| Great Victorian Rail Trail | |
|---|---|
 The GVRT crossing Lake Eildon, near Bonnie Doon. | |
| Length | 134 km |
| Location | Victoria, Australia |
| Established | June 2012 |
| Difficulty | Low |
| Surface | Gravel |
| Hills | Gentle (except Alexandra branch) |
| Water | Available in towns |
| Train(s) | Regular services to Seymour Station near start of route |
| Bus | Available in major towns |
| Trail map | |
 Great Victorian Rail Trail Map | |
The Great Victorian Rail Trail (previously the Goulburn River High Country Rail Trail), is in north-central Victoria, Australia, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-east of Melbourne, and is the second-longest rail trail in Australia, after the 161 km Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in Queensland. It follows the route of the former Mansfield railway line and its branch line to Alexandra. The trail surface is partially granitic sand and partly chert (a kind of gravel).[1]
Officially opened in June 2012, the trail runs for 134 km (83 mi) from Tallarook, near Seymour, through Trawool, Yea and Bonnie Doon to Mansfield, with an offshoot from Cathkin to Alexandra.[1] Highlights include the 200-metre (220 yd) Cheviot Tunnel near Yea, views of the Goulburn River, the heritage-listed Trawool Valley, and the former rail bridge over Lake Eildon near Bonnie Doon.[1]
The towns passed through by the main rail trail are: Tallarook, Trawool, Kerrisdale,[2] Homewood, Yea, Victoria, Molesworth, Yarck, Kanumbra,[3] Merton, Bonnie Doon, Maindample, and Mansfield. The trail forks near Molesworth, with a short branch leading to Alexandra.
History
[edit]On 29 April 2009, the federal government announced that it would contribute A$13.2 million from its community infrastructure program, out of the estimated total cost of A$14.2 million needed for the completion of the trail, as an economic stimulus, and as part of the recovery effort in the wake of the 2009 Victorian bushfires. The money was used to build and repair bridges, and construct road crossings, car parking, rest stops and amenities.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Goulburn River High Country Rail Trails - Trail Description". Railtrails Australia Website. Railtrails Australia, Inc. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
- ^ "Kerrisdale Station". Victoria's High Country. Tourism North East. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Kanumbra Station". Victoria's High Country. Tourism North East. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Doherty, Ben; Grattan, Michelle (29 April 2009). "Canberra puts up $13m for rail trail". The Age. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
External links
[edit]
- www.greatvictorianrailtrails.com.au - Official site
- Rail Trails of Australia
- Trail Services Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- Goulburn River High Country Rail Trail map at Railtrails Australia Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
Geographic data related to Great Victorian Rail Trail at OpenStreetMap
 | This article about a location in Victoria, Australia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |