Turangawaewae

=__Places of the Heart!__=

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===Arrowtown is my favourite place, because whenever I go I get to spend time with my family, swim in the river and also lake Hayes, playing backyard cricket with my brother and my dog as the fielder. Unfortunately he doesn't give the ball back! I stay up late, watch movies and have long sleep ins. There is a shop in Arrowtown called Patagonia, it has the best fruit sorbets ever. I have lots of fun whether its swimming in summer or skiing in winter. As a family we have had so many great times together with Christmas being the most special time.===

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=Natural Features:= The most obvious natural feature of Arrowtown would have to be the Arrow river. The river starts from the snow on Mount Hyde and winds its way through deep gorges past the edge of Arrowtown and into the Kawarau river. Arrowtown is surrounded by hills, mountains and the Crown Range and is a part of the Wakatipu baisn, which was formed by a glacier millions of years ago. Arrowtown is well known for its Schist rock. It lies beneath Arrowtown and surrounding hillsides and was used in construction by early settlers.

= = =Cultural Features:= ====Arrowtown's cultural make up has changed a lot over the years. In the early gold mining days rules were very relaxed and life was tough. Many people came to make their fortune from around New Zealand and overseas. One of the early groups of people were the Chinese, who were hard workers but treated poorly by the local people. Today there is a area in Arrowtown called the Chinese village, which marks their contribution to Arrowtowns cultural history. Modern Arrowtown is a mixture of shops and cafes and has become a very popular tourist and holiday destination.====

=Important historical event:= In 1862 a miner called William Fox and a small group of miners discoverd gold in the Arrow River. The discovery led miners by their thousands into the area. Before word got out William Fox was able to recover 230 lbs of gold! During the gold rush the population of Arrowtown rose to to 7,000 people. 150 years ago Arrowtown didn't exist, but through good luck and the discovery of gold William Fox changed all that.

William Fox