Hidden Gems of the Roxburgh Gorge & Clutha Gold Trail

156km of purpose-built cycle trails connect Alexandra in Central Otago with Waihola in the Clutha District on the East Coast. The Roxburgh Gorge Trail winds through a deep rugged canyon before connecting to the Clutha Gold Trail which meanders alongside the mighty Clutha | Mata Au River and then through rolling farmland to the shores of Lake Waihola.

Together these two Great Rides make a wonderful journey of discovery with plenty to explore off the bike... 

1. Epicurean delights in Alexandra
One of Alexandra’s claims to fame is that it can often be the hottest, driest and coldest town in New Zealand. Remarkably, this climate is ideal for viticulture and horticulture with a myriad of vineyards and orchards throughout the Alexandra Basin. With great produce comes great food and wine, and Alexandra is the perfect place to fuel up before your journey east towards the coast.

Check out local favourites like the Courthouse Café with its delicious selection of cakes, The Finery’s lovingly renovated restaurant including cosy whisky room, or a favourite with cyclists, Industry Lane Eatery on the Otago Central Rail Trail which also runs through Alexandra. For wine lovers, there are cellar doors and wineries to visit, and lovers of craft beer look no further than Station Brewing.

Find out more about Alex's food and wine scene here.

2. Never for forget the time..
World famous (in New Zealand), visitors to Alexandra cannot miss the 11 metre tall 'Clock on the Hill' which stands watch across the town. Built in 1968, the clock face is the biggest of its kind in the country and at night the clock is illuminated. It was originally lit by 150 torch bulbs in the 1960’s, then by white LED lights, and today by coloured ones.

Whilst the clock was built for people to look up at, you shouldn’t leave Alex without standing alongside it to appreciate the spectacular panoramic views of Central Otago.

3. Flat Top Hill and Butchers Dam
A network of walking and mountain biking tracks crisscross the Flat Top Hill conservation area which is rich in goldmining history and also a refuge for unique flora and fauna. ‘Dry land’ ecosystems are one of New Zealand’s most threatened ecosystems and Flat Top Hill is an important site for native species growing in the driest environment in New Zealand.

For experienced mountain bikers there are some excellent single-track trails to be found here - some of which lead down to the Roxburgh Gorge Trail. Hikers and bikers alike will be rewarded with stunning views of the gorge.

4. Matangi Station MTB Park
Developed on an 11,000-hectare merino sheep farm, Matangi Station MTB just outside Alexandra is the result of an inspirational collaboration between the local bike community and private landowners. There are 35 trails across a 70km network with epic downhills, giant climbs and numerous natural rock features to navigate! It’s a landscape that’s not for the faint-hearted!...

5. Jet Boating through the Gorge
About 10km from the start of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail in Alexandra, the trail stops beside a jetty at Doctors Point. From here, riders need to rendezvous with a jet boat for an exciting and scenic trip through the Gorge to Shingle Creek. The jet boat is so much more than a transfer from one end of the trail to the other, it’s a fascinating history lesson into the goldmining past of the region and the lives of the early pioneers.

Bookings for the jet boat transfer are essential with either Clutha River Cruises or the Beaumont Jet.

6. Jimmy’s Pies, Roxburgh
For nearly 50 years no road trip between Central Otago and Dunedin has been complete without a pit stop at Jimmy’s Pies which has become a South Island institution! Today, Roxburgh is at the junction of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail and Clutha Gold Trail and so Jimmy’s is now feeding hungry cyclists too!

Roxburgh is also home to New Zealand’s oldest cinema, a fantastic golf course and the surrounding Teviot Valley is one of the most prolific fruit growing regions in the country if you want to stock up on healthy snacks for the trail ahead.

7. Horseshoe Bend Bridge and the Lonely Graves
8km along the Clutha Gold Trail from Miller’s Flat is the impressive Horseshoe Bend Bridge.

At 70.2 metres long it’s one of the oldest and most impressive footbridges in NZ. For Central Otago’s early settlers, a major problem was the safe crossing of the country’s wild rivers and so bridges were a vital piece of pioneering infrastructure.

1km further downstream are the Lonely Graves, where according to legend, the body of a young man was found in the river in 1865. The man was buried with the headboard inscribed ‘Somebody’s Darling lies buried here’.

8. Gabriel’s Gully, Lawrence – the Birthplace of the Otago Goldrush
Lawrence marks the halfway point on the 135km Clutha Gold Trail, and a 3km detour from town leads to Gabriel’s Gully where the original Otago Goldrush began when Gabriel Read famously struck gold in 1861.

This is a must-see on the Clutha Gold Trail and a fabulous self-guided loop walk incorporating a series of interpretation panels recounts the stories of the goldfield pioneers.

9. Lake Waihola and Wetlands
The impressive boardwalk around Lake Waihola is a highlight of the Clutha Gold Trail and the surrounding wetlands are a critical refuge for many threatened and endangered species of plant, fish and bird.

In local Māori tradition, this area was utilised by many generations as a significant mahinga kai resource (food gathering place), and today local community groups are working hard to help restore the native habitat.

Lake Waihola was also an integral part of the Otago Goldrush. Ships travelled up the Taieri River and across to the southern side of the lake where prospectors would continue their journey on foot to Gabriel's Gully.

And no journey along the Clutha Gold Trail is complete without fish & chips on the Waihola lakefront to celebrate riding 135km!