Otago Rail Trail. Photo / Supplied Expand

Otago Rail Trail. Photo / Supplied

Some call it the rail trail, others the ale trail, but it's definitely the snail-and-snap trail for me. Every day along the Otago Rail Trail I ended up pedalling well behind the bunch, but I finished with a rewarding portfolio of photographic memories.

I just couldn't resist recording every shed, weathered rail bridge and historic hotel. These structures speak of history, telling visual tales of the era of railways carved painstakingly out of the terrain using pick and shovel.

Rusted handmade nails and railway dogs lie abandoned in the undergrowth. The hotels, by contrast, are still prized, even getting a bit of a spit and polish for a new cycling clientele. The mismatched gear of trail bikers leaning on the bar form a distinct contrast to the earthy locals, with their hayseed jerseys and sun-beaten faces.

Riding comfortably along the trail in gentle stages, taking three or five days to suit your level of fitness, maybe suffering the occasional sore or complaining muscle, is nothing to the hardships endured when the track first went in.

Then tedious months were spent in all weathers hand-cutting the rail bed out of rock and plains. If only they could have looked ahead to the future. What would they think? Now, with the track torn up, cyclists come from all over the country and overseas to ride easily along the steady inclines and declines.

Gold fever drove the railway into central Otago and opened up farming and industry. Gold is the landscape hue now, with the tawny gold of smooth hills of dry grasses disappearing to the far distance. Biking along the rail trail is like riding inside a Grahame Sydney painting. The landscape is so stunning, even amateur photographers feel like professionals as scene after scene is captured in the viewfinder.

Cycling with a bunch of friends, all dames closer in age to gold cards than suave boyfriends, we booked a five-night small group tour with Adventure South. The tour came complete with bike hire, accommodation and, if you needed a rest, a van to pick you up along the way. Sorted, as they say.

While the Otago Rail Trail is on many bucket lists, it was the many extras and inclusions that really made this trip special. I count myself as a committed New Zealandophile, yet I encountered places and experiences I didn't know existed.

Curling was a new skill acquired at Naseby. We may have been beginners, but competition on the ice, amid the swishing brooms, was intense - determination stronger than technique - as we encouraged the opposing team to miss their target.