5-Day Central Otago Wine and Rail Trail

Your adventure starts in Queenstown where you will be picked up from your hotel at 9.00am. The day starts off with a wine tour. First up is a short drive into the Gibbston Valley to your first stop of the day, the acclaimed Gibbston Valley Winery. Driving through the spectacular Kawarau gorge to the Bannockburn region, your guide will not only tell you as much as you want to know about the wine region, but also its fascinating human and geographical history. We then leave the gorge and come to the thyme clad rolling hills of the Bannockburn and Cromwell Basin – home to a large stone fruit growing industry, as well as 70% of Central Otago’s grapes. We will visit 2 more vineyards where we will do wine and cheese tasting. The grand finale is a gourmet platter style lunch, what a great way to finish your wine tour! We will then take the short trip through the Cromwell Gorge to the Trail Journeys base at the start of the Railtrail. Which is where the cycling adventure will start off.

Once being fitted out by the team at Trail Journeys, you begin your cycle journey. From Clyde you can cycle 8km to Alexandra on the railtrail or for the more adventurous, there is the option of riding on the Clutha River Centennial Track which adds another 8km to your cycle ride. You will be accommodated in Alexandra for the night and are responsible for your own evening meal arrangements on this day. Trail Journeys staff can make recommendations for you.

Cycling distance: 8 km

From Alexandra you bike to Galloway Station where we boil the billy for morning tea with good old home baking. You then bike to Chatto Creek, crossing over bridges twice on the Manuherikia River. You will reach the Chatto Creek Tavern, an historic stone building which is where we will have lunch.
After lunch you cycle up Tiger Hill. This will be an easy gradient of 1 in 50. From the top of Tiger Hill it is all down hill to your over night accommodation in Omakau. Sites of significant interest in this area are the Daniel O’Connor Suspension Bridge and the Ophir Post Office. These sites will be worth checking out in this old gold mining town.
You will then travel a short distance by bus to the historic gold mining town of St Bathan’s and a visit to the old Vulcan Hotel returning to Omakau where you will dine in the evening at the Omakau Commercial Hotel.

Cycling distance: 28km. Meals: B/L/D

The highlight of today's cycle ride is the beautiful Poolburn gorge section of the trail featuring two tunnels and two viaducts all set in a secluded gorge. You then cycle through the vast open expanse of the Ida Valley farm lands past the Idaburn dam, one of New Zealands few out door winter curling sites.

You will visit the Hayes Historic Engineering Works. Followed by a short ride to Oturehua for lunch at Oturehua Hotel. After lunch you'll cycle on to the Golden Progress mine just north of Oturehua, then on to Wedderburn just past the highest point on the rail trail before stopping the night at Wedderburn Lodge and Cottages B&B.

When you arrive at Wedderburn your guide will take you on a short side trip to Naseby to try your hand at curling and look through the old gold mining town. The evening meal is a traditional farm style meal, at the Wedderburn Hotel.

Cycling distance: 45 km. Meals: B/L/D

From Wedderburn the trail is mostly down hill to Ranfurly, the Art Deco Capital of Otago for morning tea by the old railway station, then crossing the Maniototo Plains on to the Waipiata Tavern for lunch.

After lunch the day's highlight must be the lovely trail section between Daisybank and Hyde alongside the Taieri river which snakes around the Rock and Pillar Range. You then cross the stone Cap Burn bridge, the Price’s Creek Viaduct which is 32m high and the last tunnel which is 152m long arriving at the recently restored Otago Central Hyde Hotel. This is your over night stop.

Depending on the time you arrive at Hyde, we might go on a short side trip up to the goldmining town of Macraes, the site of New Zealand’s largest working gold mine.

Cycling distance: 43 km. Meals: B/L/D.

Just a short ride today and slightly downhill with views of the Rock and Pillar, Taieri Ranges, and the Hyde Railway Disaster Memorial. We provide a morning snack along the way.

Meals: B