Page 36 - Trail Journeys Wholesale Pricing 2019-2021

5 Day Lakes to the Sea Guided Tour
5 Days/4 Nights
Ex Clyde or Queenstown
Availability: September to May Duration: 5 Days
Distance: 150km
Description:
This guided cycle adventure is a 5-day/4-night tour on the Otago Central Rail Trail, cycling 4 to 5 hours each day. The trail is vehicle-free, has an easy gradient and takes you through amazing scenery, over viaducts and through tunnels. There are also many old historic hotels to visit along the way. Relax knowing that you have a local experienced tour guide, and support vehicle, while you are on the trail. Our guides are passionate and knowledgeable about the trail and the area, and this will all add to making this a tour to remember. Accommodation is in a twin/double share room.
Your adventure starts in Queenstown where you will be picked up from your accommodation and brought to our Clyde Depot. Here you will be fitted on your bikes, briefed about your tour and start the ride to Alexandra. Between Clyde and Alexandra, the trail takes you past vineyards and over an old wooden trestle bridge. For the more adventurous, there is the option of riding on the River Track to Alexandra along the banks of the Clutha River / Mata Au. This option adds 7km to your ride, but it is well worth it if time and energy allow. If you wish to explore further, the Roxburgh Gorge Trail follows the river into the gorge for 10km to Doctors Point. Alternatively, for an extra fee, we can arrange a wine tour.
After Alexandra, Galloway Station is the first stop. Here the billy is boiled for morning tea with home baking. The next stop is lunch at Chatto Creek Tavern, an historic stone building. It is then up the easy gradient of Tiger Hill and down to your overnight accommodation in Lauder. Before dinner, at the Lauder Hotel, there is the option of a side trip with your tour guide to the historic gold mining towns of St Bathans and Ophir.
The highlight of this day is the beautiful Poolburn Gorge, featuring tunnels and viaducts in a secluded rocky setting. The gorge then opens out to the vast expanse of the Ida Valley, made famous by the paintings of Graham Sydney. After a visit to the historic Hayes Engineering Works and Homestead, it is a short ride to the Oturehua Tavern for lunch. The Golden Progress Mine is just north of Oturehua, and then onto the highest point of the trail before stopping for the night at Wedderburn. Your guide will then take you on a side trip to Naseby to try your hand at curling and have a look through this old gold mining town. The evening meal is a traditional farm-style meal, at the Wedderburn Tavern.
Day 1
Clyde to Alexandra
Distance: 8 - 16kms
Meals: N/A
Day 2
Alexandra to Lauder
Distance: 36kms
Meals: B/L/D
Day 3
Lauder to Wedderburn
Distance: 34.5kms
Meals: B/L/D
Otago Central Rail Trail • Roxburgh Gorge Trail • Clutha Gold Trail