cycling the otago rail trail in new zealand
New Zealand,  We12bike

Cycling the Otago Rail Trail in New Zealand

6 January 2017 / 23 Comments
Cycling the Otago Rail Trail: about pedalling and sheep

When you are from The Netherlands, aka “the country where everyone always rides a bike” (and NOT, “the country where everyone visits family on their ice skates because we have so many canals”, as it has been said during the recent winter Olympics), there’s no way we could say no to a little adventure on the Otago Central Rail Trail while in New Zealand.  This 150 kilometer former railway takes you through some truly stunning scenery in Central Otago and shouldn’t be too much of a problem for anyone who knows how to ride a bike. In this blog I’ll tell you about how much we enjoyed cycling the Otago Rail Trail.
 
cycling the otago rail trail
 
We initially did not plan on cycling the Otago Rail Trail, but when finding out we had another day to spare during our 6 week trip through the land of the long white cloud, we immediately thought of doing this. We would have loved to do the whole track but 150 km in one day seemed like a bit too much so we ended up doing the 77 kilometer stretch from Wedderburn to Clyde. And of course, we chose to do it the easy way, just past Wedderburn you will pass by the highest point on the Otago Rail Trail and ‘it’s all downhill from here’ as the sign indicates.
 
cycling the otago rail trail
 
When picking up our bikes we are quite amazed by the fact that we didn’t get a lock with it. We explained the kind gentleman that we’re from The Netherlands, where even three locks on your bike will not guarantee it being safe. When telling him that, he just smiled but I’m quite sure he must’ve thought ‘really?’… This is why I love New Zealand so much, it’s so easygoing and open minded. Why the hell would you even consider stealing a bike?
 
cycling the otago rail trail
 
We treated ourselves to a nice accommodation in Wedderburn where we got a good night’s rest, a welcome change after camping and staying in mountain huts for weeks in a row during our hiking adventures. The next morning we rose early, as we’ve got 77 kilometers to go and it promises to be a long day. In the morning it was still cool and shady, perfect weather for cycling. With little wind it even got chilly at times. The trail can only be used by cyclists, hikers and horses , however we only saw cyclists, but not that much, maybe 25 during the whole day. Cycling the Otago Rail Trail means staying away far away from the roads so you get to do your pedalling in peace and quiet. It was lovely, just us, few other cyclists and thousands of sheep. Literally. Thousands. Loved it!
 
cycling the otago rail trail
 
Around midday the sun started to warm up and soon enough we were sweating and working really hard. Even though the sign said “it’s all downhill from here” it sure wasn’t and half way during the day I feel my derriere and my legs. In addition, we ended up completely covered in a layer of dust and sand. Just perfect for contact lens wearing people. And we got a sunburn but really, we didn’t care, we had a awesome day!
 
cycling the otago rail trail
 
One of the best features on the Otago Rail Trail is that the tunnels are still there. So occasionally you will cycle through the pitch dark, being very aware of possible other cyclists and careful not to ride into the walls. Luckily, we were warned beforehand and we brought a headlight. If you don’t have this, don’t worry, it will just double the fun.
 
cycling the otago rail trail
 
The last 15 kilometers of the day were done in a rush. We were tired, dusty and clouds were setting in. It looked like it could start thunder storming any time so we’re happy to have reached the end of the track. While my contacts are glued to my eyeballs and I just feel incredibly disgusting I still decline the shower they offer as I all I wanted to do was sit down on a soft seat (as in, the car) and sleep…
 
We would have loved to do the whole trail but there was no time. Instead, we are happy we got to do this and experience this part of New Zealand. It was a welcome way of using our muscles a different way for a day (after doing 6 multi-day tramps) and we truly enjoyed pedalling through the most stunning landscapes without being in too much pain (until 15 km from the end of the track). If you are keen on cycling, we’d definitely recommend doing this trail. It’s not too hard but lots of fun. And all the sheep along the track will be thanking you for your attention because at least then they have something to look at while chewing grass. 
 
otago-3
We booked our trip with Trail Journeys based in Clyde. They arranged everything for us and although you pay a little more than when making the arrangements yourself, for once we didn’t care and let them do the work for us. There’s various companies and all of them seemed to have the same packages so just go and book with which you feel the happiest. We really enjoyed cycling the Otago Rail Trail and recommend it to anyone who loves being outside all day.
 
Want to read more about New Zealand? You may also enjoy the following posts:
– Cool things to do in New Zealand that don’t involve hiking
– Hiking the Routeburn Track in New Zealand
– The most beautiful unknown places in New Zealand
 
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Thank you for sharing!
 
[This article was originally published in March 2014 and updated in January 2017]

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