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Great Southern Rail Trail

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Template:MelbourneBikePath 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] before ending at Welshpool.

The trail is well maintained with a surface of compacted gravel. Koalas Wombats 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.

A section from Koonwarra to Minns road was recently opened incorporating what were three very dilapidated wooden trestle bridges. This section replaces what was a three kilometer diversion to the nearby South Gippsland Highway. The section provides 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]

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 operated heritage rail services on this section until December 2015.

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)

 Incorporating a new section of trail covering three old wooden trestle bridges.  The path winds its way around hills and over river flats with wonderful views of the local area.

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)

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)

  • Foster to Charity Lane (1 km)
  • Charity Lane to Toora (7 km)
  • Toora to Welshpool (10 km)
Map of the route, as of August 2013.

References

  1. ^ Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps
  2. ^ "Great Southern Rail Trail, Attraction, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia". Tourism Victoria home. Retrieved 2015-06-21.
  3. ^ http://www.bv.com.au/change-the-world/11334/
  4. ^ "Leongatha, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia". Tourism Victoria home. Retrieved 2015-06-21.
  5. ^ a b "Great Southern Rail Trail & Tarra Trail - Trail Search". www.railtrails.org.au. Retrieved 2015-06-21.
  6. ^ "Foster, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia". Tourism Victoria home. Retrieved 2015-06-21.

See also

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