City slicker to easy rider
Urbandweller leaves the bigsmoketo bravethe‘rugged’backcountryof theSouthIsland to cycle theOtagoCentral Rail Trail.
Ifelt a certain dread as my flight from Auckland winged its way over the Remarkables, with Queenstown Airport in view in the distance. It had nothing to do with fear of flying, or the notoriously tricky landing at Queenstown. Iwas more concerned with what awaited me on my three-day trip to Central Otago.
As a desperately unfit city type, it was the thought of having to pedal across some of this spectacular, rugged landscape that was causing such anxiety. Would I break down halfway up a dirt track with cramp or incessant wheezing? Would I have to be rescued by my hosts?
A reassuring briefing from Dave Thomson at the Central Cycle Trail Co (CCT), in the historic village of Clyde, calmed the nerves.
After regaling me with stories of grey couples ‘‘falling in love with ebikes and charging over Mt Pisa’’ after hiring one from the company he has run for 20 years with his wife Pip, I was shown the ropes on a Focus Sam2 (retailing for a cool $10,000).
‘‘Push this button for Eco, this for Trail, this for Boost. But you probably only need Trail,’’ he quipped before letting me loose on the river trail out of Clyde for a taster run.
Fortunately, I had someone to hold my hand, metaphorically speaking, on the winding 12km run along the Clutha River to Alexandra.
Aucklander Brendon Urlich has a holiday home in Cromwell, so he knows the terrain well.
We weaved and dipped along the track, the power and sturdiness of the Focus making the process effortless. Past patient fly fishermen waded deep into bright blue waters, past the curious landmark that is Clutha Cricket Club, a garden gnome-sized tribute to the great game, and past two teenage boys diving into the blue, shrugging off our concerns that they might catch pneumonia.
After a first flirtation up a hill with Boost that almost ended with me crashed in a sorry heap, we rode through Alexandra and on to the Otago Central Rail Trail, a flat run past industrial units and vineyards back to Clyde.
This took us across the rickety Muttontown Viaduct – a painful experience if you’re not wearing padded cycling shorts – and on to the official start of the Otago Central Rail Trail just outside Clyde.
We returned to Cromwell for the night, but by more comfortable four-wheel-drive means. Part of the bespoke service for the Central Cycle Trail Co are transfers along the way, Thomson picked us up from Queenstown Airport to take us on the 50-minute drive to Clyde. After the river track run, Urlich took me from Clyde to his, er, bach – The Stone Temple in Cromwell, a Presbyterian church dating to 1880, which he has lovingly restored and turned into a luxury retreat.
It’s a stone’s throw (excuse the pun) from Cromwell Old Town, a historic riverside precinct complete with pit stops such as the excellent Armando’s Kitchen (Italian dishes but also a purveyor of great morning coffee), and the Victoria Arms Hotel.
But sometimes you can’t beat simplicity. Steak and chips at the Cromwell Town & Country Club, with a pint of Speights, was wolfed down after a hard day in the saddle.
After a decent night’s sleep, we went off-piste on a different circuit. There is great excitement among the Otago cycling community at the projected opening in March of the 54km Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail, linking Clyde to Cromwell, so we headed to Bannockburn to test it out.
Covid held up contractors digging away on the final stretch near Clyde dam, but what exists of the track goes straight to Carrick vineyard (carrick.co.nz).
We popped in for lunch at its elegant restaurant
overlooking the Carrick Range, sharing the Cairnmuir Platter – creamy havarti and camembert cheese from Whitestone, ma¯nukasmoked salmon, green-lipped mussels with salsa verde, and hummus – alongside awine tasting board that naturally included pinot noir, as we are in Central Otago, after all.
From this summer, Central Cycle Trail clients will be able to pick up bikes from Carrick, from where you can head back towards Cromwell on newly created riverside paths.
The Lake Dunstan trail continues after Cromwell, so we kept going for another 11km on the track hugging State Highway 6 towards Pisa Moorings. Pisa enjoys awonderfully peaceful location on Lake Dunstan, but can be missed by many travellers in the rush to be either in Wa¯naka or Queenstown. It’s halfway between the two.
Pisa is home to the Heritage Collection Lake Resort, a complex of boat shed-style luxury villas with its own waterway access to the lake that comes complete with a spa and sauna at the water’s edge. The Moorings bar and restaurant serves generous favourites such as rib-eye fillet stacked on rosti. There are Central Cycle Trail hangars there too, if you want to tackle local trails.
Back on the Otago Central Rail Trail the next day, we cut corners as my time was short.
If you’re taking in the whole 152km from Clyde to Middlemarch, five days is recommended but I only had three to play with, so Iwas taken to the former goldmining town of Ophir via the engineering genius that is the Daniel O’Connell suspension bridge, and then Lauder to pick up the trail. This meant I could cycle the 23km towards Oturehua via the Poolburn tunnels and Auripo Station.
Cromwell’s Stone Temple is an 1880 Presbyterian church that’s now a luxury retreat.
It’s a spooky experience going through the unlit tunnels – the longest is 229 metres – and cyclists are advised to walk their bikes through.
Better still, whip out your iPhone torch. From Auripo you see the Ida Valley stretch out as you head for Oturehua. This township is a wonderful throwback, with the cafe at the historic Hays Engineering works a great spot for lunch.
And don’t miss the chance to browse around Gilchrist’s, a convenience store with many essentials (chocolate, beans) but also Kiwi memorabilia.
I cursed having to return to the big smoke so soon but, on reflection, there was no need to rush.
From Oturehua you climb towards Wedderburn, and the highest point of the trail, then down towards Middlemarch via Ranfurly, but I’ll save that challenge for another day.
Maybe in future years, Dave and Pip Thomson will tell customers about the unfit Brit who came to town, fell in love with one of their ebikes, came back for a second visit, andwas last seen charging over the hills on one.
The waterside villas at Heritage Lake Resort, Pisa Moorings.