Trotters Gorge (sometimes rendered Trotter's Gorge) is a locality in the

Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...

region, in the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

of New Zealand. It is located 12 kilometres to the north of Palmerston, inland from

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered S ...

. 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 Oamaru (; ) is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is south of Timaru and north of Dunedin on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast; State Highway 1 (New Zealand), Sta ...

and

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

, 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 Moeraki is a small fishing village on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It was once the location of a whaling station. In the 1870s, local interests believed it could become the main port for the north Otago area and a railwa ...

(the Horse Range Road). The scenic reserve is dominated by

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

cliffs through which the Trotters Creek has carved the gorge. The gorge itself is filled with native bush, including

kōwhai Kōwhai ( or ) are small woody legume trees within the genus '' Sophora'', in the family Fabaceae, that are native to New Zealand. There are eight species, with '' Sophora microphylla'' and '' Sophora tetraptera'' being large trees. Their natu ...

, 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 The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, 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