Cycleway publicity boosts rail trail

Richard and Pauline Gardner (left), of Cromwell, and their daughter, Gillian Gardner, of Christchurch, train on the Otago Central Rail Trail between Alexandra and Clyde yesterday. Mr and Mrs Gardner plan to ride the full length of the trail soon, while their daughter has already completed the trip. Photo by Lynda Van Kempen.

Maniototo Community Board member and co-owner of a business catering for rail-trailers, Stuart Duncan, of Wedderburn, told the board this week his business' bookings for the coming season had increased by up to 30% and he attributed it to publicity about the national cycleway.

"The bookings are way higher than usual. There's been a massive increase and I reckon it's because of the publicity about [prime minister] John Key and the cycleway."

Mr Duncan is part-owner of a nine-hole golf course at Wedderburn and Wedderburn Lodge beside the trail and some associated cottages which cater for rail-trailers.

"Bookings for the coming year are up by between 25 and 30% and other operators I've talked to all say the same," he said.

Last month, Mr Key announced seven potential routes that would receive quick-start funding for feasibility studies under the national cycleway project.

He also outlined more details about the cycleway plans and said the Otago Central Rail Trail had been "fantastic" in raising the profile of cycle tourism in New Zealand.

A recent survey on the Otago Central Rail Trail revealed it attracted about 10,000 users each year, generated an impressive $7 million for the local economy and created the equivalent of 75 full-time jobs.

Otago Central Rail Trail Operators Inc chairman Neville Grubb managing director of Trail Journeys at Clyde, also reported bookings were flowing in.

The operators had few qualms about the coming competition posed by the new trails being built.

"This trail will always be the icon - if you're doing a cycle trail in this country, this will be the one you go for.

"It offers different scenery, different surface, different weather than trails in any other location."

The operators were continuing to try to extend the trail-riding "season" from September through to May. Mr Grubb said the spring months would be promoted as an ideal time to tackle the rail trail, to ease the pressure during the peak March-April period.

Operators will consider mounting a promotional campaign encouraging people to use the trail in spring.

Word-of-mouth advertising seemed to be the main source and people who had completed the rail trail tended to encourage their friends to tackle the trail at the same time of the year as they had.

However, some repeat trail users came back to experience the cycleway in a different season, Mr Grubb said.

"We get quite a lot of repeat business and people do like to experience the trail at different times of the year."

The 152km trail between Clyde and Middlemarch follows the former Central Otago railway line.

- lynda.van.kempen@odt.co.nz