Day 11 – Clutha Gold Trail – Millers Flat to Lawrence

An Otago landscape near Lawrence

We had to be in Lawrence by 2:15pm for our shuttle to take us back to Clyde.  The day before we had found out that the local Faigan’s Café where I got the salad, would be open earlier than usual which meant we could have a coffee before we headed on our way. 

 

It was a beautiful morning and I was outside before the sun rose properly, taking photos. They were not as good as I hoped.

We packed up while ignoring the moth killing field around the bed.  We were away much earlier than we had been for a while, stopping off for the anticipated coffee at Faigans” before heading off on our final leg of the trails around Central Otago.

 

Again we followed the Clutha Mata-au River along an undulating path.  One of the things that we had planned to look at was an old bridge called Horseshoe Bend Bridge.  As we came off a part of the trail we saw a sign pointing to it and thought this was part of the trail.  It was a gravel road and an easy ride along it.  After about four kilometres we wondered where the bridge was as it seemed we should have been near it by then.  Finally we came across a decrepit sign suggesting it was a 15 minute walk off the trail.  At about the same point we saw that we had been riding parallel to the Trail which for some reason was separate to the road.  Given we had not seen a car or ute for the entire time it seemed a bit strange to have the trail alongside.  Perhaps it gets busier.  The road I think was built on the railway line that went all the way to Roxburgh but closed in 1968.

 

We didn’t get to see the bridge but in hindsight we should have done the 15 minute walk to look at it because it turned out we had plenty of time to do so 

 

All alone in a paddock

The trail followed the old railway line through the Beaumont Gorge.  It felt wonderfully isolated.  After about five kilometres it met a road that effectively took over the old line and the trail paralleled it.   The road was very bumpy and rocky so the trail was nicer to ride on.  We came out of the gorge just west of Beaumont. 

 

We had anticpated stopping at a little café to have a second coffee but there was none in what was the village.  The school had shut down and we figured the only place we could get a coffee might have been at the pub on the other side of the river.  We couldn’t be bothered backtracking over the one lane bridge so we continued on the trail which tracked alongside the main road.  We knew we were going to ascend a hill at some stage, and I had thought it would be on the old rail line but it did not follow it until we got to a tunnel.  There was a bit more climbing than expected and then the tunnel entrance appeared.  The wonderful thing about climbing is the reward of a nice fast ride down the other side.  Bev took off like a bat out of hell while I took a couple of photos.  A few kilometres on we joined the old rail line again. 

Crutching we think

Leaving Beaumont

 

About to enter Big Hill Tunnel

Remnants of a railway bridge near Lawrence

The remainder of the ride was flat and easy but for Bev it was death compared to her previous speedy pace  and having also encountered  a head wind, she slowed down.  Before long we arrived at our destination of Lawrence.  A coffee and sustenance was in order and we found a nice little café for it. 

Outside the Lawrence café at the end of our cycling journey

It took us well over an hour and a half to get back to Clyde stopping off at Roxburgh Village and waiting some time  to pick up a rider who never arrived. 

 

A week ago we had called into a fruit stall which had some apricots but because I had no change I had left a message for the owners to text me their bank details so that I could transfer the money to them.  Unfortunately they had not done so and I could not steal their fruit, so we returned to pay them. Of course they had some more lovely fresh fruit which I had to buy.  It was nice to be able to pay my debt. 

 

We arrived at our hotel in Frankton to find that reception was closed. I had been sent an email with instructions but had missed it.  Eventually after a call we managed to figure out how to retrieve the key card and get into the hotel.

 

We indulged in a welcome shower then went to our favourite Italian restaurant Giovi for an Italian experience in New Zealand. 

 

Distance: 46kms

 

Total distance over seven days according to the bike computer  346kms