There are many places to rest a while beside the lake, with swimming, boating and other water sports all popular along most of its distance. This trail is very well served by numerous local companies offering everything from bike hire to fully packaged guided tours. The trail loops around the Bannockburn Inlet which is a popular picnic area with a designated swimming area. The road loosely follows the trail that was used by gold miners traipsing from Dunedin to Dunstan (now Clyde) in the 1860s. From there it's mainly plain sailing to the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club, except for some short, tricky, grade 3 riding around Jackson and Byford Creeks, and Annan Gully. While this isn't officially part of the Great Ride, it does make an excellent short ride. Old Dunstan Road. To gold-hungry prospectors time was precious, and most preferred to take their chances with the unpredictable weather and desolate, unstable countryside offered by the Mountain Track. The road loosely follows the trail that was used by gold miners traipsing from Dunedin to Dunstan (now Clyde) in the 1860s. The trail is well constructed albeit narrow in places making 2 way passing tricky. The aptly named Cairnmuir Ladder, may look daunting but the switchbacks have been designed to a maximum of 6 degree gradient with a 3m minimum radius. It was before the approaching ridge, huzzah. There may have been more walking as we climbed at ten percent for an hour or so before it leveled off. The other engineering landmark here are 13 drainage tunnels drilled in the into the hillsides to prevent landslips. From Clarks Junction, it is 48 km of up and down (but mostly up) to the abandoned Paerau township (called Styx by the locals) where there is an esplanade reserve by the Taieri River. Cycling the Rail Trail offers you the chance to immerse yourself in the history and romance of the railway and the Otago gold rush. Lake Dunstan Trail Need to know The trail ranges from grade 2 (easy) to 3 (intermediate), mostly following wide, smooth gravel and earth paths with some sections of wooden boardwalk. Deep Creek Weir from Old Dunstan Road past Rocklands What happens after I submit a consent application for a property included on the List? Oddly, for Central Otago, we rarely spotted rabbits; they must have felt vibrations from the horses hooves well in advance of our arrival. This was one of the Think Big projects driven by the Muldoon led Government to diversify the economy and drive growth. All up around two hundred kilometres with perhaps four thousand metres of climbing on mostly gravel and some more rugged, steep off-road sections. Young folks these days. Old Dunstan Trail 4x4 Adventure - The Patearoa Lake Dunstan Trail Mountain Biking Trail - | Trailforks These sections are only suitable for confident, experienced cyclists and are not recommended for most children. Its 46 km (28.64 miles) long, running south-north and coming south at the Poolburn Dam, Upper Taieri-Paerau Road. It's free, works offline and has heaps of useful information, including trail descriptions and photos, trail services, food and accommodation. a smile on the face of the wagoner. Parts of the trail are in remote terrain with some challenging grade 3 sections. The original road now traverses private farmland towards an area called Blackball. Level 3, 4 Bond St A wagon team of six Clydesdale horses, the Cobb andCo coach, and ten other carts and wagons rode on before us. There are impressive views across to the Bannockburn vineyards, through which the trail will soon head once it crosses to the other side. A fence heads off to the left 150metres after a hay shed. The sheep station here is called Rocklands it could hardly be anything elseand rocks are even used as fence posts. In places two or more teams were needed to pull a single dray up a steep incline, and on the descents a large rock was often tied on behind to slow the lurching wagon as it careered downhill. Central Otago is a popular holiday destination and well set up for visitors. You can then rent a vehicle, catch a bus, or book a tour and be guided through the area. Wellington 6011 Te Kinga Aroha (Former) has special significance as a very rare surviving twentieth century hostel which was dedicated to accommodating and supporting young Mori women. Crowding in for a not-really-a-summit selfie, and trying to get the bikes in too. The trail loops around the Bannockburn Inlet which is a popular picnic area with a designated swimming area. A Ranfurly rider, David McAtamney, stole the show later with a farewell opera song, and Blue Jeans summed up the ride with a poem specially written for the occasion. Your email address will not be published. Old Dunstan Road, Clarks Junction; Galloway Flat Old Dunstan Road approaching the Poolburn Dam, Rough Ridge, from the north-east. This mountain bike primary trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 2,202 m blue climb. E-bikers should ensure that batteries have sufficient capacity and charge for the days riding and, if staying in local accommodation, check that they can be recharged there. Find out more about trail safety, riding skills and equipment in the Need to Know section. Please The Lake Dunstan Trail extends and complements the well-established Great Rides in Central Otago and the Southern Lakes, and provides a key link with the Otago Central Rail Trail and the Roxburgh Gorge Trail, both of which are part of Nga Haerenga - New Zealand Cycle Trails. From raging rivers, goldminers Hartley and Reilly, the Cairnmuir Slide, a unique climate and much more the area has many of its own stories to tell which you will learn about along the way. Wellington 6142 going in a west / north direction towards the gorge. Bike hire, shuttles and tours are also available here. A pit stop and a strongly lacedrum truffle restored morale, and the afternoon ride to the Styx Creek was a dream compared with what we had just endured. In driving rain we crested one bald brown ridge after another, thinking that each might mark the beginning of the descent, but knowing we had several hours of rocks and pillars in front of us. From the house, head north for 300 metres before turning west onto another 4WD track, which is also part of the original Dunstan Trail. The trail offers cyclists and walkers a challenging 55km ride (Grade 2-3) through unique and fascinating landscapes so characteristic of Central Otago as it journeys along Lake Dunstan, the Kawarau River and the mighty Clutha River Mata-au. In wet conditions, parts of the trail are unridable because of sticky mud. Vilnius | Lithuania Travel Guide | Rough Guides [1], The road begins at Clarks Junction in the Strath-Taieri, where it meets SH 87, and extends to the northwest, crossing between the Lammermoor and Rock and Pillar Range before turning north. Even so, the route to the Dunstan was no cakewalk. One route, from Tuapeka, followed the Molyneux River all the way. Queenstown airport is 45 minutes drive from Cromwell, and an hour to Clyde. It is suited to riders of average fitness; although some riders may wish to push up some of the steeper climbs. Old Dunstan Road starts from Clarks junction, around an hour from Dunedin on the way to Middlemarch. Peter and Sophie from Cycling in New Zealand, Lindis Loop 23 Cluden Creek to Longslip Creek, Lindis Loop 23 to the headwaters via Dromedary Hill, A40BPT4 Lyell to Mokihinui (Old Ghost Road), A40BPT3 Westport to Lyell via Denniston, A40BPT2 Ces Clark hut to Westport (Paparoa), A40BPT1 Hokitika to Ces Clark hut (Paparoa). There are 13 tunnels (total 18.5km of tunnels) drilled into the hillsides of the gorge in the mid 1990s. This trail is generally smooth and mostly wide, however, there are some narrow sections with steep drop-offs that require extra care. Ask your librarian to subscribe to this service next year. The Clutha (known then as the Molyneux, after Robert Mollineux, sailing master of the Endeavour) had been unusually low that year, revealing shingle flats that could be panned and sieved for their gleaming booty. The trail then climbs out of the inlet to Carrick Winery which welcomes cyclists for wine-tasting and dining. The Roxburgh Gorge Trail (and in turn the Clutha Gold Trail) is also easily accessed at Alexandra, reached from Clyde via the Rail Trail or via the Millennium Track on the other side of the Clutha Mata-Au River. Happy riding and keep posting! There were few smiles on the faces of the 1991 cavalcaders as we cocked our akubra hats to the southerly blast and picked our way up the Rock and Pillar on our first day on the trail. Getting to Central Otago is easy with flights into Queenstown and Dunedin. If you go any further than the river, youll be on private land. It climbs to almost 1,000 metres (3,300ft) before dropping down to Paerau (known during the gold rush era as Styx). Those who followed were scarcely better prepared; some perished in the harsh landscape, many returned to Dunedin emptyhanded and disillusioned, a few became wealthy overnight. At Cromwell Heritage Precinct be sure to park up and explore the boutique galleries, retail stores, restaurants and cafe's. To share your ride story or trail tip you need to be logged in. It was into that pitiless landscape that 220 horses, a Clydesdale team, a coach and assorted wagons rode in November 1991 in the first Dunstan Cavalcade, a four-day trek over the 160km trail used by diggers to get to the goldfields. The Lake Dunstan Cycling & Walking Trail can be accessed from Cromwell or Clyde. It was mid-winter, 1862, when Hartley and Reilly found gold in the Cromwell Gorge, a few kilometres downriver from Cromwell. Visit the official trail website for more information on riding safely, and check out this great safety video to see whether this trail is right for you. TimeZoneOne There are many places to rest a while beside the lake, with swimming, boating and other water sports all popular along most of its distance. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. A good leg-stretch is the 10km ride (20km return) to Jackson Creek and Jackson Buttresses, or a little further to Hydes Spur (23km return) which is at the top of the climb with terrific views back down to the Clyde Dam. But plans on trips like these are fluid at best and I was happy to scale this one back as I had company! Please understand that most places on the List are private property and not accessible to the public. In this week's show, Ray talked us through his insurance win, we have another The third,and most direct, route was known as the Mountain Track. It was 50km shorter than the Pigroot, but required the crossing of four mountain ranges: the Lammermoors, the Rock and Pillar Range, Rough Ridge and the Raggedy Range. The Lake Dunstan Trail includes some remote terrain and challenging grade 3 riding. Lake Dunstan Trail Map Lake Dunstan Trail Sections Smith's Way to Cromwell Heritage Precinct: 16.4km Cromwell Heritage Precinct to Bannockburn Bridge - 6km Bannockburn Bridge to Cornish Point - 7.3km Cornish Point to Clyde - 25km (now open) Trip reviews Videos Essential information Videos In winter, multiple layers and gloves are recommended, even if the skies look reassuringly blue. This section requires the most attention and skill as there are narrow undulating sections with steep drop-offs. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. There is no shelter from the weather, which can change quickly, and it is bitterly cold in a southerly. The territory was trackless and the climate murderous. For current trail status and any alerts such as temporary track closures and detours check the trail website. Reflection of Lammermoor Range in Still Water of Logan Burn Reservoir Driving the Scenic Route Varanger in Norway, Road trip guide: Conquering Bull of the Woods Mountain in NM, The Importance of Acquiring an International Driver's Permit for Traveling Abroad and Its Benefits, A rough road to the beautiful Goose Lake in NM, Tlaeeng Pass is one of the highest roads of Lesotho, Driving the wild Cuesta del Lipn to Abra de Potrerillos in Argentina, Take the Scenic Route and Discover Sanetsch Pass in Switzerland, 34 Roads You Need To Drive Before You Die, Driving the 49 best coastal drives in the world, Crossing the 197 most spectacular bridges in the world, The 15 longest straight roads in the world, Driving the 24 highest motorable roads in the world, Driving the Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies, Strada della Forra is the scenic gorge road for James Bond, Route de Presles is a balcony road in France, Calanques de Piana is a scenic balcony road in France, Slea Head Drive is one of Ireland's best coastal routes, Sa Calobra Road in Mallorca is The Snake Road, Going-to-the-Sun Road is an engineering marvel in Glacier NP, The coastal Atlantic Ocean Road is a must do, Welcome to hell: Khaltaro Valley Road is a scary drive, Austrian Road is a brutal drive in the Altai Mountains of Kazakhstan, Road 622 is a hazardous drive below sea level when the tide is high, D915 (Bayburt-Of) is the most challenging road in the world, The cliffhanger road from Kishtwar to Keylong is not for the sissies, Abano Pass is a Georgian treacherous road closed in winters, Engineer Pass is a rugged and difficult historic road into the San Juan mountains, The dangerous Fairy Meadows Road: one false move and its a very long drop, Skippers Canyon Road: narrow and only for experienced drivers, Death Road is a lethal journey in the Bolivian Yungas region, Driving the 15 highest paved roads of Europe, Driving the 9 most famous periodically flooded roads in the world, Driving the 34 world's most famous hairpinned roads, Driving the 18 most scenic roads of Norway, Driving the best Romanian high altitude roads.
Knife Maker St Louis,
Printable Funny Birthday Cards,
Foley's Principles Of Policing,
What Happened To Corey From Pawn Stars,
Charlie Brooks Racehorse Trainer,
Articles I