13 Nov Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill is, at 435m elevation, one of the highest points on the Otago Rail Trail, and certainly the steepest climb. Back when trains were the only traffic on the trail, Tiger Hill was a favourite spot for train spotters to capture the trains as they chugged up the climb, and offered great views down the valley towards Alexandra.
Tiger Hill was possibly named after a range of hills in India when first surveyed – from some angles the peaks look like the ears of a tiger.
GEORGE EMERSON, RICHARD’S FATHER (OF BEER FAME) WAS A KEEN TRAIN PHOTOGRAPHER, AND WOULD OFTEN CAMP ON TIGER HILL WITH A YOUNG RICHARD TO CAPTURE IMAGES OF TRAINS COMING UP THE HILL.
Nows there’s still the sound of huffing and puffing coming from Tiger Hill, but it’s the sound of people ascending the hill on bicycles in mid-summer, perhaps after one too many refreshing drinks at Chatto Creek. While the train tracks never came through Ophir, it potentially saved the town from development and the town was able to maintain its vintage charm. Omakau overtook Ophir as the biggest centre in this part of the valley soon after the completion of the rail line in 1906.
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