Naseby: a charming village stopover on your Rail Trail adventure
Gold-era buildings, quiet streets, forest tracks and a proper country pub. Naseby brings its own character to an Otago Central Rail Trail holiday and it’s well worth a short detour from the trail. Full disclosure - Naseby is also home to Big Sky Bike Adventures, so we should probably declare a little local affection.
Here’s why we enjoy sharing it with our riders.
A village worth slowing down for
Tucked into the forest above the Māniatoto plains, Naseby still wears its gold-mining history well. Historic buildings line the streets, and a wander around the village gives you a feel for a place that was once considerably busier than it is today. These days, the pace is rather more suited to an unhurried holiday.
Forest shade and a summer swim
The forest is one of Naseby’s great pleasures. Walking and mountain-biking tracks wind through the trees, giving you the choice of another little adventure or a gentle stroll without your helmet. There’s plenty to explore, but no requirement to turn your late afternoon into another fitness challenge.
In summer, the swimming dam is a favourite spot for a cool-down. Surrounded by trees, it’s the sort of place that makes you glad you found room for your swimming togs. After a warm day on the Rail Trail, a swim followed by very little else is an entirely respectable plan.
A little friendly competition
For something different, head to Maniototo Adventure Park for a go at indoor curling. No experience is needed, and it’s a good way to discover which member of your group has been quietly harbouring a competitive streak. Travelling with just a few people? The good people at the rink can team you up with other players for the full eight-person game, with four on each side.
The park also offers seasonal luge and ice-skating activities, so what’s available will depend on when you visit. We can help work a session into your itinerary - ideally with enough time afterwards to discuss who really won.
The Māniatoto through a local lens
Leave time for a browse at Stardust Gallery, where you can enjoy astrophotography by Joe Nidd and award-winning landscape photography by Phil Flanagan. It’s a chance to see the land and skies you’ve been travelling through captured by people who know them well. The gallery itself is part of the attraction, housed in restored gold-era stables on Earne Street.
You might even find a little piece of the Māniatoto to take home.
Coffee, supplies and a country pub dinner
There’s Black Forest Café for a coffee stop, the Naseby General Store for supplies, and the Royal Hotel for dinner and a well-earned drink. All good reasons to leave a little room in the day for the village itself.
We recommend booking your evening meal ahead. Small villages don’t always run on city hours, and knowing there’s a table waiting makes the end of a riding day that much easier. We’re happy to take care of that for you (it's part of thr service!).
Stay up for the stars
Naseby has another good reason to stay the night: it’s New Zealand’s first International Dark Sky Community. Once the village settles down for the evening, there’s plenty happening overhead.
Join astrophysicist Paul Bishop of Naseby Night Sky Tours for a guided look at the southern skies, from planets to star clusters and distant galaxies. Paul combines scientific knowledge with down-to-earth storytelling, so you don’t need to know your way around a constellation to enjoy it. We can help arrange a tour around your overnight stay, weather permitting.
Bring warm layers, though. Naseby sits at “600 metres above worry level”, as the unofficial village slogan goes. The worries might disappear, but the alpine evening chill still turns up!
Making Naseby part of your Rail Trail holiday
On a five-day ride, we can shuttle you into Naseby from Ranfurly, or from Wedderburn on a four-day ride. Your bikes stay securely on the trail for the night while you head into the village.
If a little Naseby time sounds like you, tell us what you have in mind, and we’ll put together a personalised proposal with the riding, accommodation and a few local discoveries planned around you. We’ll take care of the details, and leave you to stack your curling team yourself!
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