Matt's Biking Adventure with the Whānau

Day 1:

Central Otago Rail Trail - Alex to Clyde return - 9.5km each way Grade 1 Easy

After travelling from Dunedin and arriving to the beautiful Central Otago sun we wanted to get into it and were also keen to test out all of the gear. We decided to go for a jaunt along the Rail Trail. The flat wide surface was perfect to get used to the Shotgun Tow Rope and Trail Gator for both the tower and the towee. It wasn't long before Ezra wanted unclipped and was pedalling on little tracks off to the side just for fun but Luka was quite content to help dad pedal while still attached. It also wasn't long before we realised we had nearly made it to Clyde. Some of the group wanted a beer, some wanted ice cream and some wanted both so we decided to push on. Post refreshments we set off back towards the accommodation but got sidetracked (literally and figuratively) near the old Clyde Railway Station with a turntable that was still in working order. Am I the only grown man obsessed with this kind of stuff? The kids enjoyed it too and along with a few old bridges and the birds and rabbits it was nice to have plenty to look at along the way. I can see why the Rail Trail is so popular and Can easily imagine eating, drinking and riding my way along the whole length over a few days.

Some of the group wanted a beer, some wanted ice cream and some wanted both so we decided to push on. Post refreshments we set off back towards the accommodation but got sidetracked (literally and figuratively) near the old Clyde Railway Station with a turntable that was still in working order. Am I the only grown man obsessed with this kind of stuff? The kids enjoyed it too and along with a few old bridges and the birds and rabbits it was nice to have plenty to look at along the way. I can see why the Rail Trail is so popular and Can easily imagine eating, drinking and riding my way along the whole length over a few days.

Day 2:

Lake Dunstan Trail - Cromwell to Clyde 42km and then Rail Trail to Alex 9.5km  Grade 2-3

Our weather window looked the best on day 2 and so we wanted to hit the Lake Dunstan Trail, what had really brought us here. You can start in Clyde but we had heard it was better coming the other way (and would agree) or you can start at Cromwell, Bannockburn or Smiths Way depending on how far you want to bike. With two kids we decided it would be safer to start at Cromwell but were all glad we didn’t skip to Bannockburn as this section of track was fun and scenic winding beside the inlet of the Lake and the Kawarau River.

So was the track to Cornish Point with a winery, some cool boardwalk features and a new perspecitve on Cromwell.
It only got more impressive from there with a can do attidue not letting some cliffs get in the way of a bike track. They have just bolted bridges onto the cliffs here and this is so unique to ride. Speaking of uniqe, coming around the corner to see a coffee flag on a boat was a welcome sight and such a novelty as was the boat selling burgers. We would advise you give yourself a little time to digest if you have a burger as you are about to hit one of the main climbs. These climbs have a reasonable gradient but lots of swicthbacks and kind of go on for a while. 

With both kids on the Shotgun seats we were interested to see how long before they got bored or started compianing but this didn’t happen. Prehaps it was the amazing scenery or the interesting sites. It was cool chatting away with the boys on the bikes and we were able to talk about suspension bridges after the Hugo Bridge, geology after viewing the Carnmuir Slide works and mining history after looking at an old hut and a water canon amongst many more varied topics! The last section of track is reasonably straightforward and it is nice seeing the Clyde Dam get closer and closer. 

This track is so special and I would highly recomend it but be aware that this track is more remote, more demanding and a little bit more scary than the Rail Trail etc.
We stopped for refreshments in Clyde (again) and unfortunately it started raining while we there so it was full turbo mode on the ebikes back to Alex for showers, beers and banter.

Ezra aged 5 and Luka aged 3 didn’t want to miss out on the fun so making sure they could join in was a priority. By staying in Alexandra meant we biked every day, doing the Lake Dunstan trail, part of the Otago Rail Trail and the Roxburgh gorge trail. Thanks to the great bits of kit the boys rode with the whole family, riding a total 90k over the 5 days, it meant they could still feel like they were getting involved and be apart of the fun.

The 3 bits of kit used; the Trail Gator arm, the Shotgun Pro Seat with Handle Bars and the Shotgun Tow Rope.

Who said having kids would get in the way of having adventures.

We also have all of these in store, so if you have any questions or want to find out more come in and have a yarn.