Thread: Central OTAGO. Yea or Nea?

Afternoon all.

Currently living in Taupo and pretty happy here but have also been here for decades and the wife and I have developed itchy feet in the last year or so. If we are going to move, then we need to do it before the kids hit intermediate.

Looked around Aussie and was pretty keen on Mansfeild Victoria, nice little country town in the Vic high country. Man from Snowy River country.

But a job opportunity has also popped in in Cromwell as well. I'm going down next week to have a look at the job and spend a couple of days looking around Alex, Cromwell and the sounding area.
House prices look kinda similar to Taupo and the schools are pretty good from what I can gather.
So, my question to the brains trust is what's the hunting and fishing actually like around the area? I know there is some excellent hunting but is it all on private land that an outsider would never have access to?
Any decent bush hunting within an hour's drive, i looked on the maps and there appears to be big islands of bush further south.

Is the hunting all walking up colossal hills for half a day to get up and into good glassing country or is there accessible tracks that you could get a bit of altitude before setting out on foot?

Is all the public land balloted during the roar?

Is there trout in the local lakes?

Any advice from anyone who actually lives there would be appreciated. Doesn't have to be hunting related. Advice on cool pubs would also be well received.

Just to note for everyone, I'm not after your hard-won possies, just general advice on hunting, fishing and other cool outdoor options in central Otago. We are also keen on hiking into huts with the dogs, mountain biking and game bird hunting. Not keen on wild pork, your pigs are safe from me as a rule. I've never laid eyes on a chamois yet either so the idea of shooting one of them appeals....

I'm keen to embrace some change in my life and push myself with some new challenges rather than live in the same town for all my adult life and end up in the local cemetery at some point.

The recent passing of a close relative who wasn't that much older than me from cancer has made me think about what I want from my life, and how time goes quick and before you know it your time is up and your gone.

Cheers lads

Marty