Roaring Meg Track

This 18-kilometer track winds through the Cardrona Valley’s remote eastern flanks, where 1860s miners left behind stone huts, water races, and tailings that still scar the tussock landscape. The route crosses Roaring Meg Creek multiple times — hence the name — and climbs through Rocky Gully where the track becomes a boulder-strewn nightmare that’ll test your diff locks and tire placement. Historic Bendigo settlement marks the turnaround point, its rusted machinery and collapsed sluice boxes telling stories of boom and bust.

This is proper 4WD country requiring good ground clearance and low-range gearing for the creek crossings and steep rocky sections. Summer’s best when water levels drop, though you’ll still face multiple ford crossings that can turn nasty after rain. No facilities, so pack everything including recovery gear and extra fuel. The payoff is solitude in some of Central Otago’s most unspoiled high country, where you’ll likely see more wild deer than people on a multi-day exploration of this forgotten goldfield.