Alexandra, Central Otago

Alexandra, Central Otago

The township of Alexandra is located on the banks of the Clutha River at the confluence of the Manuherikia River. The town was founded during the Central Otago goldrush in the 1860’s and officially named in 1863 after the Princess of Wales who became Queen when her husband was crowned King Edward V11 in 1901. Queen Alexandra, a Danish princess, died in 1925 and is our current Queen’s great-grandmother.

The town boomed during the late 1800s, when huge gold dredges worked the Clutha River. The most successful dredge was the Dunedin, which extracted an estimated 528kg of gold. Today Alexandra owes its prosperity to orchardists and wine makers.

Alexandra is perhaps best known for the Alexandra Blossom Festival, an annual event that began in 1957 celebrating the advent of spring as evidenced by the blooming of the fruit trees. The Festival features a parade of beautifully decorated floats and other entertainment and is attended by both locals and visitors from far and wide.

Another yearly event organised by the Alexandra Lions Club as a community fundraiser is the annual Easter Bunny Hunt. Rabbits were introduced to NZ in the 1800s for meat and hunting, but quickly became a pest in the region. Alexandra had the perfect conditions for rabbits to thrive. During the First World War rabbit meat was canned in Alexandra for supply to Britain. Unfortunately demand for rabbit meat dried up after the war and the canning factory closed. In recent decades rabbit control initiatives have been both controversial and unsuccessful.

Today, Alexandra is a popular holiday destination mainly due to the hot and sunny climate during summer. Being part of the Central Otago Rail Trail is a tourist drawcard.