Otago Central Rail Trail

These pictures are just to give a flavour of our time in the South Island. The main event was cycling the Otago Central Rail Trail. This is along the route of the former Otago Central Railway. The first part of the railway still exists and we started the journey from Dunedin on the Taieri Gorge Limited. After leaving the main line at Wingatui the line climbs through some impressive scenery following the Taieri River.

Once through the gorge the gradient levels off onto the Central Otago plain and the rails end at Middlemarch. Here we transferred to bikes.

The cycle way is relatively flat (being an old railway line) and generally easy going. We were lucky with the weather and apart from one morning of cold head winds had no difficulty. Temperatures rose during the day so we found it sensible to start early and rest often when it got warm.

Denise and Janie enjoying a well earned drink after the first day's ride.

The trail can be seen stretching ahead or behind, often on embankments or as cuts in the hillside.

The route passes through the Strath Taieri and Maniototo. This is Grahame Sydney country and one of his most famous paintings is of Wedderburn.

This is the high point of the track - 618 metres.

The disused Golden Progress Mine near Oturehua

was a good spot for lunch.

This is the Ida Burn dam, famous for it's use in cheese commercials and as the venue for bonspiel

Escaping the noon day sun.

Classic Central country - rolling hills in the early morning light.

After finishing in Clyde

we were bussed back to Dunedin and visited the albatross at Taiaroa Head

also the nearby seal colony

and hoiho.

Travelling back up the South Island we stopped off at Moeraki to see the boulders.

The icing on the cake was a steam engine at Oamaru.