We're going down to ride the rail trail next month. If anyone has done this could you recommend some of the accomodation on route?

Are you up for a relaxing ride or something a bit more challenging? We stayed at Blind Billy's in Middlemarch the night the ride - and continued right through to stay at the main pub/hotel in Clyde the next night.

It is kinda reminiscent of riding the Rimutaka Incline all day long, but back when we did it (very early 2000s) the gravel was really thick, plus we had a headwind all day and it was bloody hot. If conditions were right I'd happily do it again though.

Give these guys a yell. http://www.altitudeadventures.co.nz/railtrail.php

They know all about all of the accommodation down there and can book it for you... same price as you ringing the place and booking. Good mtbike folk who will give you down to earth advice on where to stay

Thanks guys, probably going to take 2 or 3 days and relax a lot.

The trail is riding quite nice at the moment (well as of yesterday) with a couple of clear paths in most places.

As for accommodation I cam recommend Mirabell chalets between Clyde and Alexandra we have stayed there a couple of times and will stay again. http://www.mirabell.co.nz/. Don't recommend the backpackers in ranfurly but other than that there are a heap of home stays and such like along the way if that is your thing. I have met Peter from Peters farm stay http://www.petersfarm.co.nz/and he seems to be a nice guys and it is quite a reasonable price, although I haven't stayed there myself.

Have fun on your relaxing trip and enjoy the amazing views.

We rode it in April '11 from the Dunedin end. Trained out to Middlemarch in the morning, then picked through to Hyde of the 1st night, Hyde Hotel (converted into a B&B effectively + cafe) good food and place. Waipata Pub for lunch 2nd day (good) 2nd night was Ranfurly, well next time well make the effort and head out to St Bathens rather than Ranfurly of gone on to Wedderburn. 3rd day (PISSED down, gales in the afternoon and snow on the hills!!) Big burgers and soup and Oturehua (the pub of course) awesome and a big fire to dry out by though had a 10 or so others also wanting to warm up. That night Ophir (10 min detour from main trail) Stayed at Blacks Hotel and really good. Finished up in Clyde around lunch time the next day, shuttled into Queenstown by 4. Would do it again. In April there is a ton of apples ripe on all the trees along the route

xcwander wrote:We rode it in April '11 from the Dunedin end SNIPPAGE

I'm doing this with my non-cycling dad this year in April, also starting from Dunedin end. Thanks for the details