A good meeting was had in Oamaru in the weekend with the trail bosses and Oamaru Host Town Committee. Things are coming along nicely, we have a fantastic range of walking and horse trails to choose from and Oamaru have some great ideas they want to implement to ensure the final day will be something quite special.

One issue in particular popped up and we think it’s probably best to give you all a heads-up sooner rather than later.

Some trails are getting a few too many back-up drivers which meant some riders/wagoners missed out on a trail this year. We would like you to consider if a personal back-up driver is absolutely necessary (all trails have a system of transporting your gear and feed from place to place), if it is then could you possibly ‘group up‘ and share someone else’s driver? Some trail bosses will be setting minimal limits on back-up drivers.

Dates for 2011 are confirmed as 26th Feb to 5th March (some trails are starting later but we all finish together on the 5th.

Here’s a bit of an idea (not yet set in stone!) about where the trails will be starting from and how many days on each. You can click on the place name below for a google map if you are unsure of where they are – if the link doesn’t work you can easily search each start location on google maps .

Trail Boss:            Start:            Duration:

Stu Moore,  Stanton Station, Kimbell – 7 days Riding

Alistair Gibson,  Ribbonwood, Omarama – 6 Days Riding (restricted back-up drivers)

Steve Vickers, Shag Point – 4-5days Riding

Tony Roderique, Dunback – 6-7 days Riding (Clover leaf trail)

Alice Stewart,  Mt Cook – 7days Riding (very limited numbers, unassisted)

Chris Bayne, Near Kyeburn – 7 days. Light Wagons (restricted back-up drivers)

Tony Cumberbeach, Moeraki – 6 days Heavy Wagons

Sandra Cain, Glencoe station (somewhere near ‘the Dasher)- 4 days Walking

Don Morrison, Mt Dasher Station. 3 days. Walking

Peter Dymock, Kyeburn – 3days Walking (unassisted, very limited numbers)

Morley Williams, Dansey’s Pass Holiday Park – 3 days Walking, (Clover leaf trail).

If you haven’t already done so it is recommended you become a member of the Goldfileds Trust to increase your chances of securing your trail of choice. Trust members get priority when the registration forms are coming back in and a trail is getting full.

You can become a member on-line or by down loading a PDF from here https://goldfieldstrust.org.nz/2009/06/12/otago-goldfields-heritage-trust-membership/

Thanks very much for your interest. I hope to see many of you in Oamaru next year.

Terry Davis

Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust

P O Box 91

Cromwell 9342

03 445 0111

021 284 6844

www.goldfieldstrust.org.nz

www.cavalcade.co.nz