Otago vs Murray to Mountains Rail Trail
It's the World Cup of the southern hemisphere cycling tours. Two iconic cycling trails, oft referred to as 'Otago Rail Trail' and 'Murray to Mountains'. Two amazing bucket list travel destinations...New Zealand and Australia. Which will come out on top in the battle of these rail trails?
We have compiled a fairly exhaustive list of criteria we think is what you'd like on a cycling holiday, and compared each of the rail trails against each other. We have then nominated a vote for the winner against each criteria to try and determine which rail trail comes out trumps.
Of course this is an entirely subjective judgement, and we'd certainly welcome any comments to the contrary from those that have done both. At the end of the day, the cycling experience on these fantastic rail trails are different, and both have amazing highlights and very few downsides (if any), and are incredible assets for the regions they are in.
Whatever you choose, we know you will have a fantastic cycling experience either way.
| Feature | Otago Rail Trail | Murray to Mountains | Winner? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Surface | Packed gravel | Sealed | Murray to Mountains |
| Length | Approx 150kms | Now approx 150kms | Otago (just) |
| Towns | Small but cute | Many and varied | Murray to Mountains |
| Scenery | Grand/Mountains | Alpine/Rural | Otago (just) |
| Weather | Cool, often windy, hot | Mild, hot | Murray to Mountains |
| Highlights | Scenery | Autumn colours | Murray to Mountains |
| Accommodation | Limited | Many, varied | Murray to Mountains |
| Food | Bistro style | Gourmet, Chef Hat rest's. | Murray to Mountains |
| Wineries | Nearby | Direct access from Trail | Murray to Mountains |
| Shopping | Limited | Yes, varied | Murray to Mountains |
| Crowds | Busy on trail | Busy in towns | Both! |
| History | Farm stations | Historic town Beechworth, Ned Kelly | Murray to Mountains |
| Results | Otago 3 Murray to Mountains 10 |
Of course there is nothing better than actually being able to see - like they say "a picture is worth a thousand words". Check out these short image galleries, if nothing else for a bit of inspiration, but also to give you a feel for both rail trails.
Otago Rail Trail Images
Murray to Mountains Rail Trail Images
Check out Tour de Vines' cycling trips on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail ranging from 2 days to 7 days.
