Exploring off the Roxburgh Gorge Cycle Trail
While the Roxburgh Gorge cycle trail highlights many heritage hotspots, and incredible landscapes already, there are a couple of hidden gems that definitely deserve a detour!
Exploring Clyde
Historic Clyde is enriched with heritage and the main street exemplifies this. Pick up a Walk Around Historic Clyde brochure and soak in the history of the area while you stroll through the streets.
Clyde exerts creativity through so many different mediums - painting, sculpting, glassing, ceramics, photography, wood-carving, jewellery and many more! See these showcased in Eade Gallery, Sisson Gallery, Touch Yarns, and Folklore!
Eating and drinking your way through the small town is also an experience in itself! On a hot day, getting an ice cream from Nom Nom is an absolute must - their hazelnut flavour is a gift from the Gods. The Merchant of Clyde has an array of local and seasonal produce on offer - including the most divine roasted quince paste, fresh pastries and consistently fantastic coffee. The Post Office Cafe, Bar and Restaurant has something to tickle everyone's taste buds, from light snacks to full main meals! Honourable mentions include the crispy battered cod, roast vegetable stack, the Cajun chicken salad and the havoc pork belly.
Walking up to either of the Clyde Lookouts (Earnscleugh Road or Clyde Lookout Road) will offer you epic views of this quaint little town, over the Alexandra basin and also the Clyde dam in all of it's glory.
Exploring Alexandra
Head over the Alexandra Bridge to the Courthouse Cafe which is renown for its incredible sticky buns, huge homemade meringues and divine scones. If you're up for lunch, biking the 2.2km from the Alexandra Bridge to Industry Lane is a must! Prepare for massive servings of delicious food - their hoisin pork and brie sandwiches are a game changer!
Visiting Central Stories Museum is also a fantastic way to learn Central Otago's history in bite sized pieces. They also have an art gallery on site which showcases the amazing talent we have in Central Otago! A cinema is tucked at the back of the Museum so check out what's playing here.
If shopping is your thing, do stop off at Oh My, Leighs and Wrapt which all have beautiful homewares available to purchase.
Following the River Track from the Alexandra Bridge, down passed River Streets and along the track is a fantastic way to stretch the legs. Walk across the Shaky Bridge, and if you're feeling fit, follow the goat track that leads up to the Clock on the Hill.
Exploring Roxburgh
When you visit Roxburgh, you will see why its produce is world-class. With an incredible micro-climate, Roxburgh's hot summers, crisp winters and cool autumns create the perfect environment for fruit, vegetables, nuts, flowers, honey and more to thrive. Visit local orchards to pick your own delicious snack for after your bike ride.
Visit the Roxburgh Cinema, which is New Zealand's longest running cinema. Movies have been screened here since 1897. See what's on here.
Getting a sweet treat from Local & Friday is a must, complimented with a delicious coffee from 103 The Store, or the most divine tea from Teviot Tea Store.
If Art is more your thing, then do check out the Endemic Art Gallery on the main street. Filled with paintings and photography, this studio gallery is absolutely worth a browse. It would also be hard to miss the incredible mural on the main street which was a project by Flox, the Central Otago District Council and the Teviot Valley Community Development Group. Called 'The Arrival', this creative piece celebrates the cultural mixing pot of the Teviot Valley between its residents and migrant workers.