Arrowtown Photography Walk with My Fujifilm

Location: Arrowtown, Queenstown New Zealand (south island). Taken with Fujifilm XT-50 and Fujinon XF 23mm f2 lens; Edited in Lightroom. Photos taken in last week August 2026.

Hello friends. Today I will take you through a very special town called 'Arrowtown' in the south island of New Zealand. I hope everyone has been well. I just recovered from my 4th or 5th sickness in six weeks. I feel like its a mild cold and its my body telling me I need more rest. It has really taken a toll on my mind, like its been blocked from making cohesive thoughts. It's a miracle I was not sick while in New Zealand. Maybe I need a holiday from the holiday!

I stayed in Queenstown at Crowne Plaza Hotel, so it was a convenient 20 minute drive from the city centre to Arrowtown. The weather was pretty dreary, drizzling and wet with plenty of puddles. But it meant the clouds were low hanging and created some dramatic backdrops for my photography.

(The Jade Opal Shop and Black Teal Bay shopfronts)

Arrowtown is a historic gold mining town that is famous for its 19th-century charm, preserved buildings, shop fronts and signage. In the Autumn, the trees turn brilliant oranges, reds and yellows. We visited in the last week of Winter so we started seeing some of that beautiful foliage. 

(Ramshaw Lane, Arrowtown)

There are not many roads leading out of Queenstown, but it was still an easy drive despite the rain with a little bit of road congestion on a Wednesday morning. Turning down Ramshaw Lane, the tree peppered mountains overlooking the carpark took my breath away with the Fall colours and misty cloud. And I thought I could not be any more impressed with the beauty of New Zealand's south island.

We parked at Ramshaw Lane Car Park walking a slight incline to some restaurants. We found shelter at Patagonia Chocolates and got ourselves a delicious hot chocolate that came with a little cute biscuit.

(taken with my Samsung Flip6)

(Bendix Stables House Smoked Ribs and Chips meal - 28 Buckingham street, Arrowtown)

After our hot chocolates, we headed to the famous Buckingham street to admire the beautiful buildings, shop and get a bite to eat. We ended up at Bendix Stables, a gastropub tucked away next to a nice patch of grass and a couple of cafes. Inside it was warm and inviting, providing wonderful respite from the rain. Their bathrooms are hidden behind a bookshelf which I thought was quite cute. We nursed some beers and tucked into some house smoked ribs and chips with some friends. Look at how hearty it is - food for the soul.

(Buckingham street, Arrowtown)

Full from our meals we explored Buckingham street, where all the preserved 19th century buildings were lined up. Walking through it felt like you were transported back in time with the storefronts, facades, traditional lamp posts and beautiful signage. I took out my Fujifilm and snapped away as usual. I had to take special care tucking my camera under my jacket while walking, as my Fujifilm is not weather sealed.

Below is my camera gear to achieve these photos:

Equipment: Fujifilm XT-50 and Fujinon XF 23mm f2 lens

K&F UV Filter (43mm - fits the 23mm lens)

Camera Settings - Shutter: 1/250; Aperture: f2.5; ISO 160-800

Fujifilm Recipe: Reggie's Porta; also edited in Lightroom

The sun was bright as I visited during lunch time. So for the outdoors I kept my ISO low (reducing noise and lowered brightness) and it could pair with a lower aperture (f2 range) to let in alot of light and also blur out the background.

When indoors, I increased my ISO to 800 to get more brightness while still maintaining a nice bokeh effect. 

(Ramshaw Lane Carpark - tree peppered mountain overlooking it)

Location: Arrowtown, Queenstown New Zealand (south island). Taken with Fujifilm XT-50 and Fujinon XF 23mm f2 lens; Edited in Lightroom. Photos taken in last week August 2026.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Arrowtown. A half day is more than sufficient, including some time for a meal. I discovered a cute confectionary shop called The Remarkable Sweet Shop and bought house-made fudge and nougat and lots of candy for the kids. I think I enjoyed it more that the kids. I have dedicated a separate post for that shop and that will go up shortly.

I also browsed souvenir shops and got myself a Queenstown pin that will go up on our Noren Drapes (Japanese door curtains) as this was an inexpensive and convenient way to have memoirs of our travels. What sort of travel souvenirs do you collect? I used to collect cups and plush toys but it has taken up lots of space. Now I like to collect big stickers for my luggage, pins and of course photography!

Good to Know - Arrowtown, New Zealand

20mins drive from Queenstown; 55mins drive from Wanaka

Free parking available via Ramshaw Lane carpark - spots will fill up quickly on weekends 

Limited street parking available along Buckingham street and Ramshaw Lane and surroundings

Half a Day is sufficient time for a meal and walk around town, shopping

Within a few minutes walk: Historic Arrowtown Chinese Settlement and Museum & Gallery

Photos taken last week of August on a rainy day (last week of Winter)

❤︎ Natalie