Victorian Rail Trail 6-Pack: Coast, Craters and Gold

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Warrnambool to Port Fairy Rail Trail

   You'll start with an early morning departure from Southern Cross Station in the heart of Melbourne and head south-west to Warrnambool, a bustling regional city, sitting at the far end of the famous Great Ocean Road. Here you'll have the orientation and safety briefing, set up the bikes and fuel up before kicking off along the rail trail to Port Fairy.

   The trail encompasses the Warrnambool breakwater precinct, small historic towns, rural countryside, woodlands and native vegetation, sea views at Killarney, coastal sand dunes and the Merri River wetlands. At the end of the line, you'll arrive at Port Fairy just in time for a late lunch. This charming fishing village exudes a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere with wide streets, nineteenth-century cottages, great Norfolk pines and old stone churches. You will stay at a great motel at one end of the main street where you can wander and explore the galleries, cafes and shops –it’s a wonderful location to enjoy your first overnight.
   

   • 23 miles
   • Motel in Port Fairy
   • Dinner
2. Day 2Camperdown to Port Campbell (Craters to Coast Rail Trail)

   Today begins with a short drive inland towards Camperdown where you will get to set up over morning tea and ready for the day’s ride which is a trail dotted with statuesque trestle bridges and spellbinding scenery. Traverse volcanic features in Kanawinka Global Geopark, farmland, timbered grassland, and tall wet forest on the descent into the wooded Timboon valley. Keep an eye out for native animals which are also frequent users of the trail.

   The relationship between native wildlife and the trail is creatively interpreted by a display housed in the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery which is currently the end of the trail (30km), but by the time you get there in 2023, the remaining trail should be finished all the way through to Port Campbell (50km). Port Campbell sits comfortably in a sheltered bay on the Great Ocean Road where you will have plenty of time for a look around and perhaps grab a drink before dinner overlooking the ocean

   • 31.1 miles
   • Accommodation in Port Campbell
   • Breakfast, Dinner, and Snacks

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     Relax and maybe grab a drink

     After a day's biking, unwind at Timboon Railway Shed Distillery with some drinks or by appreciating their art display

3. Day 3Otway Fat Tyre e-Bike Tour + Gellibrand to Colac (Old Beechy Rail Trail)

   After breakfast this morning you'll beat the crowds to two of the most popular attractions on the Great Ocean Road as you drop into the stunning Loch Ard Gorge and The 12 Apostles, before heading for a tree-change, delving deep into the Otway National Park. You will visit the ‘Otway Fly’ tourist attraction - this 600 metre-long, 25 metre-high elevated walkway provides unrivalled views of the unique beauty of the region’s flora and fauna. An exhilirating fat tyre e-bike tour through the forest (8km) is also included in today's agenda.
   

   After a fun morning, make your way to the Old Beechy Trail at Gellibrand, where you can cycle through magnificent forest towering above, rich farmland and rolling hills. There is excellent birdlife, giant eucalypts and blackwoods shading the lush understorey.
   

   • 22.4 miles
   • Accommodation in Colac
   • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks

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     Otway Fat Tyre e-Bike Tour

     Explore Otway National Park differently on chunkier wheels

4. Day 4Skipton to Ballarat Rail Trail

   A morning drive north takes you away from the coastal/forest region that you have enjoyed over the last few days to the distinctly contrasting landscapes of the Goldfields region. Morning tea is in Skipton at the start of today’s trail. Appropriately, the name is Anglo-Saxon for 'sheep town' as Skipton became a major centre for sales of pure wool and the first rural show in the Western District was held here in 1859.

   The well-signposted trail includes railway memorabilia and trestle bridges along the route, the old Chinese settlement at Nintingbool, Jubilee historic area and Italian Gully disused mines, with trail markers and information boards highlighting points of interest along the way.

   Your overnight is at the legendary gold-rush era Craig’s Royal Hotel. Built in 1862 on the site of Ballarat’s first officially licenced pub, Craig’s has been a goldfield icon since Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, slept in its ornately decorated rooms in 1867 and Dame Nellie Melba famously sang from its balcony in 1908. A recent renovation has re-established Craig’s as the finest boutique heritage hotel in the region and a wonderful dinner tonight will be a great example of why Ballarat is one of Victoria’s favourite regional cities.
   

   
   

   • 35.4 miles
   • Accommodation in Ballarat
   • Breakfast, Dinner, and Snacks

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     Craig's Royal Hotel

     Spend a night in history and comfort at the finest boutique hotel in the region

   • 

     Craig's Royal Hotel

     Spend a night in history and comfort at the finest boutique hotel in the region

5. Day 5Castlemaine to MaldonTrail (return)

   From Ballarat, it is just a short drive to the lovely spa town of Daylesford so it would be a pity not to drop in to have a wander through the town and stop for some morning tea. After relaxing refreshments, you'll continue to Castlemaine to start your round-trip ride to Maldon. Cycling through bushland and farmland, past some fantastic gold-era historical sites, the trail runs parallel to the Victorian Goldfields Tourist Train railway.

   This historic branch line railway served rural Victoria from 1880 through to the 1970s and has been restored to its former glory by dedicated volunteers. The scenic cycling and walking trail that follows the railway line was constructed in 2016 and opened in March of 2017. Take your time and enjoy lunch in Maldon before returning to your motel in Castlemaine where you will have the afternoon to explore town and the evening to celebrate your last night on tour with a final group dinner.
   

   • 22.4 miles
   • Motel in Castlemaine
   • Breakfast and Dinner
6. Day 6Heathcote to Bendigo (O’Keefe Rail Trail)

   You will take off this morning from Castlemaine to the welcoming village atmosphere of Heathcote, a location fast becoming one of Australia's most loved wine regions, and here you'll begin the final trail. Travellers have been taking this historic journey from Heathcote to Bendigo since 1888, when the railway line first linked the towns during the gold rush. Today the recreational trail beside the old railway line again allows users to journey along the safe, scenic trail passing through some spectacular natural bushland, past waterways and recreation reserves. 

   You'll stop off at the Axedale township for morning tea, where the trail crosses the pretty Campaspe River. Soak up the stunning natural river environment, which is a habitat for platypus, and keep an eye out for wildlife such as wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, and also the beautiful wildflowers along the trail. Reaching Bendigo, you'll pack-up, celebrate lunch together and head back to Melbourne Airport or Melbourne Southern Cross Station. Congratulations –what a week.
   

   • 31.1 miles
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks