Lauder: Rail Trail, Landscapes and Railway History

From Lauder, you can look out over the Raggedy Range and the Manuherikia Valley. The Otago Central Rail Trail runs through the town, while railway history and a NIWA research station also shape the character of this destination. The landscape, technology and history offer different points of interest for planning your trip. If you’re travelling with children and enjoy exploring a range of topics, you can take these experiences into account when making your choice.

The Otago Central Rail Trail in Lauder

The 150-kilometre Otago Central Rail Trail follows the former Otago Central Branch Railway from Middlemarch to Clyde and passes through Lauder. Designed as a recreational route for three to four days, the trail is suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. A section through Lauder can therefore fit into very different kinds of trips: you can experience the trail on foot, by bike or on horseback. In Lauder, it crosses the curved Manuherikia No. 1 Bridge. At 110 metres, this is the longest bridge on the trail.

In town, the Rail Trail crosses Highway 85, making it a convenient meeting point for cyclists and support vehicles. Parking for the trail is available at the Lauder Station sites. At the Lauder Station site, you’ll also find general information panels and historical interpretation panels about the Otago Central Rail Trail. The former station building has been returned to its original station site and restored.

Research and landscape

The white, spherical domes at the NIWA site are visible from the Otago Central Rail Trail. In Lauder, NIWA operates an Atmospheric Research Station that measures CFCs, ozone, UV levels and greenhouse gases. Measurement balloons carrying chemical in-situ sensors are launched there every week, rising to an altitude of about 35 kilometres. A ground-based LIDAR complements this work, operating up to about 100 kilometres in altitude. The station is one of five global charter sites in the international NDACC network for monitoring atmospheric changes. For families interested in technology and nature, this glimpse into atmospheric measurements offers a different way to experience Lauder from the Rail Trail’s paths and structures.

Near Lauder is the Lauder Basin Conservation Area, which covers around 9,000 hectares of upland in the Dunstan Mountains. From the two main public access points, tracks cross private land under easements. The eastern access is via Lauder Station. From SH85, turn onto Loop Road and then Lauder Station Road; the car park is before the end of this road.

A padlock code, requested online, is required for access by motor vehicles and horses via Lauder and Cluden Station. For access via the Lauder Station car park, the code is needed when the gates are locked. Horse riding is permitted year-round in the Lauder Basin Conservation Area. These conditions are important to consider when planning an outing in the conservation area, especially if you intend to travel by vehicle or on horseback.

Railway history and local life

Lauder’s buildings also tell the story of the railway and the people connected with it. Lauder Railway School officially opened on 5 March 1906 to educate the children of railway workers based in Lauder. Downshire Homestead, at 2861 Lauder-Omakau Road, is a privately owned Category 2 historic place. It was built in 1908 for John Wilson’s Downshire Farm and has historical and architectural significance.

Lauder Hotel was built in 1904 as the Lauder Railway Hotel. When rail traffic declined in 1960, the building was turned 180 degrees to face the main road. Today, the hotel is situated between the Otago Central Rail Trail and State Highway 85; guests can play pool and darts there. Along with the restored station building and the information panels at Lauder Station, the town’s history offers several perspectives on the former railway connection.

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can consider whether the Rail Trail, the uplands in the nearby conservation area or the town’s history should be the focus of your trip. The experiences also differ in their practical requirements: you can walk, cycle or ride horses on the trail, while certain access points to the Lauder Basin Conservation Area require a code.

Discover more places

You can also include these places in your further travel plans: Chatto Creek, Tarras, Oturehua, Coal Creek Flat, Kokonga, Waipiata, Conroys Gully and Alexandra.

For the wider travel overview: Central Otago District.