Tallarook to Yea Rail Trail

At 134km, the Great Victorian Rail Trail is Australia's longest rail trail. It follows the route of an old train line once known as the Mansfield Line from Tallarook to Mansfield in the Victorian High Country. These days the route is designed for cyclists, walkers and horse riders and due to the route passing through numerous townships, accommodation, food and supplies are readily available along the way. There are numerous rail trails throughout Australia, being shared-use paths recycled from abandoned railway corridors. The numerous access points make it easy to plan day trips, or the journey can be done as a multi-day trip without the need to be fully self-sufficient.

For the purpose of providing ease of navigation and planning, we have split the route into 6 smaller Treks. This one covers the section from Tallarook to Yea. After completing this Trek you can continue along the rail trail using our next Trek in the series Yea to Molesworth.

This Trek covers the westernmost section of The Great Victorian Rail Trail and is just under 40km in length. The route follows the banks of the beautiful Goulburn River for the first 23km and includes crossing the King Parrot Creek over a bridge. After the bridge the trail turns away from the Goulburn River and the Trawool Valley opens up into gently undulating grazing farmland. This area is classified by the National Trust for its scenic beauty. The trail is constructed from a mix of compacted gravel (chert) and granitic sand and does include approximately 450m of elevation however the gradients are gradual. The station precinct at the former Yea Railway Station has been restored and features the Yea Country Markets on the first Saturday of each month.

History

Indigenous History

Scar trees, rock shelters, rock art and place names all indicate that the Taungurung people (Daung wurrung) have been in this part of Victoria for thousands of years. Many Taungurung people still live on their country and participate widely in the community as cultural heritage advisors, land management officers, artists and educationalist.

European History

In 1824 Hamilton Hume and William Hovell were commission to lead an expedition to find new grazing land and attempt to discover where New South Wales's western rivers flowed.

Yea was established in May 1837 as the first service centre for the early squatters and settlers of the district and in the gold rush era of the 1850s it became a stopping place for gold prospectors.

In the 1860 the first section of railway line from Melbourne to the North East reached Essendon and then extended to reach Tallarook in 1872. By 1883 it had been extended further to Wodonga however a junction was built at Tallarook and a branch line built from Tallarook heading east into mountainous territory. This became the Mansfield line which is the route of this Trek.

The first stage from Tallarook to Yea was opened in 1883 being extended in stages through various small townships and reached Mansfield in 1891 some 117km from the junction. The line was quite scenic and included a 200m tunnel near Cheviot and a viaduct over an arm of the Lake Eildon reservoir in Bonnie Doon.

The line provided access for agricultural products from the region to the Melbourne markets but was closed and dismantled in 1978. No train has ever visited Yea since then.

After the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the Victorian Government announced a project to utilise the railway corridor to build a 134km cycle trail as an economic stimulus. AU$14Million was spent to repair and build bridges, road crossings, car parking, rest stops and amenities. The Great Victorian Rail Trail was opened in June 2012.

TrekID: 13416

Permits

This is a cycle/walking/horse trail only. Motorised vehicles are not permitted.

Best Time To Visit

The Trail is suitable for use all year round. The climate is generally mild by Australian standards, but can be hot in summer and cold in winter, depending on what you're used to. Average summer maximums are about 30C but may rise to low 40's on extreme days. Winter maximums average about 16C, but may be as low a 0C on occasions. Autumn and Spring are ideal seasons for this trek.

Yea Country Markets on the first Saturday of each month

Where to Stay

Accommodation is available at the Tallarook Hotel or in any of the B&Bs and farmstays in the area.
Yea has a number of hotels and motels plus B&Bs and farmstays in the area.

Services & Supplies