Great Victorian Rail Trail

Great Victorian Rail Trail
The GVRT crossing Lake Eildon, near Bonnie Doon.
Length134 km
LocationVictoria, Australia
EstablishedJune 2012; 12 years ago (June 2012)
DifficultyLow
SurfaceGravel
HillsGentle (except Alexandra branch)
WaterAvailable in towns
Train(s)Regular services to Seymour Station near start of route
BusAvailable in major towns
Trail map
Map
Great Victorian Rail Trail Map

The Great Victorian Rail Trail (formerly Goulburn River High Country Rail Trail) is the second longest rail trail in Australia (after the 161 km Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in Queensland), following the route of the former railway line from Tallarook, the Mansfield Railway and Alexandra Railway in north central Victoria, Australia, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-east of Melbourne. The trail surface is partially granitic sand and partly chert (a kind of gravel).[1]

Officially opened in June 2012, it stretches for 134 km (83 mi) from Tallarook near Seymour, through Trawool, Yea and Bonnie Doon to Mansfield, with an offshoot to Alexandra from Cathkin.[1] Its highlights include the 200-metre (220 yd) Cheviot Tunnel near Yea, views of the Goulburn River, the Heritage listed Trawool Valley and a former rail bridge over Lake Eildon near Bonnie Doon.[1]

The towns passed through by the main rail trail are: Tallarook, Trawool, Kerrisdale, Homewood, Yea, Molesworth, Yarck Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Kanumbra, Merton, Bonnie Doon Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Maindample, Mansfield Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. The trail forks near Molesworth, leading to Alexandra Archived 26 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine.

  1. ^ 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.