Gold rush fever as cavalcade hits historic trails
Central Otago will be swarming with horse riders, wagoners and walkers for the next week as hundreds of people take part in the 20th annual Goldfields Cavalcade Trail.
The cavalcade, which has been held since 1991, follows the trails that goldminers would have taken at the end of the 19th century when they flooded into Central Otago in the gold rush.
This year, most of the 13 groups, travelling on different trails and starting from towns throughout Central Otago and Southland, will set off on a week-long journey from tomorrow.
Each year the event ends in a different town in Central Otago and this year it will end in Cromwell on February 25.
Alexandra rider Jeanette McKay will be taking part in her 20th cavalcade and said the ‘‘people, places and history’’ of the event drew her back every year.
She will ride with the Waikaia Bush Rangers on her quarter horse Josh, in his sixth cavalcade. They start in Ettrick and ride to Gem Lake, Bush Hut and through the Nevis Valley to Bannockburn.
Mrs Mckay said she enjoyed the ‘‘testing trails’’ and mountains with no tracks, which sorted out the hardened riders from the ‘‘dolly riders’’.
Event co-ordinator Terry Davis said great weather was expected for the week which had come as good news because earlier the event faced cancellation because of the dry conditions and high risk of fire.
Although it was 21 years since the event began, it was only in its 20th year because fire risk in 1997 meant it had to be cancelled, Mr Davis said.
To celebrate the 20th cavalcade and the anniversary of 150 years since the gold rush, a Golden Hoedown would be held at the Cromwell racecourse after the trail riders and walkers arrive.
A grand parade would be held and key people, including those who had taken part in every cavalcade, founding members of the event and past trail bosses, would be honoured, he said.