Daily Trip Notes
Day 1
We will pick you up from your pre tour accommodation in Queenstown at 8am, before driving via the scenic Kawarau & Cromwell Gorges to the start of the trail in Clyde. Its time to be fitted to your bike and for a safety briefing before we hit the trail! The first section through to Alexandra is just enough to get the legs warm before we stop for lunch. Then it’s back on the bike and through to Omakau & its welcoming historic pub, our home for the night. For those that feel like a bit more action we will take a side trip to the historic village of Ophir. Back to Omakau for a hot meal and a wine or two before a good nights rest.
Rail Trail riding – 37 kms (D)
Day 2
With a leisurely start to the day we wait until the morning chill has gone before cycling. Today we ride through the first two tunnels of the trip and over two rail bridges – and we cross Latitude 45 Degrees South twice! We will cycle through the Ida Valley passing the Ida Burn Dam (if its cold enough and the dam has frozen you may just be lucky enough to see people curling), before we enjoy a downhill cruise to Wedderburn and our accommodation for the night. Once in Wedderburn you can relax in your cottage and soak up the stunning views of snow capped mountains or you can join us on another side trip to the historic gold mining village of St Bathans and the Blue Lake. At the end of a busy day its just a matter of popping down to the cosy Wedderburn Tavern for a tasty hot dinner.
Rail Trail Ride – 42km (B, L)
Day 3
We start the morning off the bike as we take a tour of Wedderburn farm. It’s a 5000 hectare high country family run farm. After the tour its time for some Devonshire tea at the homestead and then back to the bikes. What better way to start the days cycling than downhill! 13.5km will roll by pretty quickly when taking in the surrounding snow covered mountains and before you know it, it will be time to stop for lunch in the art deco town of Ranfurly. This section of the trail offers the first views of the vast Maniototo Winter Otago Central Rail Trail Plain which is surrounded by the Mt Ida, Rough Ridge, Hawkdun and Rock and Pillar Ranges, as well as the Kakanui Mountains. After warming up with lunch its back on the bikes and the last 18km for the day and to our accommodation in Kokonga. After the day’s cycling another evening option is for some indoor curling in Naseby – the only rink of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere!
Rail Trail Ride – 31.5km (B, D)
Day 4
The last day of the tour & the finish is in sight! After starting out from Kokonga we cycle 14.5km through the beautiful Taieri Gorge to Hyde and our lunch stop. Then its back on the bike and on the home stretch, only 27.5km until Middlemarch and the end of the trail. When cycling out of Hyde you will pass the scene of the famous Hyde rail disaster of 1943 and then out onto the rolling plains slowly descending into Middlemarch. After celebrating riding 150km and warming up with a hot drink we load the bikes up and drive back through to Queenstown. Once in Queenstown we will drop you off at your central accommodation provider, at approx 5pm.
Rail Trail Ride – 42 kms (B)
