Great Southern Rail Trail

Great Southern Rail Trail
Great Southern Rail Trail with disused track at Leongatha
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]

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)

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)

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. 1 2 3 "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

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, October 25, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.