It was cold during the night and the heater in my room was not working. I awoke to see a heavy frost outside my window. But soon the sun came out and the temperature began to rise.

I packed my gear and found an open cafe for breakfast and a takeaway for lunch, then headed to the start of the rail trail.

Well, the start for me, but most riders start at the other end of the trail, so for them it's the finish. The rail trail is very popular even this late in the season, and I passed many riding the other way.

I reached the halfway point at Hyde and discovered that the cafe where I had expected to get a coffee and a snack had closed down, but there was a self-service offering and I made myself an instant coffee to go with a muffin.

Soon after crossing this bridge the trail entered a tunnel, then crossed a high viaduct and descended into the Taieri Gorge. For several kilometres the going was very scenic. Then the landscape changed to farmland all the way to Ranfuly, where I arrived, cold and weary in the late afternoon.