Otago Central Rail Trail
The Otago Central Rail Trail is a year-round recreactional facility, designed for walkers, mountain bikers and occasional horse use on some sections. It is a public reserve and can be walked or ridden in either direction. The trail follows the former Otago Central Branch railway line from Middlemarch to Clyde. Completed at the turn of the 20th century - in the days when it took travellers two days to make the journey between Dunedin and Central Otago, and even longer for freight - the rail provided a vital link between New Zealand's largest city and the country's major goldfields. And, for 83 years, the railway brought a steady stream of commerce and activity to a number of towns and communities throughout Central Otago.
However, as roads improved, cars became faster and restrictions on distances trucks were permitted to carry goods were lifted, the railway's use waned. In 1990, this 150km stretch of the line was closed permanently.
All the railway's original sleepers, rails and crushed rock ballast have been removed, and users now find a trail similar to a good gravel road. The difference is, on the Rail Trail, there are no motor vehicles or hills.
Opened in February 2000, the Otago Central Rail Trail was the first of its kind in New Zealand. Steeped in a sense of history and remoteness, it provides a chance to view scenery unable to be seen from the highway. It has also preserved, largely intact, an important part of Otago's heritage.
Further information is available at http://www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz/