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KYEBURN & DANSEYS PASS
Kyeburn and the surrounding area like so many small towns in Central Otago
sprung up after the discovery of gold and the arrival of the miners.
After the gold rush was over it was coal mining that provided the main source of income for its residents. However when the railway went in, coal was brought up by train and the towns in the area went into decline. Kyeburn today still boasts a school (although it is now closed), and a Hall and Library which are still in use.
The gold fields in the Kyeburn area known as the Kyeburn Diggings
were well underway before the main discovery of gold at nearby Naseby.
The Danseys Pass Hotel was built in 1862 by the miners who were paid in beer for their labour.
The Hotel today has stunning accommodation and a restaurant.
It is well worth the detour up the Danseys Pass Road to the Hotel.
The Hotel is the last stop on the Danseys Pass Road which winds over the mountains to North Otago.
Why not try your hand at a little gold panning while you’re there!
The Upper Kyeburn gold fields once boasted hotels, stores, a butcher, a baker and in the
1860’s a school opened. Sadly the only reminder of the Upper Kyeburn settlement is that of the
Upper Kyeburn Cemetery and the scars of sluicing and dredging that went on the area.
Like many of the early gold mining towns photos are all that remain of what was once a bustling area.
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