What to expect on the Otago Central Rail Trail | Bike hire, accommodation and transport by Rail Trail Services

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Otago Central Rail Trail is similar to riding or walking on a gravel road or track. Rail Trail users may expect bumps and some loose material.

The Otago Central Rail Trail provides a chance to see scenery not able to be viewed from the highways and to experience a sense of remoteness, history and tranquillity.

No cars, no trucks, no motorbikes. The Otago Central Rail Trail is strictly only for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

The Rail Trail can be quite exposed with little shade or shelter. In summer you might prefer to find some shade in the middle of the day. It is also advisable to bring a drink bottle for each person in your party.

CLIMATE

For many, the character of Central Otago lies in the glories of its landscape and its climate:

the western snow-capped, forested mountains
the extensive dry tussock grassland ranges and valleys with their summer heat and winter cold
the Clutha and Taieri rivers slicing through the land
the horticultural valley niches, now often with vineyards

Hot summers and cold winters describes the continental climate. In spring, fruit blossoms provide the dominant visual feature. During winter, hoarfrost and snow, combined with the clear light, are especially spectacular. Autumn is characterised by the brilliance of the autumn foliage and settled sunny weather. Summer is typified by long days (daylight lasts until 10pm), low rainfall and low humidity.

Daytime summer temp (December to March)	15 - 30 ° C
Daytime winter temp (June to August)	6 - 15 ° C
Rainfall (annual average)	358mm or 14 inches
Sunshine hours (annual average)	1,980
Humidity (annual average)	82.8% at 9am

Climate information for Alexandra courtesy Central Otago District Council

» Go to Met Service Weather for up-to-date weather details.

Please note: Summer temperatures in Central Otago can reach 40°C.

A little known fact: The lowest temperature officially recorded in New Zealand was minus 21.6 °C at Ophir in Central Otago, on 3 July 1995.

WIND

Otago lies at 45°S in a zone of strong moist westerly winds. Within this zone it experiences a succession of depressions (lows) and subtropical anticyclones (highs) that bring alternating periods of rainy and sunny weather. But the Southern Alps, rising to 3026m at Mt Aspiring, provide a solid barrier to the flow of these weather systems, diverting them around the South Island and wringing out their moisture, making the mountains wet and the interior basins dry. Milford Sound's annual mean rainfall of 6813 mm contrasts sharply with Alexandra's 346 mm, barely 130 km away.

Wind rose diagram

Wind graph for Clyde used with permission from Otago Regional Council

Dave & Donna Thomson · Mold St · Middlemarch · Central Otago · New Zealand
Tel: +64 3 464 3355 · Fax: +64 3 464 3322 · Email: info@railtrail.co.nz