Parking
Arrowtown riverside parking near the Arrow River and Norman Smith Bridge; start on the Arrow River Bridges Trail where it meets Tobins Track.
Overview
About New Chum Gully Track
A 7.5 km (4.7 mile) loop from Arrowtown follows Tobins Track to the New Chum Gully Track, crosses the Glencoe Station ridgeline and gully, then returns by the Arrow Gorge Track and riverside paths. Allow about 3 hours for the complete loop. The route delivers broad views over the Arrow Gorge and Wakatipu Basin, with especially good colour in autumn.
Why go
- Complete Arrowtown loop linking Tobins, New Chum Gully and Arrow Gorge with basin views
- Autumn colour, open ridgeline scenery and a varied mix of singletrack and historic access tracks
Heads up
- Steep narrow and exposed gorge-side sections can be slippery or unnerving in poor weather
- Private farmland, a stream crossing and unsigned junctions require care with navigation and gates
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Queenstown-Lakes District map
Full mapElevation403–659 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Queenstown-Lakes District alert
- ClosureSkippers Bridge closed to all trafficSkippers Bridge is closed to all vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians; do not cross.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Queenstown-Lakes District Tour Guide
Your drive to New Chum Gully Track, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Queenstown-Lakes District, New Zealand. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Queenstown-Lakes District audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
New Chums Gully: An Underrated Arrowtown HikeListen
“Coming up is access to the New Chums Gully Track, a loop hike that's a real local's secret in Arrowtown. While many visitors stick to the riverside paths, this track offers something more challenging.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Queenstown-Lakes District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Wilcox Green: A Local Riverside Reserve
- Hampshire Holiday Park: A Convenient Arrowtown Base
- Exploring Historic Arrowtown and the Gold Rush
- Arrowtown Chinese Settlement and Trailheads
- 164 audio storiesacross Queenstown-Lakes District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Kākā, Kererū, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 37 trails, 111 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking New Chum Gully Track
Route and directionStart and finish at the Arrow River/Norman Smith Bridge access.
Start and finish at the Arrow River/Norman Smith Bridge access. Follow Tobins Track to the signed New Chum turn, then take the full New Chum line across the ridge and through the gully. Continue over the mapped connector to Arrow Gorge Track and follow the gorge and river-side paths back to the start. The route is a loop; do not substitute the longer Tobins or Sawpit variants at unsigned junctions.
Terrain and highlightsExpect a moderate-to-difficult walk with a steep, narrow and sometimes exposed gorge-side…
Expect a moderate-to-difficult walk with a steep, narrow and sometimes exposed gorge-side section, rough singletrack, short 4WD/track sections, a stream crossing and uneven ridgeline terrain. Views include the Arrow Gorge, Arrowtown and the Wakatipu Basin; the deciduous vegetation is particularly attractive in autumn.
Logistics and cautionsUse Arrowtown riverside parking near the Arrow River and begin at the Norman Smith Bridge/Arrow…
Use Arrowtown riverside parking near the Arrow River and begin at the Norman Smith Bridge/Arrow River Bridges Trail access. The track crosses private farmland at Glencoe Station: respect stock, leave gates as found and keep dogs leashed. Wear sturdy footwear and avoid the exposed sidlings in wet, icy or snowy conditions; carry a phone topo because some turns are unsigned.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Queenstown-Lakes District
189 sightingsKeaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
18 sightingsKākāMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
195 sightingsKererūMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
48 sightingsWekaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
239 sightingsTūīMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
97 sightingsBellbirdMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Queenstown-Lakes District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
