Riding the Otago Central Rail Trail is like a promenade through a gallery of New Zealand art. Whichever direction you look, the scenery seems to resemble a well known painting or photo. The landscapes of the region have been depicted by so many artists that it appears as if nature imitates art. This impression is reinforced by the number of galleries and studios throughout the region. In his painting July on the Maniatoto, Grahame Sydney made this railway goods shed a New Zealand icon.
As I cycled a loop from Dunedin airport, along the Clutha Gold, Roxburgh Gorge, and Otago Central Rail trails, then back to the airport on the Taieri Gorge railway, I came to understand why artists are attracted to the region. It is different from the rest of New Zealand in several ways.
Firstly, I immediately noticed the light. It is no coincidence that, at Lauder, NIWA has located a research station which has an international reputation for its work on the earth’s atmosphere, especially the ozone layer: clear skies and the absence of light pollution make Lauder perfect for this research. The big, open skies are sharp and bright, the lines between sunlit surfaces and shadow are well defined, and at night the stars shine brightly.
In Ranfurly I took this photo of the fieriest sunset I have ever seen in this country.
Secondly, Central Otago hills are made of schist which is, geologically speaking, the oldest stone in the country. These hills are rounded, often flat-topped, pleated and treeless, the effect of which is to lower the horizon, thus creating a vast sense of space. And rocky outcrops – tors – project out in singular and original shapes from the tussock- and thyme-covered hills.
The Clutha/Mata-Au river is the major river through the region. My route joined it at Beaumont. The Clutha is New Zealand’s swiftest-flowing river and has a distinct turquoise colour, brought about by glacier- and snow-melt. These two features are very apparent in the Beaumont Gorge: the river has cut an impressive fissure through the schist. This gorge has been often affected by floods; there is visible evidence of these.
A day later I rode into the Roxburgh Gorge above the hydro-electric dam. The only link between Shingle Creek and Doctor’s Point in the gorge is a jet-boat. The trip is exciting and revealing. Our driver and guide, Dave, was welcoming and knowledgeable: he pointed out many dwellings and relics from the gold rush era, and told us the stories about them and the people who lived in them. The shelter in the photo on the right was built by a Chinese gold miner in the nineteenth century from schist on the surrounding slopes; the river level was considerably lower at that time than the present-day lake, so the dwelling has not been affected by flood.
Thirdly, as the land is only sparsely populated, the natural landscape holds centre place: the light, the hills, the sky and the clouds. The grandeur of the landscape makes the presence of people in the environment seem small, yet it also makes their impact more striking.
The major human imprint on the landscape is the Otago Central Railway. It was begun in 1879 in Mosgiel and it took 12 years to reach Middlemarch; this stretch of track through the Taieri gorge is still used by the Taieri Gorge Railway. The Otago Central Rail Trail now starts in Middlemarch and runs 150 kilometres to Clyde. It is a major feat of engineering: begun in 1891, it took engineers, stonemasons, blacksmiths and labourers 16 years to construct. This section features three tunnels, six major viaducts and numerous bridges, all constructed with no more than dynamite, pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. These navvies worked through the searing heat of summer and the harsh cold of winter to make the region accessible. The Poolburn Gorge is the most interesting section: two tunnels, two viaducts, the remains of a workers’ camp, the bare dry hills in contrast to the river winding its way between the willow trees in the gorge.
Those tough construction workers have left cyclists a priceless asset. Riding the trail is a great way to explore Central Otago, to enjoy the sights, and experience the sounds and smells that make the place distinctive. I loved the trails of Central Otago, and I enjoyed discovering how artists have depicted their sense of place.
Brian Turner has written one of my favourite New Zealand poems: Cycling in the Maniatoto. This poem evokes beautifully the experience and the rhythm of riding through the Central Otago landscape. Turner notes that the poem describes “what it means to me to be alive in a place as distinctive as any I know…” These are its final descriptive lines:
I baa at sheep,
shout at magpies, moo
with cattle, marvel at
the panache of hawks
riding the air above
the Ida Range. And I ride,
my legs going around
faster than in months,
the sou’easter a helpful
lick and flutter, and
past Wedderburn,
on the gentle incline
down the straights
to Oturehua, in the distance
the skyline of the Old Man Range
is a high wire
on which the last
of the snow is caught
like strands of wool.
