The Sabbaticus Line: May 2015

I’m sure you have seen the photos of our rail trail adventure, and they say it all. In this blog, I’ve add a few snippets of commentary to fill in the gaps; and as the title of my blog suggests, they are but small offerings... crumbs of a great adventure. For those of you who are thinking about doing the trail, I’ve written some helpful tips to assist you with your planning.

We hadn’t realise that April was getting near the end of trail season. Not that this was a disadvantage. In fact, it worked in our favour as the trail was quiet and accommodation easier to book. We planned to take three nights, four days to complete the trail. If we did it again, we would take an extra night as we now realise there was a lot to see, both on and off the trail. Many of the local towns we passed through not only offered accommodation and food, but wonderful local history and sights of interest.

Wayne, who did all our planning for the trail, decided to book accommodation in historic hotels. While we had our own cycles, we arranged for our bag to be moved each day between hotels and to ferry us, our bikes and bags back to our starting point at Clyde when we were finished. He did a stellar job. If you are planning to organise your own trail, as we did, there’s assistance online, including the official Otago Rail Trail Web Site. Others we meet on the trail had used a local company shebikeshebikes to arrange everything, including bike hire.

The trail officially starts in either Clyde or Middlemarch. The total distance to cycle is 150km. We decided to start in Clyde thinking that it would be all downhill to Middlemarch. We were mistaken. While it is up and down irrespective of which way you travel, it turns out that Middlemarch is actually higher than Clyde.

Day One (21st April 2015) - Clyde to Lauder is 55km via Alexandra, Galloway, Chatto Creek and Omakau. Leaving our caravan in the Clyde camping ground, we cycled 3 - 4km to the start of the trail. Here there is a carpark where trail users had parked all manner of vehicles and campers while they cycled the trail. And before I forget, there’s an Otago Rail Trail passport that you purchase and which can be stamped along the way to prove you completed the trail. As we only discovered the stamp boxes along the way, I decided to stamp my diary instead.

We made good timing on our first morning which was cold and overcast, but not unpleasant. We were bundled up in our jackets and warm layers. We had started at 8am and by 10.30am we had stopped for morning tea at Chatto Creek. We saw our first travellers on the trail here; they were going the opposite direction to us and were hours from completing the trail. By 12.30pm we had stopped for lunch at Omakau, and took a slight detour to Ophir: the first of many historic gold mining towns we would discover along the way. We reached our first accommodation in Lauder Hotel by 2.30pm. “Well done,” is all I could say; and “I need a hot shower!”

The hotels were a highlight for us. Definitely old, and sometimes historic…. the first two needing more than some tender loving care than the third. Certainly no luxuries, not even your own bathroom; but this added to the flavour of our travel. While the building itself may have been in need of refurbishment, the hospitality at Lauder Hotel couldn’t be faulted. We were made very welcome by the proprietor, Nobby and his partner Vicki. Nobby had once lived in Palmerston North meaning we were on the same page from the start…. providence brings strangers together. We made ourselves comfortable in the bar and spent a great couple of hours enjoying the company of the locals, who welcomed us into their conversations and together we solved that Nations woes.

Day Two (22nd April 2015) - Lauder to Wedderburn. This was 36km via the Ida Valley and Oturehua. The day started out overcast but quickly turned warm. The terrain was up and down on our second day and we reached the highest point on the trail at 618metres above sea level just before Wedderburn in the afternoon. It was a bit of grunt, but felt great as we came hurtling down the other side. Over the four days, the trail was never steep, but more what I describe as relentless inclines. Day two highlight was our late morning tea stop at the historic site of Hayes Engineering just before Oturehua. A must stop for any potential trail user. Wayne was in his happy place, and I had to drag him away. We reached Wedderburn about 2.30pm, rented a car and did some touring of the local area. This was a great decision, as we got to see places we wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. Nasbey was our first stop. It is a historic gold mining town of the 1860, now made famous for having the only indoor curling rink in NZ. Then we drove to the Dansey’s Pass Coach Inn – again a historic gold mining area. Despite it’s rich past, all that remains is the pub! Finally we headed to our accommodation, which was about 30km off the trail to another famous gold mining area, St Bathan’s: the historic Vulcan Hotel. Not just historic, but boasting its own ghost. St Bathan’s, we were told, supports a grand total of 6 people, a far cry from the thousands who lived here in the 1860’s gold rush.

When we arrived at the Vulcan, it had no power! We managed a hot shower before all the hot water disappeared and we ate steak and mushrooms by candle and fire light. Including us, there were only three guests that night and we were grateful the other guest got the haunted room. Eating dinner with strangers, listening to their stories and sharing life experiences were becoming memorable occasion on the trail. It was as if the trail took on a life of its own… we couldn’t have planned our adventure better if we had tried. It was already beyond our expectation. Power had been restored by morning, and after a hearty cooked breakfast we headed out to see some more sites around St Bathan’s before returning the car, and getting back on the trail by 11am.

Third day (23rd April 2015) - Wedderburn to Hyde is 46 km via Ranfurly, Waipiata, Daisy Bank and Tiroiti. Day three provided the best weather, although our previous days had been very kind to us: no wet weather gear had been required. Speaking of gear, I must put a plug in for Macpac, from whom we bought our cycle shorts and padded bums, as I called then. We also got some nice fleecy lined tights for the colder moments. They were perfect for the job.

At the end of this glorious third day the Central Otago Hotel in Hyde was a welcome sight as we rode down into Hyde. We received a warm welcome, appreciated beautiful décor and experienced a warm shower in our own ensuite. We enjoyed a fantastic three course dinner with four other couples at a large dining room table. It was a perfect way to end the trip of a lifetime. There is something unique that happens when total strangers come together having experienced the marvels of the trail together; sharing our stories and adventures – we became friends and confidants for that short moment, moments where wonderful memories are born.

Day Four (24st April 2015) - Hyde to Middlemarch is 27.5 km via Rock and Pillar and Ngapuna. We felt a huge sense of achievement as we set out on our last morning, but there was also a feeling of disappointment that the trail was only hours from ending. It had been like the best school camp ever, and no one wanted to go home.

We were the first to leave our accommodation that morning as we wanted plenty of time for photos and we were mindful that we had to be in Middlemarch for our transport back to Clyde by midday. It was a clear blue sky and the sun was up when we started out. One of the wonders of the trail is the landscape, which is always changing and delighting, and this morning was no exception. Within an hour, we were ridding into fog. It became thicker and thicker till all we could see was each other, and it remained like that till Middlemarch. So our last 14 km were in the silence of fog. It was earie, but also, refreshing and invigorating. When I emerged from it, I felt renewed, if not slightly damp. We found a café in Middlemarch and warmed ourselves in the sun. Wayne indulged in a home make steak and cheese pie. It smelt amazing. We caught up with our new friends from the previous night as they arrived, and we said our goodbyes as our transports arrived to ferry us away to different locations. Many were traveling back to Dunedin by the train which comes as far as Middlemarch a few days each week. Travelling this last leg by train sounded like a wonderful idea: something we will consider another time. Maybe next time we will ride in the opposite direction, Middlemarch to Clyde. The scenery looks different in the opposite direction.

When we returned to our camping ground in Clyde, we were feeling a little weary, but our spirits buoyed by the richness of memories created in these last days, memories that will last a lifetime.

To all you out there who have ever thought of doing the Otago Rail Trail, do it!

We celebrated our success at Oliver’s Restaurant in Clyde that evening. This was one of the best ever dining experiences we have ever had: food and wine of your dreams, with outstanding service and the atmosphere to equal it. If you go to trip advisor, you will find my review… you don’t need to go to Wellington or Auckland for food that delights. Go to Clyde!