Great Victorian Rail Trail – Alexandra to Yea

Great Victorian Rail Trail - Coming out the other side of the Cheviot tunnel and heading down towards Yea

Derek dropped me at Alexandra, a pretty little town situated on the upper reaches of the Goulburn River. I was to cycle 38 kilometres along the Great Victorian Rail Trail back to our caravan park at Yea.  I couldn’t resist having a coffee at Cafe Alex before I began the ride.

Refuelled, I headed down the hill to the start of the branch line trail at the Alexandra Railway Station Historic Area.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - the railway station at Alexandra
The railway station at Alexandra

For the first six kilometres it was a steady climb to Eglington Gap.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - Looking back down the trail towards Alexandra from Eglington Lookout
Looking back down the trail towards Alexandra from Eglington Lookout

The views at the top made it well worth the effort.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - the view from Eglington Gap above the small town of Alexandra
The view from Eglington Gap above Alexandra

Then it was a nice roll downhill to where the trail crosses the Goulburn Highway near Cathkin.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - the trail runs alongside the remains of a railway trestle bridge
The remains of a railway trestle bridge on the trail between Cathkin and Molesworth
Great Victorian Rail Trail – Cathkin to Yea

Between Cathkin and Molesworth there were lots of bridges crossing the Goulburn flood plain and eventually the Goulburn River itself.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - view from the bridge over the Goulburn River at Molesworth
View from the bridge over the Goulburn River at Molesworth

After Molesworth there was another steady climb to the Cheviot tunnel, built from bricks in 1889 and 201 metres long.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - the Cheviot historic railway tunnel - built from bricks in 1889 and 201 metres long
The Cheviot historic railway tunnel

I walked through the dark of the tunnel to daylight on the other side.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - Coming out the other side of the Cheviot tunnel and heading down towards Yea
Coming out the other side of the Cheviot tunnel and heading down towards Yea

After the descent from the tunnel there were more bridges, this time across the floodplains of the Yea River.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - One of many curved bridges along the trail
One of many curved bridges along the trail

When I arrived at Yea I had to patronise Marmalades Cafe again before returning to Derek at camp (Derek is not a fan of coffee shops).

Great Victorian Rail Trail - Marmalades Cafe in Yea is in a 128 year old former General Store - great food and great Christmas decorations!
Marmalades Cafe, in a former general store built in 1887, with many of the historical features still intact

I had cycled 38.5 kilometres and climbed 307 metres.

Great Victorian Rail Trail - Alexandra to Yea Map and Elevation chart
Alexandra to Yea Map and Elevation chart (courtesy of Strava)

A few days later I completed the Great Victorian Rail Trail by riding from Cathkin to Mansfield. On the day before I had ridden from Tallarook to Yea.

6 thoughts on “Great Victorian Rail Trail – Alexandra to Yea”

  1. A nice ride. Good surfaces to ride on and fantastic views. I like seeing the Strava maps Helen. As you know, I’m not a speedy cyclist but I enjoy seeing a map of the terrain that I’ve ridden. I also find Strava helpful for planning new routes and making me aware of gradients before I go out on a hilly ride. Glad you enjoyed the cafe options along the way 🙂

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