Great Southern Rail Trail

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VeloGiro
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Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby VeloGiro » Wed Jun 10, 2015 7:21 am

Over the Queens Birthday weekend we headed SE down to the Great Southern Rail Trail - we were originally going to ride the Ballarat to Skipton trail but decided to head south instead to avoid the buffeting on the open plains from the strong wind forecast - what a good choice this was - The Great Southern Rail Trail i a ripper...We drove to Toora parked the car and rode back towards Foster - Fish Creek and spent the night at Meeniyan - we basically reversed this the following day. The Great Southern Railtrail is a must - good surface throughout, there a few hills to keep things interesting - its really scenic and for the better part surrounded by native vegetation - interspersed by rolling farmlands and lots of weedy pines!

Funding has been locked in to complete the section from Meeniyan to Koonwarra - the missing link in the trail - I cant wait for this section to open - It promises to be quite spectacular traversing the Tarwin floodplain with towering Blue Gums and long trestle bridge crossings... once this section is completed the trail will go from Leongtha to Welshpool ~ 70k's - the plans are then to roll the trail all the way to Yarram and link with the Tarra Trail...

Lovely weekends riding! Get down to the Great Southern Railtrail if you get the chance - You will not be disappointed!

Cheers
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Dave Trees
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby Dave Trees » Wed Jun 10, 2015 6:02 pm

I'm guessing it would have been a very quick trip back to Toora with the tailwind on Monday !! Did you eat at Trulli Pizza in Meeniyan ? Awesome food :)

The majority of our riding is on the GSRT (we live in Foster). The 15km Foster - Fish Creek (for coffee at the Flying Cow Cafe) - Foster ride is a fairly regular Saturday or Sunday arvo excursion when the weather is good.

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VeloGiro
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby VeloGiro » Thu Jun 11, 2015 7:16 am

Hi DT - Good tailwind indeed! We earned it though...the day earlier as there was a reasonable blow heading into Meeniyan that we were riding into...

We ate at Moos at Meeniyan which was really quite good - Have heard from a few others about Trulli - on the list for next time.

Until quite recently we have had pretty much unrestricted access to a family property in Wonga - on the Mt Best Rd so we were regular GSRT riders - gotta love the flying cow cafe! It actually wasn't open for brekkie when we arrived at Fish Creek - we had a coffee (and cake) at 9 acres instead...good coffee too!
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Dave Trees
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby Dave Trees » Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:05 pm

Yep, nothing wrong with 9 Acres coffee either. We used to live on Wonga-Square Top Rd (the Boolarong end) but are in town now.

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VeloGiro
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby VeloGiro » Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:22 pm

Pretty close to where we had the place - Cate and Chris's place was the property on the LHS after you crossed the Franklin River on the Mt Best Rd - i probably rode past you place a couple of times on my many rides chris-crossing the Foster Hills...awesome part of the world! We miss it a lot! even (and perhaps even mostly) at this time of year, when we really didn't see the sun deep in the river gully. Was nice to be back in the area over the long weekend...
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Tim
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby Tim » Fri Jun 19, 2015 8:51 pm

Hi VelGiro.
You sound like the ideal person to ask about crossing the ranges from the Rosedale-Traralgon side over to Fish Creek or Foster, or thereabouts.
Once the weather fines up a bit I'm planning on a trip from home here in East Gippsland down to one of my favourite locales, Walkerville.
I just want to pitch camp at the Walkerville caravan park, right down the quiet far-end and relax for a few days.
The loose plan is to ride the flat, plains country North of the Princes Hwy from Bairnsdale down to Latrobe Valley (or Rosedale) cross the Strzeleckis and arrive in Sth Gippsland somewhere between Yarram and Fish Creek.
I've ridden the coastal/Rail Tail route down from Sale tons of times and would like a change ie. over the ranges and then return home via a similar, but different route back to Poollution Valley and back home.
Obviously less busy sealed or dirt roads are okay, scenic route preferred. I think one days riding will cover the distance (and climbing) over the Strzeleckis, I'm not sure there is an abundance of good watered campsites en route.
Any thoughts?
Last edited by Tim on Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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il padrone
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby il padrone » Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:07 pm

Tim, from just about any point it is going to take you two days (or one very long day) - 101 kms to ride from the Latrobe Valley to Walkerville.

Last April I had a delightful ride out of Morwell; boring main road at first then to Yinnar and the delightful Boolarra (pub does camping on-site). I rode further along the Morwell River Road, absolutely magic, and many small basic campsites along the way (no facilities) - I got caught out on a long stretch between campsites with steep valley sides, so I wound up doing the 'troll' thing and camping underneath a side-road bridge :twisted: Next day I found a very nice campsite just 2-3 ks further on :| , by the last creek crossing before the climb up to the Grand Ridge Rd. I continued on to the Gunyah-Toora Rd over Mt Fatigue. This whole day I didn't see another car on the road until about 4pm at Mt Best. I slacked about and enjoyed the view at Mt Fatigue, but it would be quite reasonable to get right through to Walkerville. I looped around to Woorara and camped at Dingo Dell.

A return route could be to go back to Foster then up Ameys Track, Nippards Track, and down the Turtons Creek Rd, camping at Turtons Falls area. Then ride on to Mirboo North the next day and on towards either Trafalagar or Moe. Or do the rail-trail down to Boolarra and take the flatter route back to Morwell.

Cheers
Last edited by il padrone on Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tim
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby Tim » Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:45 pm

I thought (and was hoping) you might pipe-up Pete, thanks.
By a one day crossing I meant from say Traralgon to Foster or Rosedale to Yarram and then an easy day on to Walkerville.
I do like the idea of spending a night camped in the ranges.
Mt Fatigue sounds quite appropriate for a cycle tourer. :D Not as worrisome as Mt. Misery or worse still Mt. Buggery. :D
I trust the creek water in those parts is okay boiled?

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il padrone
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby il padrone » Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:41 pm

Sorry, just recalled, my ride was out of Moe, then through the Haunted Hills towards Morwell, but cutting across to the Strzelecki Highway.

Yes, I drank the water from the Morwell River up in the ranges with no concerns - boiled it for cooking, and I think I even topped up the water bottles neat.

That Gunyah-Toora Road was a real delight.

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VeloGiro
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Re: Great Southern Rail Trail

Postby VeloGiro » Wed Jun 24, 2015 9:19 am

il padrone wrote:Tim, from just about any point it is going to take you two days (or one very long day) - 101 kms to ride from the Latrobe Valley to Walkerville.

Last April I had a delightful ride out of Morwell; boring main road at first then to Yinnar and the delightful Boolarra (pub does camping on-site). I rode further along the Morwell River Road, absolutely magic, and many small basic campsites along the way (no facilities) - I got caught out on a long stretch between campsites with steep valley sides, so I wound up doing the 'troll' thing and camping underneath a side-road bridge :twisted: Next day I found a very nice campsite just 2-3 ks further on :| , by the last creek crossing before the climb up to the Grand Ridge Rd. I continued on to the Gunyah-Toora Rd over Mt Fatigue. This whole day I didn't see another car on the road until about 4pm at Mt Best. I slacked about and enjoyed the view at Mt Fatigue, but it would be quite reasonable to get right through to Walkerville. I looped around to Woorara and camped at Dingo Dell.

A return route could be to go back to Foster then up Ameys Track, Nippards Track, and down the Turtons Creek Rd, camping at Turtons Falls area. Then ride on to Mirboo North the next day and on towards either Trafalagar or Moe. Or do the rail-trail down to Boolarra and take the flatter route back to Morwell.

Cheers
Tim sorry about the lag in getting back to you - I dont reckon i could pick a better route north south that the one that il padrone has suggested...I have ridden this exact route a couple of times and completely agree that both the Morwell River Rd and the Gunyah Toora rd are just wonderful...the Toora 'road' carries so little traffic that you are almost riding on organic matter over the gravel road base. Its magic! Do take the side track to Mt Fatigue - Its well worth it for the view across corner inlet to the prom. If you did want to stay in Foster take the right fork at the Mt Best Hall and take the Foster - Mt Best Rd its also a ripper with sweeping long views across the Foster Hills. The property we used to stay at is on the RHS just before you cross the Franklin River...we really miss not being there as much as we did! :cry:

Heading back - whilst its a little longer than heading due north from Foster I would be tempted to ride the rail trail to Welshpool - the south Gippy to Yarram and then head up the Tarra Valley to Balook - The road through Tarra Bulga NP up to the grand ridge road from yarram is a ripper :D . When we last rode the length of the GRR there were lots of stoney sections...from memory that section of the road was OK...From Balook theres a long downhill roll into Taralgon, in the shadow of Mt Tassie (the tallest point in the Srezlecki's) - This road does traverse pretty scarred landscapes, logging coupe after logging coupe but that's OK - folks have been logging in those hills for a while...and whats being processed there are pretty much monoculture forestry farms... so far removed from anything resembling old growth...The forest on the Gunyah/Toora road on the other hand whist still a regenerating forest system is biodiverse and wonderful...

The route suggested by il padrone to head out of Foster up Ameys track and further north to Mirboo North would also be very good...almost worth it for the rail trail alone...

Lovely, lovely places to ride...and a break in Walkerville to cap it all off - Goodonya!

Cheers
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