Developed for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, the Otago Central Rail Trail follows the former Otago Central branch railway line for 150 kilometres from Clyde to Middlemarch.
This is in fact the original cycle trail of New Zealand and already receives 15,000 – 20,000 visitors per year.
The Rail Trail was the first to be established in New Zealand. On closure of the Otago Central Railway line, the line was vested in the Department of Conservation who, with the help of a newly established Rail Trail Trust converted the old railway line to a track suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The trail runs through country not seen from the road, so it introduces the traveller to areas surrounding the old Goldfields of Otago and the historic nature of this unique area of New Zealand. With 150 kms of track and no difficult hill climbs, the track is able to be traversed by most people.
