|
| | Otago Rail Trail
| The Otago Central Rail Trail follows the former Otago Central Branch
railway line from Middlemarch to Clyde. This 150 km section of the former
line was acquired by the Department of Conservation in 1993 for
redevelopment as a recreational facility for walkers, mountain bikers and
horse riders. This has preserved, largely intact, an important part of
Otago's history. |
| The Rail Trail is modelled on Rails to Trails projects elsewhere in the
world. It took 6 years of development and more than $850,000 to upgrade
the closed railway to its current standard. 68 bridges, several over 100m
in length, were redecked and have hand rails erected to make them safe for
Rail Trail users. |
| The crushed rock ballast of the railway foundation has been removed to
improve the surface for users. Each year more work is done to improve the
surface further for visitors. Most people should allow 3 to 5 days to
travel the whole 150km, although the trail is also very popular for day
trips due to the easy access from the highways. And, the many towns along
the route of the Rail Trail offer a range of services and facilities for
visitors (see the list of key services below).
The Rail Trail is truly a unique recreational facility and tourism
attraction within New Zealand.
|
Section
3 - Lauder to Otureha
| Although one of the shorter sections of the Rail Trail this is, perhaps,
the most spectacular. After Lauder the Rail Trail crosses the Manuherikia
River on the longest bridge on the trail (110.6m). The trail then passes
through the Poolburn Gorge to the Ida Valley. Two tunnels have been cut
through the schist bluffs of the gorge and the trail crosses the Pool Burn
on the 37m high Poolburn Viaduct with its impressive schist rock piers and
abutments. The gorge is also home to the rare New Zealand Falcon. After
the gorge the trail slowly descends the slopes of Blackstone Hill, passing
the former station sites of Auripo and Ida Valley. The trail then crosses
the Ida valley to Oturehua, passing the Idaburn dam, site of a winter
curling bonspiel. |
| |
|
