March 17, 2021
The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 150 kilometer (93 Miles) walking, cycling and horse riding trail that follows a railway line that was built at the turn of the twentieth century. After about ninety years of operation it closed 1990 and began its new life. We only biked a sixty kilometer (40 mile) stretch of the trail. The trail was fairly flat and the stretch we biked was slightly downhill. However, after lunch a strong headwind began to blow which made it one of the more strenuous rides that we have done. Along the way we rode over trestle bridges and through tunnels. We saw some spectacular scenery and lots of sheep and cattle.
We passed the sites of a number of old train stations, such as this one at Lauder.
One surprising thing for visitors to New Zealand is the strength of the country’s coffee culture. Even in the middle of nowhere, it’s possible to find a cafe selling exceptional espressos, cappuccinos and flat whites. Kiwis are disparaging of paper cups, so most places you will find customers sitting and sipping their coffee from ceramic cups.
We passed through the charming little town of Omakau.
We stopped for lunch at a tavern in charmingly named Chatto-Creek
After struggling through headwinds over the plains, it was nice to get down to the shelter of the trees lining the Clutha river.
Mal and Lauren 