From Middlemarch (Blind Billy's Campsite) by the Taieri Gorge Railway through to Dunedin. And then a short bike ride to the Kiwi Holiday Park at St Kilda beach - so about 4kms on the bikes but lots of scenic railway kms.We paid our campsite fees ($11 each) and went to the railway station - discovered that there is no need to prebook the train and that you buy your tickets when the train comes in. So we had a look at the general store which was pretty much a typical very basic local store. Evidently all the serious shopping is done by a long drive to the big store 'in town' as in rural USA. Cillian was at the store and also a frenchman - we later chatted to him on the train.Then to the museum where Cillian joined us. There's a very impressive rusting submarine remnant outside - a failed attempt at gold panning using a submarine. Wacky and what a pity it didn't work though working conditions for gold miners were bad without involving cramped mini subs too!Cillian negotiated an organic cabbage with the local organic gardening lady and we pushed off to the station where the train was now in. We put bikes and panniers in the gards van - ah, reminiscent of the great British Rail days. Then we found our carriage and away the train went. The journey was excellent - tremendous views of gorges and bridges, more impressive scenery than the rail trail section. We wished we'd insisted upon Cillian coming with us on the train even by handing a ticket to him and we regret this omission - he was cycling to Dunedin instead. We hadn't realised how much the Taieri line is the culmination of the rail route from Alexandra to Dunedin.On arrival we headed for the Speights Brewery Tour - we don't generally rate Speights as much good but we were keen to see whether thery've got any decen beer hidden away and to see the beautiful coppers in which they brew.The tour was enjoyable - tho' the videos were marketing pap (the southern man thing looks more absurd the more you think about it)and a touch dumb. We got to see the coppers and indeed it is a beautiful brewery. They do brew a porter which is quite decent. We hadn't seen this anywhere so it was a positive thing. The rest of the range is ok but nothing stands out. Then a quick bowl of tasty but too expensive Thai food in the town before we hauled up at the Kiwi Camper at the back of a huge, but windy, cool and rough, beach - St. Kilda's.
From Middlemarch (Blind Billy's Campsite) by the Taieri Gorge Railway through to Dunedin. And then a short bike ride to the Kiwi Holiday Park at St Kilda beach - so about 4kms on the bikes but lots of scenic railway kms.We paid our campsite fees ($11 each) and went to the railway station - discovered that there is no need to prebook the train and that you buy your tickets when the train comes in. So we had a look at the general store which was pretty much a typical very basic local store. Evidently all the serious shopping is done by a long drive to the big store 'in town' as in rural USA. Cillian was at the store and also a frenchman - we later chatted to him on the train.Then to the museum where Cillian joined us. There's a very impressive rusting submarine remnant outside - a failed attempt at gold panning using a submarine. Wacky and what a pity it didn't work though working conditions for gold miners were bad without involving cramped mini subs too!Cillian negotiated an organic cabbage with the local organic gardening lady and we pushed off to the station where the train was now in. We put bikes and panniers in the gards van - ah, reminiscent of the great British Rail days. Then we found our carriage and away the train went. The journey was excellent - tremendous views of gorges and bridges, more impressive scenery than the rail trail section. We wished we'd insisted upon Cillian coming with us on the train even by handing a ticket to him and we regret this omission - he was cycling to Dunedin instead. We hadn't realised how much the Taieri line is the culmination of the rail route from Alexandra to Dunedin.On arrival we headed for the Speights Brewery Tour - we don't generally rate Speights as much good but we were keen to see whether thery've got any decen beer hidden away and to see the beautiful coppers in which they brew.The tour was enjoyable - tho' the videos were marketing pap (the southern man thing looks more absurd the more you think about it)and a touch dumb. We got to see the coppers and indeed it is a beautiful brewery. They do brew a porter which is quite decent. We hadn't seen this anywhere so it was a positive thing. The rest of the range is ok but nothing stands out. Then a quick bowl of tasty but too expensive Thai food in the town before we hauled up at the Kiwi Camper at the back of a huge, but windy, cool and rough, beach - St. Kilda's.