Author's Hometown...


A Little History
The Otago Central Railway branched from the South Island Main Trunk at Wingatui and ran to Cromwell via Middlemarch, Ranfurly, Omakau, Alexandra and Clyde. The line was closed in April 1990, but the section between the 4km peg, and Middlemarch was sold to Dunedin City and it is operated as the Taieri Gorge Railway.

The land over which the trains run, however, remains vested in the Crown. Beyond Middlemarch the rail corridor, now the Otago Central Rail Trail, was vested in the Department of Conservation in August 1993 to be improved and used as a scenic highway by hikers, pedal cyclists, horse and pony riders, but not by motor cyclists. From the junction the line crosses the fertile Taieri Plain before climbing through a range of low hills to join the river in the Taieri Gorge some 11km from the inland township of Outram.

The rails wind through the gorge for 29km, occasionally tunnelling through protruding rocky spurs, and frequently crossing side streams and gulches on distinctive lattice girder bridges. Eventually the line climbs higher to escape from the gorge and find a path through a rock strewn landscape to the flattish lands of the Strath Taieri Plain. From that plain the railway formerly threaded its way through the upper Taieri Gorge and followed the Taieri River almost to Waipiata. Then it struck across the Maniototo Plains to Ranfurly, 424 meters above sea level and 124 km from Wingatui.

Beyond, the line climbed over the northern shoulder of Rough Ridge, where it reached its maximum height of 618 meters before running down into the valley of the Idaburn. The short but dramatic Poolburn Gorge gave access to the Manuherikia Valley which led to Alexandra. This valley gave an easy route except beyond Omakau, where the line was forced to detour over Tiger Hill and avoid the impassable Ophir Gorge.

Beyond Alexandra the line followed the Clutha River, its final 21 km being through the Cromwell Gorge, where the track ran hand in hand with State Highway 8.

The gorge section, Cromwell to Clyde, was closed in April 1980 to allow for the construction of the Clyde Dam. This route to Otago Central was chosen, after lengthy and often acrimonious debated, from a total of seven proposed in 1877. The line was frequently criticized for running through 64 km of rugged, unproductive country before it reached any significant areas of productive land.

Ironically it is those same 64 km that have survived, albeit as a tourist attraction, since road transportation took over the original functions of the Otago Central Railway.


'Over The Garden Wall - Story of the - Otago Central Railway'
by J.A. Dangerfield and G.W. Emerson.