Roxburgh Gorge Trail © Will Nelson
ROXBURGH GORGE Trail GREAT RIDE • ROXBURGH GORGE TRAIL
BEST FOR: An isolated one-day adventure littered with surprises.
ALEXANDRA to ROXBURGH DAM 1 day
34km
Roxburgh Gorge Trail has a somewhat Jekyll and Hyde persona. Depending on the season and the correlating flora, colours and weather, you might experience big blue skies and bonniness or a sulky ashen temperament but it won’t matter which you meet because both are enchanting.
T
ravelling from Alexandra to Roxburgh (or vice versa) this trail skirts the Clutha Mata-au River, darting between sweeping willows and during springtime, the
heady buds of fragrant thyme. In between soaring river cliffs and desert-like landscape, the route is sprinkled with remnants from the gold-rush era, including schist
huts. These small den-like shelters were built into rockfaces by miners and offer a fascinating peek into the past. Years before these dwellings existed, the pathway was also trodden by early Māori moa hunters trekking from mountains to sea in pursuit of the prize. The earlier sections of the Roxburgh Trail are just a taster of the fascinations to come; between Doctors Pt and Shingle Creek, the track becomes inaccessible and riders are required to fill the missing link with a 45-minute jet-boat ride. Deep inside the gorge are some of the most visually spectacular sights of the trip, and an isolation that many will deem a rare treat these days. Once off the boat, the ride turns into a steady climb out of the gorge, but the impressive views of Roxburgh Hydro Dam will counter the saddle pain. Soon after, Roxburgh Village comes into view, signalling the ride’s conclusion.
TOP TIP – Unless you’re prepared to turn back at Doctors Pt, book your jet-boat ride well in advance.
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