Taking this cycling tour through Central Otago is like setting out on a journey through the friendliest parts of Middle Earth. Our ponies are electric bikes with thick, trusty tyres, the people whom we meet are as friendly and hospitable as hobbits, and the landscapes around us are a pure scenic delight, with pubs and cafes at every turn.
David booked the whole tour through Big Sky Bike Adventures, and they, like all tourist operators whom we have encountered in this quietly efficient and welcoming land, have been meticulous in their planning and responsive to all our requests. On the first day, they sent a shuttle bus to Queenstown to bring us to the historic town of Clyde, where we began our tour. Once we had collected our bikes from John, who explained their intricacies with the minimum of fuss and jargon, we set off immediately. We could not bear to wait even to wander through the old village of Clyde. Hmm, at least that leaves us with something to add to our to-do list during our next trip to this utterly irresistible land.
Once we began to ride, I felt strangely content, as though cycling along this gravel path formed upon an old railway line built during the gold rushes, and admiring the sheep, mountains, plains and old bridges, had always been my sole ambition on this trip. Yet in reality, this part of the holiday was supposed to cater to David’s fixation on cycling, his predilection for embarrassingly colourful lycra outfits, and his fondness for frequent Strava uploads. Had David finally found a way to win me over to his cycling-mad team?
Against my expectations, the terrain included rocky outcrops that seemed familiar to my Australian eye. In every other respect, however, the landscape was classically Aotearoa: the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the clouds that dipped and twisted between the rolling hills, the greenness, the quiet, swirling beauty.
We spent our first night in Ophir, another charming gold period town with old stone cottages, churches transformed into tourist accommodation, a still-functioning post office that first opened in 1886, and a bridge hewed out of rock. The only place to eat there is Blacks Hotel. After a delicious meal, we meandered along the main street, admiring the old stone buildings and the well-tended gardens.
Our favourite night stop so far has been Braeside Farm, where we stayed in the beautifully renovated shearers’ quarters. Every part of our bedroom, as well as the kitchen/lounge, had been designed with attention to comfort and detail, from the green woollen blankets on the bed to the photographs on the walls to the cushions, the crocheted rugs, the crockery and the farm-made honey. The farmer who collected us from the little village of Oturehua, Philippa, explained that the farm has been operating for over 100 years, with thousands of sheep and some cattle. In winter the cold is intense, with temperatures dropping to -18 degrees overnight and whole days never rising above zero. Yet the region is hot in summer and generally dry, partially because of the surrounding mountains.
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 Kitchen / lounge at Braeside Farm |
The weather for our third day of cycling looked ominous. Philippa recommended that we download the YR app, made in Norway but commonly used by New Zealanders. Sure enough, it predicted heavy rain; the early morning clouds, in keeping with this warning, were dark and menacing. Yet Philippa was sanguine when she came to drive us back into the village. “I reckon it’s going to pass you by,” she said. “I’ve just got a feeling.”
Philippa was right. We rode through the grey morning to Wedderburn, near the high point of the route, then rolled down the long descent into Ranfurly without feeling even a drop of rain.
The people of New Zealand are not merely kind, hospitable, light-hearted and welcoming; they can also tell a rain cloud that’s just there for show from one that’s going to drop a torrent of water on you. Are they wizards as well as hobbits? I mean seriously, what more could travellers ask for?
Rosi 🚲🤍🖤
Essential Links
- Otago Central Rail Trail: The region, its history, and the details of the trail
- Braeside Farm: Best accommodation so far and a delightful place to wander through trees and along water courses, while observing the sheep protected from the weather in the gullies between the hills
- Big Sky Bike Adventures: Our highly recommended tour operator, who even responded when David sent them a plaintive message about how to regulate his bike computer 🙄
