Central Otago District: Cycling Trails, Gold History and Landscapes

Central Otago District tells its story through a landscape shaped by the gold-mining era, river gorges and long trails. The Bannockburn Sluicings are a scarred landscape left by a short-lived gold-mining era. Those who want to explore these traces more closely can follow various walking or cycling trails there. Elsewhere, cycling and walking trails pass through very different landscapes—from dry areas to river valleys and wine-growing regions.

Cycling trails for different travel plans

The Otago Central Rail Trail is 152 kilometres long, graded 1 and suitable for trips of one to five days. It is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, can be ridden in either direction and has access points at various locations. Its landscapes include mountainous, dry sections, river gorges, tunnels and viaducts, as well as historic homes and preserved gold-mining settlements. Its length and possible trip duration give you a concrete framework for planning this trail as a longer focus of your trip.

The Roxburgh Gorge Trail offers a different combination of routes: the one-day trip combines 21 kilometres of cycling with a 13-kilometre boat ride and is graded 2–3. The trail follows the Clutha Mata-au River, passing eroded rock faces and old gold-mining sites. It can also be explored in either direction by bike or on foot. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider a one-day combination with a boat ride or exploring the trail on foot or by bike.

The Clutha Gold Trail stretches for more than 135 kilometres from Roxburgh Dam in Central Otago to Waihola in the Clutha region. This easy cycling and walking trail is graded 1–2 and designed for a two- to four-day trip. Along the way, the landscape changes from Central Otago’s rugged semi-arid drylands to green, rolling farmland and forest. If you want to combine walking and cycling with a longer route, this offers a different trip length and sequence of landscapes from the one-day Roxburgh Gorge Trail.

Naseby Forest has a 100-kilometre mountain biking network with difficulty grades from 1 to 5, ranging from beginner to advanced. This range lets you choose trails to match your own experience level, rather than assuming a single difficulty level for the whole area.

Gold History, Water and Culture

The Lake Dunstan Trail runs along the shores of Lake Dunstan between Cromwell and Clyde. Its route passes through the well-known wine-growing area of Bannockburn, Cornish Point and Cromwell Gorge. Along the way, the trail connects contemporary, pioneer and Māori stories; some are brought to life at the Clyde and Cromwell Historical Precinct. There are also opportunities for swimming, boating and other water sports along much of the route. This trail brings together lakeside scenery, history and activities on the water in one destination.

Art and historic sites can also be part of your trip. The Central Otago Arts Trail takes you to galleries and offers opportunities to meet artists in their studios. You can also explore sculptures and murals along the trail, each with its own backstory. The Otago Goldfields Heritage Trail includes more than 20 historic sites accessible on foot, by bike or by car. These include Mitchell’s Cottage, Earnscleugh Dredge Tailings, Bald Hill Flat and Dead Horse Pinch.

Fruit, Wine and Getting There

Around Roxburgh and Cromwell, orchards offer tours or pick-your-own fruit experiences. Central Otago’s wine and food events include the Clyde Food & Wine Festival, Cromwell’s National Cherry Festival and Alexandra’s Basin New Release Tasting. These examples add experiences centred on fruit, wine and food to your active trail plans.

You can fly into Queenstown or Dunedin. From there, you can hire a vehicle, take a bus or book a guided tour. Which locality is most interesting as a starting point for planning your trip depends on whether you want to focus on, for example, the Lake Dunstan route, the goldfields or longer-distance trails. To find a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can first choose the experiences that you want to shape your stay, then explore the relevant locality page.

More locality pages in Central Otago District: Cromwell, Clyde, Kokonga, Ranfurly, Alexandra, Roxburgh, Kyeburn Diggings, Naseby, Omakau, Patearoa, Conroys Gully, Lindis Valley, Millers Flat, Coal Creek Flat, Waipiata, Queensbury, Oturehua, Chatto Creek, Tarras, Lauder, Earnscleugh.

For the broader travel overview: Otago.