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Vineyard, near Cromwell, Central OtagoCentral OtagoThe ochre land of Central Otago is recognised asNew Zealand’s ‘Middle Earth’, a barren, dry anddusty world broken up by rocky outcrops ofschist. The land was first settled during the goldrush that transfixed the nation in the early 1860sand townships such as Cromwell and Alexandrawere established in its wake. Despite its aridsetting, this patch of New Zealand is increasinglybeing recognised as a fine winemaking area.The Alexandra Wine Trail is a well-establishedroute linking several quality wineries, andnearby Cromwell has an abundance of orchardsand developing vineyards. (Please see page 42for further information about New Zealand’swine industry.)Kokonga Lodge, Ranfurly, Central Otago60CromwellThe little town of Cromwell is located deep inthe heart of the dry interior of Central Otago ina landscape of bare brown hills and schist tors.The town lies on the shores of Lake Dunstan inan area that was settled by European sheepfarmers before being exploited and transformedby gold seekers and dam builders. Today the townis at the heart of thriving sheep and deer farms,orchards and vineyards. Lake Dunstan itself is amajor attraction but visitors should not miss theClyde Dam, the beautiful Kawarau Gorge, thehistoric buildings of Old Cromwell, and perhapseven try their hand at gold panning. The nearbyart deco town of Ranfurly is also well worthvisiting and is a popular stop on the OtagoCentral Rail Trail.Kokonga Lodge, Ranfurly,Central OtagoKokonga Lodge is hidden in the heart of thedramatic Central Otago landscape. Perched onan elevated site, it enjoys panoramic views acrossdelightful gardens to the landscapes beyond, andoffers excellent value for money. The lodgehouses six guest bedrooms, a large open-planliving and kitchen area, a cosy library and a readingroom. The property is conveniently located rightnext to the Rail Trail and your hosts can helporganise bike hire as well as transport both cyclistsand walkers to any point on the trail for a day out.Otago Central RailTrailThe Otago Central Rail Trail is a walkingand cycling track that follows a formerrailway route for 150 kilometres throughthe heart of arid Central Otago. You canchoose to do as much or as little of thetrail as you like. It generally takes fourdays to complete the entire route andwe can arrange accommodation alongthe way. En route you will discover anuntamed, natural environment and learnabout Otago’s harsh and daring past andthe pioneers who completed incredibleengineering feats to lay the tracks andbuild the many tunnels and bridges. Forinformation about other cycling routes,please see pages 34 and 35.