Otago Central Railtrail

Here is our account of our three day cycle ride along the Otago Central Railtrail.

Day 1 – Alexandra to Lauder

Having had a pretty good three day forecast and been frequently told Otago was the warmest and driest place in NZ at this time of year we prepared for rain but dressed for warm weather. At 8:30 on Wednesday morning we were picked up by the bike hire company and taken to the bike hire store to pick up our bikes.

We thought we’d packed all we needed to take with us but soon realized I’d forgotten the camera so the first leg of our trip was back to Marj’s place to collect the camera.

At this time of the morning it was pretty cold. We were wearing just flip flops on our feet but were confident things would get better. We set off along the streets and soon joined the rail trail. For almost all the length of the trail it was the width of a single track. The surface was mostly gravel compacted down into two parallel trails the width of a motor vehicle – presumably the maintenance vehicles that must pass along the trail from time to time. As it was significantly easier to cycle on the compacted areas of the track than over the loose gravel we tended to stick to these parallel tracks switching over to avoid the occasional puddle from recent rains. There were plenty of streams which were bridged, usually with uneven transverse timbers. At first this gave our backsides a welcome massage but after a while it began to feel like a beating forcing us to stand as we passed over.

We had a slow uphill climb through Galloway then onto Chatto Creek. We saw plenty of wild rabbits running away from our approach. We could see the occasional hawk circling overhead looking for a morning meal – perhaps one of the same rabbits. At one point two birds noisily chased off one hawk presumably from chicks or their own kill.

We stopped off at a cafe at Chatto Creek for a welcome coffee and escape from the morning cold. We sat inside the bar which was a nice combination of wood and stone with very much a hunting motif – bullets and shell casings being largely on show.

We pushed on onto the steepest section of the railway. Overall the maximum gradient was 50:1 which is not a lot but it does build up over time, particularly when cycling over gravel. There were periodic stops for information about the railway sections we were on, the towns and countryside around us. Although the day was warming up, it was still heavily overcast and we could not see the distant mountains described to us. The few people we saw heading in the opposite direction were wearing rain clothes, sometimes very wet. Three young guys took the opposite approach and were cycling with nothing bar their helmets on. On this section, Helen began to experience a painful twinge in one of her leg muscles on this section and had to walk for a while.

Despite this we reached Omakau in good time. We checked out the local store for things to buy for our evening meal. Before buying our food we decided to take the side trip to Ophir who’s ominous claim to fame was holding the record for the coldest place in NZ a few years ago.

The smooth tarmac was a nice change for our backsides and even though the inclines on the road exceeded the trails 50:1, it was easier riding. Ophir really was sleeping with a few quaint old buildings. Following the circular side trail around we passed over the Daniel O’Connell suspension bridge crossing the Manuherikia River just after a twisting cut through the rocks.

Back in Omakau I had a delicious ice cream before we bought food for dinner. The sun was finally breaking through the clouds as we resumed our cycle along the rail trail for the final 7km of the day to Lauder.

At Lauder (all of 11 buildings) we found the cottage we’d rented for the night. It was old and rather more spacious to our needs but very comfortable. Although the sun was shining outside we stayed in and watched the unfolding news from Christchurch. As the evening closed it began to get quite cold again so we lit the fire that was ready for us and enjoyed it’s warmth.

Distance covered: 42km

Day 2 – Lauder to Waipiata

The second day’s morning started off very cold again and our fingers and toes felt it. Our muscles and backsides were sore. However, the promise of sunshine kept our spirits and expectations high. We were not to be disappointed as we soon warmed up.

The first section of the trail for the day took us through two of the trails three tunnels. Just prior to the first tunnel was a small walking side trip to see the remains of the tunnels construction camp – mainly just chimney stacks.

Entering the first tunnel, even with our torches on, it was incredibly dark. This situation changed dramatically when I took my sunglasses off but even so, the first tunnel banked round so that in the middle we couldn’t see any light from the openings. Approaching the end of the tunnel was strange as the tunnel exit looked as though it was getting further away – some sort of Alfred Hitchcock effect. The second tunnel, a short distance after the first, was shorter in length and the exit was visible from the entrance.

From here we climbed further. By now the trail had fully dried out and the compacted tracks were hard and easier to ride. Helen’s previous day’s muscle problems had settled and we were able to make good time. The air was much clearer giving us great views of the surrounding hills and mountains.

We made a planned stop in Oturehua for pies. There is an old store here called Gilchrist’s which is NZ’s oldest continuously operating general store and is now partly a museum. We picked up the last two in the old store there and with coffees, sat outside to rest and eat them. Here we met and got chatting to a nice NZ couple, Lew and Tracey. We learned they had the same destination as us for the day and were even staying in the same hotel. We all looked forward to meeting up later. They were keen cyclists and had their own bikes so although Helen and I took off first they soon overtook us.

The next section contained a very key milestone (kilometer stone perhaps) – the highest point, 450 m above our starting point. In this section were also two markers where the trail passed through 45 degrees of latitude, first from south to north and then from north to south. I hadn’t thought of this before but the 45th parallel marks the point equidistant between the equator and the pole.

Helen was a lot more pleased than I at reaching the top although we both looked forward to heading downhill. In fact, the sign marking the top pointed out that it was now all downhill. A short while later, we had this point made when we stopped having to pedal and shot through about 4km of effortless riding to Wedderburn. Better still, not having to pedal allowed us to stand up and rest our back sides.

After a brief rest break at Wedderburn we carried on. We still had effortless sections as well as less steep downhill sections where we had to pedal gently to keep going. Joy. Even the small uphill sections were short and with rested legs we were able to press on.

We stopped for a while in Ranfurly, another town with an art deco theme. Here we both had an ice cream. You may detect a recurring theme here when I say that sitting on a flat seat was as delicious as the ice creams.

The 7.5km to Waipiata was a breeze despite ending on a slight uphill. We’d covered a long distance and were glad to have a shower and wash the days efforts and grime off us. We then sat outside for a beer and ended up chatting to another NZ couple with Canadian background. Later we moved in and joined up with Lew and Tracey for dinner. We ended chatting until late into the evening sharing a bottle of wine we’d bought in Napier.

We went to sleep comfortable with the thought that although we had a good distance to cover the next day, it would be as easy as the last section we’d just covered. With the memories of a good forecast ahead slumber overtook us. Not even the sound of ever strengthening rain spoiled our night.

Distance covered: 55.5km

Day 3 – Waipiata to Middlemarch

In the sure belief the day would be an easy one we slept in a little. It took us a while to realize how cold and miserably wet it was outside. After sharing breakfast with the other two couples we headed off into the drizzle.

It was apparent this was not the hottest or driest place in the country. The gravelly trail was now sodden. We had to pedal the downhill sections to overcome the resistance from the wet gravel and mud. There were numerous puddles along the hard trail lines forcing onto the harder to cycle gravel between them. There was no freewheeling.

A faint drizzle fell for most of the morning which turning into a cold rain as soon as we moved forwards on our bikes. We became wet and cold. At times we had a strong, cold wind pressing against us. This was not a fun morning. With the late start and a bus to catch in Middlemarch we had to press on.

I kept my mind planning how I would use the shower, sauna & bath waiting for our return to Marj’s Place in Alexendra. Despite the miserable weather things did gradually improve. By midday we were cycling along the Daisybank to Hyde section which in our minds was the prettiest section of the whole trail. Here we passed through the third and final tunnel of the trip and the over longest viaduct.

We’d bumped into Lew and Tracey a few times and caught up with them at Hyde where we stopped for coffee and a hot bowl of chips.

The final 28km from Hyde to Middlemarch was a hard slog. The scenery offered us no new thrills. We put our heads down and focussed on turning the pedals over and over and eating up the km. We stopped stopping at the information points just wanting to get to the end.

The main blessing for the final day was that the bridges were now made of smooth planking which brought moments of bliss as we passed over them.

We finally made it to Middlemarch. Having seen hardly anyone on the trail we arrived about the same time as 12 other people all congratulating themselves on making it. Having had the camera stored away for the day I finally took it out to take pictures of our arrival.

We had to drop off our bikes at a particular cafe which turned out to be a kilometer outside of town. We dropped them off, took our stuff out of the panniers and walked back on wobbly legs. Back by the station we entered the warm bar to a reunion with Tracey and Lew. We had a couple of drinks and stood in front of the fire absorbing it’s warmth.

Our bus arrived around 5:20pm. It was a door to door shuttle with a quite a few others aboard. By the time it stopped at Ranfurly the beers had both shot through and I was glad of the break. As we headed back to Alexndra we could see sections of the trail we’d spent the last three days cycling. We finally reached Marj’s Place around 7:15. We dropped off our gear and headed straight out for some fast food.

Back at Marj’s we showered. I had a sauna then joined Helen with a bottle of wine before heading for a needed rest.

Distance covered: 53.5km

We’ve only made one decision about what’s next and that’s to stay here another day and not do much. We know we’re heading north but haven’t any specific plans as yet. We’ll work on that today.