Great Southern Rail Trail
| Great Southern Rail Trail | |
|---|---|
| Great Southern Rail Trail with disused track at Leongatha | |
| 250px | |
| Length | 68 km |
| Difficulty | Easy to medium |
| Hills | Multiple gentle hills |
| Hazards | Some travel on, and crossings of, major highways |
| Water | Available in most towns |
| Path | Compacted gravel |
| Connecting Transport | |
| Trains | No regular passenger service; tourist train at Leongatha |
The Great Southern Rail Trail is a 68-kilometre rail trail from Leongatha to Welshpool in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.[1] This mostly flat or gently undulating trail goes through lush dairy farmland, areas of remnant bush and lowland scrub. It climbs from the foothills of Fish Creek up past Mount Hoddle and then down a steep descent through dense forest out into magnificent views of Wilsons Promontory and Corner Inlet, continuing on to Foster.[2]
The trail is well maintained with a surface of compacted gravel. Koalas and wallabies can often be seen from the trail particularly in the early mornings and evenings.
The 10 km Toora to Welshpool section was opened on 7 February 2015. There is a 3 km section of the abandoned railway line between Koonwarra and Meeniyan where trail users are diverted onto the nearby South Gippsland Highway. This section, containing three dilapidated trestle bridges, is currently being repaired, and when completed, will provide an unbroken trail from Leongatha to Welshpool. Users can then link to a 6 km pathway to Port Welshpool and its picturesque Long Jetty.
The trail is being progressively extended, and may eventually reach Yarram.[3]
Contents
History
The original South Gippsland line opened in 1892, joining Dandenong to Port Albert, with a later extension to Woodside and branch lines to Strzelecki, Outtrim and Wonthaggi. The railway was important for settlement and development of the area, providing transport for forestry and dairy products to Melbourne.
The line was closed to all rail traffic in 1992, a century after opening when the Esso Mobil Barry Beach Marine Terminal, situated in Corner Inlet, oil rail freight services ceased operation on 30 June 1992. Almost two weeks prior on 17 June 1992, superphosphate rail freight services along the line to Buffalo ceased, which was the last 'mixed goods service' in the region and a distinctive feature during the existence of the line.
The line beyond Leongatha to Yarram and Barry Beach was dismantled in stages up until 14 December 1994, when the final V/Line 'Rail Recovery' train transported the last of the tracks that were recovered and were subsequently reused for the Melbourne to Adelaide railway line standardisation gauge conversion project throughout 1995. This day also marked the closure of the South Gippsland railway line from Nyora to Leongatha, however, it was reopened for the South Gippsland Railway two weeks after this event, who continue to operate heritage rail services on this section.
The establishment of the South Gippsland Railway and the eventual electrification of the Cranbourne line in March 1995 prevented the original plans by the Victorian state government at the time to dismantle the entire line as far as Cranbourne.
Rail trail route
Leongatha to Koonwarra (8km)
Leongatha is located in the foothills of South Gippsland's Strzelecki Ranges with a population around 5,000.[4] The trail passes through wide-open spaces of lush dairy country before entering teatree and eucalypt bushland near Koonwarra.
Koonwarra to Minns Rd (3km)
Between the Koonwarra recreation reserve and Minns Road, the rail trail is currently closed. It is necessary for trail users to divert to the busy and narrow South Gippsland Highway for 3 km. The shoulder is better on the westbound side (towards Koonwarra).[5]
Minns Rd to Meeniyan (6km)
This is a fairly rough section of the track, and there is an old timber bridge alongside the new bridge over the Tarwin River near Meeniyan.[5]
Meeniyan to Foster, via Buffalo and Fish Creek (32km)
- Meeniyan to Stony Creek (3.5 km)
- Stony Creek to Buffalo (8 km)
- Buffalo to Fish Creek (8 km)
- Fish Creek to Lowrys Rd (5 km)
- Lowrys Rd to Foster (7.5 km)
This section of the trail has a fine gravel surface and passes through bushland, swamp scrub and lowland forest. There is abundant local wildlife; kangaroos, wallabies and bird life thrive in this area. At the foothills of the Hoddle Range, there are steeper parts of the trail and a number of cuttings and embankments.[5]
The quirky town of Fish Creek has a strong arts scene and plenty of options to eat and restock supplies. There is a climb from Fish Creek to Hoddle Summit where there are views over Corner Inlet and Wilsons Promontory from the peak.
Foster is a small regional town but caters well for visitors and there are plenty of accommodation options.[6]
Foster to Welshpool (18km)
References
- ↑ Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.bv.com.au/change-the-world/11334/
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
See also
- Bicycle Trails in Victoria
- Rail Trails Australia description
- Gippsland's official tourism website - Leongatha
- Gippsland's official tourism website - Foster
- Great Southern Rail Trail - Description and photos
- Bike Paths Victoria sixth edition, 2004. Edited and published by Sabey & Associates Pty Ltd. pp149. ISBN 0-9579591-1-7
Geographic data related to Great Southern Rail Trail at OpenStreetMap
