of the reserve, one up the valley to a hut belonging to the
University of Otago, which is available as accommodation for a small fee, and a nearby swimming hole. The other track loops through a smaller valley, past caves and up to the western edge of the scenic reserve to connect with the hut track. Each trip takes some 45 minutes each way, or they can be tackled together as a loop taking some 2–3 hours.
Summer drives: Trotters Gorge offers ideal day trip
" ''Drivesouth'', 22 December 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
The reserve is a popular with visitors as it is sheltered from prevailing winds and therefore warm and calm in summer. Care needs to be taken, however, as weather can be changeable in the area, and the creek can rise rapidly. The reserve's campsite is closed during winter.
References
{{coord, -45.403, 170.781, display=title
Waitaki District
Canyons and gorges of Otago