DIY Holiday Planner

This website provides accommodation, bike hire business and everything else you need to plan your own Otago Central Pail Trail holiday.

But first...

• It costs nothing to go on the Rail Trail. The reason is it's a public reserve.
• Open year round. But in winter months some accommodation providers close. With its windless, cloudless days winter is a wonderful time to experience the Rail Trail
• Allow at least four full days to bike the full 150km of the trail --- about four hours a day on a bike saddle is the most the average bottom can take. Allow at least two more days if you’re walking.
• Average speed of a bike over the trail's hard packed gravel surface is 10 – 12 kph.
• Although there are no steep hills, a degree of fitness is advisable.
• Children of all ages can enjoy the Rail Trail providing they have the right transport such as single wheel bikes towed by an adult (available from bike hire businesses) and are not pushed too hard.
• There's really no wrong or right direction to experience the Rail Trail (but you will get a lot of conflicting advice on this)
• No need to cycle or walk the full 150km for a wonderful experience... go station to station or even down hill (Hyde to Tiroiti or Daisyburn... Auripo to Lauder)
• Water is scarce and mostly untreated. The best advice is to start out with commercial bottled water and buy more as you need it.
• Weather on the Rail Trail can be very changeable. Take onto the trail clothing for all four seasons as well as something windproof.

About Accommodation...

• Book well ahead. Late autumn (late April) through to early spring (early October) is quieter, but it still pays to book ahead as some accommodation providers close over the colder months
• Accommodation ranges from backpacker all the way to luxurious and purpose built. Over recent years much accommodation has been renovated to include private ensuite bathroom facilities.
• Accommodation in off-trail places such as Macraes, Naseby, Moa Creek, etc will pick you up and return you to the Rail Trail.
• Accommodation providers as a whole are very accommodating about transporting people and gear.

Bus services...

• Scheduled bus services pass through townships on the Rail Trail, but these are country timetables. Special arrangements can be made with many of the bus operators for pick up and drop off along the Rail Trail. What you can’t do is hail a cab. Other than a single cab operating in Alexandra the nearest cabs to the Rail Trail are in Cromwell, Dunedin or Queenstown/Wanaka.

Consider the 'Round Trip'...

• When flying into the South Island, a wonderful way to enrich the experience is to start or finish in Dunedin or Queenstown. This gives you the opportunity to not just ‘do the Rail Trail’ but ride the Taieri Gorge Railway (www.taieri.co.nz) as well as tour through Cromwell, Central Otago’s wine region, and perhaps get your adrenalin pumping in Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capital.

Possible Cycling Itineraries...

1/ Taieri Gorge Railway – Otago Central Rail Trail (4 or 5 days)
Depart Dunedin on board the Taieri Gorge excursion train. Spend night in Pukerangi, Middlemarch or Ngapuna.
Trail Day 1: Cycle to Hyde, being sure to call into red gangers' sheds with 'i' signs. Stay in Hyde or Macraes. If overnighting in Hyde explore opportunities to visit Macraes historic village and enormous 24/7 gold mine.
Trail Day 2: Cycle to the Maniototo. There's plenty to see and do on and off the trail so consider overnighting at Wiapiata, Ranfurly, Wedderburn... or off trail at Naseby or St Bathans. This website has lots of information on these townships.
Trail Day 3: (option a) if you've overnighted at Waipiata or Ranfurly on Day 3 only cycle as far as Oturehua where you'll find plenty to occupy your time.
Trail Day 3: (option b) if you overnighted at Wedderburn, on Day 3 go all the way across the Ida Valley and through the Poolburn Gorge to overnight at Lauder.
Trail Day 4: (option a) Cycle from Oturehua to Omakau/Ophir
Trail Day 4: (option b) Cycle from Lauder to Clyde
Trail Day 5: (option a) Cycle from Omakau/Ophir to Clyde

2/ Central Otago Rail Trail – Taieri Gorge Railway (4 or 5 nights)
Trail Day 1: Depart Clyde. Consider cycling along the banks of the mighty Clutha on the Centennial Walkway rejoining the Rail Trail at Alexandra. Overnight at Chatto Creek or Omakau/Ophir. Or even go that little bit further to Lauder.
Trail Day 2: (option a) When overnighting at Chatto Creek consider a leisurely cycle to your next overnight at Lauder spending time on the way to explore Omakau and Ophir.
Trail Day 2: (option b) After overnighting in Omakau/Ophir or Lauder give yourself time to enjoy the Poolburn Gorge and the ride across the Ida Valley to overnight at Oturehua or Wedderburn (St Bathans or Naseby... accommodation providers there will collect you from Oturehua or Wedderburn).
Trail Day 3: (option a) From Lauder ride up through the splendid Poolburn Gorge and across the Ida Valley to Oturehua or Wedderburn (St Bathans or Naseby... accommodation providers there will collect you from Oturehua or Wedderburn).
Trail Day 3: (option b) Departing Oturehua or Wedderburn cycle to overnight in Kokonga, Hyde or Macraes.
Trail Day 4: (option a) On leaving Oturehua or Wedderburn cycle across the Maniototo to overnight at Ranfurly, Waipiata or Kokonga.
Trail Day 4: (option b) Ride from Kokonga or Hyde to the trail's end at Middlemarch.
Trail Day 5: (option a) Ride from your overnight stop to the trail's end at Middlemarch.