A2O Cycle Road Trip 12–Kurow, Otematata to Burnside Homestead

Robin Capper

30 Apr 2019 — 5 min read

Signs of more snow arriving on the hills overnight but seeing this sunrise, and blue sky, was a nice start to the day.

After breakfast at Waitaki Braids we loaded up and drove back to Otematata to ride the best part of the trail we skipped yesterday. While waiting I sought the sun warmth as it was still quite chilly! (photo by Buzz)

Stunning day, what a contrast, for our first ride from Otematata towards Benmore Dam. From there a quiet country road follows the lake shore for about 25km down to Aviemore Dam.

Struth, nearly hit an Aussie!

Although we had an Aussie on our trip I had a close encounter with another on the roadside, not sure who was more surprised by this!

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ukCGqkXfM&w=853&h=480]

Stunning ride, on a fantastic day. What a contrast from what would have been a cold wet slog yesterday.

Although we had been given a bag lunch from Waitaki Braids timing meant we ended up back there at lunchtime. Their signs sum up a day like today on the Alps to Ocean trail!

Bas had phoned ahead and arranged it, but there were some odd looks from other customers when we all marched in, sat down, and started eating food from bags in a café!

After the bag lunch I had to have a slice of carrot cake and another of Daniel’s (on the right behind the counter) fine coffees. He’s a local, but was heading to London to work for a coffee vendor in an Underground station. Quite a change from Kurow!

We skipped quite a bit of the trail where it runs alongside the highway. We did ride the more interesting sections alongside the Waitaki River near Duntroon and farm trails towards Enfield. This was a vey acceptable compromise forced by skipping riding yesterday.

Below; Stunning skies, a reminder of ANZAC Day.

This regroup was near the Elephant rocks visited yesterday.

The limestone country makes for interesting riding.

Although most of today's ride was reasonably flat, rolling farmland, this gnarly switchback climb out of the valley got the heartrate up!

Our accommodation for the night was the stunning Burnside Homestead. Built in the 1890s it is an impressive family homestead offering boutique accommodation.

Hosts Bruce & Alison greet guests dressed in period costume. They have lived here since 1974, operating the homestead as a lodge (with up to 16 guests) from the mid-1990s on their own. There were some distinguished names in the guestbook, including former NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark.

My room had a hidden feature in the ‘wardrobe’. Opened the mirror door to find a cute little en-suite bathroom (toilet, basin & shower)! This kind of discrete alteration makes a former family home work as guest accommodation.

Dinner that night was at the nearby The Fort Enfield Pub. New owners, Amber and Johnny, have recently renovated and revived an old country pub, in part due to cycle trail related trade. I had a superb meal; Salt n Pepper Calamari to start, a succulent rare rib eye steak, and affogato (with Baileys) to finish. Doubt today’s riding even approached burning all those kilocalories, but who cares! The sun sets to end a delightful day.