Clutha Gold Cycle Trail: Roxburgh Dam to Millers Flat (also Roxburgh Gorge Trail)

---

After sorting out our gear, Lindsay and Neil headed off up the hill to bike the bottom end of the Roxburgh Gorge Track. Karilyn and I drove the cars down to Millers Flat where we left one at the Camping Ground and drove the other back to the Dam to be picked up later in the day.

Since the men were not back to the Dam, we headed off up the hill too to go and meet them. It was too steep and bumpy to ride up so we pushed the bikes up instead until we got to the top car park and the beginning of the track. We biked for a bit until there was a steep zig zag downhill and decided that there wasn't a lot of point in doing that when we'd have to come back up. Eventually they turned up looking exhausted. The track had been mostly hills with many switch backs. This part of the track usually picks up from a boat trip down the lake. I'm glad we did not do that one.

From the Dam we all headed off down the Clutha Gold Trail. This proved to be very good indeed. It was gentle rolling and was excellently constructed. The track was close to the Clutha River all the way to Millers Flat. It was quiet, sometimes through orchards, willows or pines. There was a lot of evidence of gold mining from the past but it was mostly recovered by plants leaving only some mounds of stones and gravel. We stopped at Roxburgh for a leisurely lunch at a cafe then onto Millers Flat where we arrived hot and sweaty. We got icecream and a few groceries at the 4Square, had showers and eventually went to check out some potential places for dinner as well as picking up the car from the Dam.

We had dinner at a very good Pub in Roxburgh then headed back to Millers Flat.

For me, I'll be pleased not to bike for a bit over the next few days. It has been 33kms for we girls today and 54km for the boys. The body is starting to need a rest after the A20 and Clutha Gold Trails.

It's been good to revisit the Clutha River after such a long time. It is real rural NZ with small towns, orchardists, sheep farms, big rocky hills and all dominated by the Clutha and the power schemes.

---

Photos

End of Roxburgh Gorge and beginning of Clutha Gold Trails
On top of the hill above Roxburgh Dam township

Interesting sculpture
A sculpture of pioneers made out of welded stainless steel outside the public loos in Roxburgh