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Quaint, peaceful but far from boring, Clyde snuggles into the foot of New Zealand’s third largest hydro dam. It takes some imagination to see Clyde as it once was, a rollicking ‘canvas’ mining town bustling with gold miners, shop keepers and ever-present dancing girls. Dunstan House, one of the town’s first hotels to be built using local stone, still has the trapdoor in the dining room floor from where the girls would appear to perform their routines.
Originally called Upper Dunstan, the town’s gradual move towards permanence and respectability saw it change its name to Clyde in honour of a Scots general. Clyde rewards the visitor with wonderful historic stone buildings, well kept colonial cottages, excellent eateries and expresso coffee as good as any city café can serve up.
Although the Rail Trail officially starts/finishes alongside State Highway 8 at the railhead established in 1980 to handle construction material for the Clyde Dam, the original 1907 railway station is in the centre of town.This building now houses a stationery engine museum. Next door is the Briar Herb Factory complete with 1930’s machinery used to process thyme growing wild in the surrounding hills. Thyme is an enduring legacy of the Chinese miners who brought this, their favourite cooking herb, into Central Otago.
When starting your Rail Trail experience at Clyde be sure you don’t leave town without your Official Rail Trail Passport. Besides becoming a wonderful souvenir of your achievement, buying it contributes funds to the Otago Central Rail Trail Trust for ongoing enhancement of the Rail Trail experience.
Otago Central Rail Trail … Clyde – Alexandra
- 8km separates Clyde from Alexandra.
- Ample parking at the Clyde trailhead. Under cover parking also available.
- The trail runs through a flat, semi-rural landscape of orchards, vineyards and lifestyle blocks.
- A feature of this section is the Muttontown Viaduct, one of only two wooden trestle bridges on the trail. The name goes back to when a local sheep owner supplied mutton to a nearby miners’ camp. On the Alexandra side of the viaduct is one of the last standing train signals.
- Between Clyde and Alexandra is the only part of the Rail Trail accessible to dogs, and then they must be on leads.
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Picturesque Clyde
Photo: Matthew Sole |
Downtown Clyde
Photo: Matthew Sole |
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The Otago Central Railway finally reached its ultimate railhead at Cromwell in 1921. Today this section of line lies deep under Lake Dunstan created by the Clyde Dam.
Photo: Matthew Sole |
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