A lively, informative, fully illustrated guide to two iconic Otago rail trips - an ideal memento for overseas and local visitors alike. It contains all the information required to make one of the world's great train trips both interesting and rewarding. Taieri Gorge Railway provides the most practical way for cyclists and walkers to access the hugely popular Otago Central Rail Trail. It covers departure from the well-known Flemish Renaissance-style Dunedin railway station and describes the whole rail trip through the historic Taieri Gorge to Pukerangi and Middlemarch - gateways to the Otago Central Rail Trail. This journey follows the banks of one of New Zealand's biggest rivers, crosses thirty-five bridges and viaducts, and passes through twelve tunnels, via a railway line that was constructed during the Victorian era in the late nineteenth century. It also includes the route taken by the Seasider along the Pacific Coast, passing the historic town of Port Chalmers, the site of the infamous Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, Puketeraki's Maori marae at Karitane and the former whaling station of Waikouaiti, one of New Zealand's earliest settlements, to reach the railhead at Palmerston, the northern gateway to Central Otago. The Seasider trip also offers a guided tour of the mighty Oceana Gold gold mine in Otago.

About the Author

Gerald Cunningham is a photographer and author who has written several books on Central Otago. He lives beside the rail trail in the village of Lauder and has cycled and walked the trail from one end to the other, and has travelled and walked the Taieri Gorge rail route as well.