Rider numbers on the Lake Dunstan Trail have blown Central Otago expectations out of the water. Photo / Supplied, Central Otago Tourism
Central Otago's newest cycle trail is on a roll and smashing expectations for visitor numbers.
Over 62,000 riders have visited the Lake Dunstan Trail since it was first opened in May, last year.
12,068 were picked up by trail counters in January alone, which is as many as the trail
network had hoped to see in a year.
The Central Otago Queenstown Trail Network Trust, which manages the Lake Dunstan Trail, said they were well ahead of where they had expected to be. This week chairman Stephen Jeffery told Mike Hosking that it has been a boon for local business owners.
Between $10m and $12m rode into the local economy in secondary spending along the track from Cromwell to Clyde.
The track had high hopes for the arrival of Australian tourists next month, when borders open to quarantine-free travel on 13 April.
Tourism Central Otago general manager Dylan Rushbrook told NewsTalk ZB he wasn't worried about overcrowding on the trail.
He expected that the number of inbound Australians is likely to "balance out" by the number of New Zealand travellers exploring further afield or trying something new.
"One of the limitations on the trail is the natural cap of hire bikes on the trail," he said as inbound travellers tend not to fly in with their own bikes.
Herald Travel can report there is already a big waiting list on cycle rentals for the trail ahead of the Easter and Anzac holidays.
Clyde and Cromwell-based hire company Bike It Now! said business had been "Flat Out" entire fleet was booked out over April.
Highlights of the 55km trail include suspended cycleways built into the side of the Cromwell Gorge and refreshments delivered by boat at the The Burger Afloat and Coffee Afloat, on the banks of the Clutha River.
