Roxburgh to Otematata | Time Out 2021-22 Drive

Today's mission was a simple relocation from Roxburgh to Otematata. It would be my base for a long weekend, Friday - Tuesday, of Alps to Ocean A2O Trail riding.

It is only a couple of hours drive but I had no need to rush.

Drive_Roxburgh_Otematata
(All the 'Closed' warnings in the passes are because I made this map in winter!)

Farewell Roxburgh

Another perfect day...

Leaving Roxburgh

Alexandra Bike Pick-up

Stopped in Alexandra to pick up En-Trance, my dual suspension mountain bike, which I left behind with a stuck through axle. Sadly the news wasn't good, they had not been able to release it and decided against cutting, the last resort, as didn't have spares.

It was still fine to ride; just harder to fit in the car (had to loosen the stem and twist the bars) and hope I didn't get a front tyre puncture, or tyre cut, as couldn't remove the front wheel to repair! It is running tubeless so small punctures should self-seal anyway...

Lake Dunstan Views

Driving up to Cromwell, on such a perfect day, gave great views of the Lake Dunstan Trail I'd recently ridden.

Lake Dunstan view across to the trail

Highway on the left shore, bike trail on the right.

Lake Dunstan

Love this view across the lake to the cantilevered bike trail. Cyclists handily placed for scale.

Lake Dunstan Trail View
Lake Dunstan Trail View
Lake Dunstan Trail View
Lake Dunstan Trail View

Cromwell Heritage Precinct Lunch

Seemed like a good day to re-visit the Cromwell Heritage Precinct, where I lunched on the Dunstan Trail ride, for again. I mean, look at it...

Cromwell Heritage Precinct
Cromwell Heritage Precinct

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This time went to Grain and Seed Café, their outside tables with umbrella the perfect spot.

Cromwell Heritage Precinct Lunch

The BLT was a more traditional sandwich format, nice, and my usual iced coffee to follow. Talked with a couple at the next table who were about to head off on the trail, just to the coffee boat and back on their e-bikes. They were interested in my travels, plans, thought it was a great trip.

Cromwell Heritage Precinct BLT Lunch

Table view...

Cromwell Heritage Precinct Lunch

Highlands Motorsport Park

Although there was no event on am glad I visited Highlands Motorsport Park. It was built by Tony Quinn, such an impressive facility. I missed a chance to cycle it when down in Roxburgh, an event shared by the Central Otago Gravelleurs, as my gravel bike was broken. Pity as it would have been a wonderful experience worth the drive back!

Highlands Motorsport Park

There are track experiences, but I just toured the car display.

Highlands Motorsport Park

There's a wide range of exotic road, rally, and race cars on display.

Highlands Motorsport Park
$4.2 Million Dollar Aston Martin Vulcan | Highlands Motorsport Park

All this exotic racing machinery, a $4.2 Million Aston Martin Vulcan (above), yet it's the 1970s supercars which caught my eye. A Lamborghini Espada in very 70s lime.

Highlands Motorsport Park
Highlands Motorsport Park

Next to it the iconic Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer. Loved this car as a teenager, spent a small fortune (large to me) on Mel Nichols (Car editor) Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer Osprey AutoHistory book which I still have.

Highlands Motorsport Park
Highlands Motorsport Park

What a spectacular setting, on a spectacular day. There were a few cars doing short runs, would like to see a proper event here.

Highlands Motorsport Park
Highlands Motorsport Park
Highlands Motorsport Park

M. Schumacher's 1991 Benetton Formula 1, the Monza car where Schumacher scored his first F1 point.

Michael Shumacher 1991 Benetton | Highlands Motorsport Park
Michael Shumacher 1991 Benetton | Highlands Motorsport Park
Michael Shumacher 1991 Benetton | Highlands Motorsport Park

Watching the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria, several months later, reminded me of this circuits alpine setting.

Highlands Motorsport Park
Highlands Motorsport Park
Highlands Motorsport Park

Leaving Cromwell

It was the end of my visit to the Queenstown Lakes & Central Otago Region. Time to move (a bit) North and revisit part of the Alps to Ocean (A2O) trail.

Bravo looks back to Cromwell
Towards Cromwell

Lindis Pass

Getting there meant another trip over Lindis Pass. It's an amazing road at any time but some bad timing really helped this time. On a twisty part of Lindis Valley I had to follow some slow-moving farm equipment for about three kilometres before it was safe to pass. That meant no traffic ahead, a clear run, lovely driving, all the way up to the ridge.

Lindis Pass

Previous Lindis Passes

In 2003 we cycled up Lindis Pass heading towards Wanaka & Queenstown (left), in 2004 drove up in my mighty Uno 45S (right)

Top of the pass
The Uno at the top of Lindis Pass | 2004

Same place 2022, the Bravo HGT before heading off to Otematata.

Bravo at Lindis Pass

Back to Otematata

Otematata was my base to ride a new section of the Alps to Ocean Trail and reprise a favourite ride for the third time.


We overnighted in Otematata in 2007, below, as part of an extended Otago Rail Trail and rode Te Akatarawa Rd (on the northern side of Lake Aviemore) to Aviemore Dam.

Dam Cyclists | 2007
View from Benmore

In 2019, on the Alps to Ocean Trail, we rode from Otematata to Kurow. A repeat ride of Te Akatarawa Rd but so lovely to do again.

Otematata ride start | 2019 Alps to Ocean
Otematata to Kurow | 2019 Alps to Ocean

In 2007 we stayed in the 'The Best Dam Pub', or more formally 'Otematata Eatery, Bar & Lodging'.

Otematata Home

This time I was in the Lake Escape Apartment, some new accommodation beside it. I found it on Google Maps and contacted the owners directly after a bit of web searching revealed a contact number. Find that much better than going through those third-party booking sites. It was a lovely apartment, perfect for my needs.

Otematata Home

Plans to make my own dinner, the flat had a full kitchen unit, were foiled by the food store's early weekday closing (reduced hours due to COVID). Went to the pub, it was busy, and had an enormous, nice, Burger and Fries.

Oops, won't be getting dinner here tonight!

Sunset on the hills beyond the golf course, the back 'garden' of the apartment.

Otematata Backyard

Tomorrow, I ride a new part of the Alps to Ocean trail with a Twitter mate.


Time Out Drive/Cycling Exploring New Zealand 2021 - 2022
I spent October 2021 to early August 2022 exploring New Zealand both cycling and drive/cycle road tripping. This index was updated as that journey progressed, not always to plan, with links to blog posts and other external resources. ‘The Why’ and ‘The Plan’ sections have an overview of how