TARRAS

Our busy village, centred round the school and local shops, is a place for travellers to pause, refuel and take in the silence, big skies and wide-open spaces that are the essence of Central Otago.

 

Bordered by the Lindis Pass and the mighty Māta-au Clutha river, Tarras is rich in history and has been the gateway to this very special landscape for centuries.

​

From the mid-18th century onwards, Ngai Tāhu Māori summer mahika kai (working the food) routes passed close to the current village site. Tarras itself was officially named by Surveyor Thomson in 1857 for Tarras Waters in Dumfries, Scotland and Scottish farmer settlers arrived soon after to establish sheep stations, some of which are still operating today. From 1860, the area became the temporary home of a vibrant, international and highly profitable gold-mining community. Today, farming and the wine industry are central to the local economy.​​