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.
For the first six kilometres it was a steady climb to Eglington Gap.
The views at the top made it well worth the effort.
Then it was a nice roll downhill to where the trail crosses the Goulburn Highway near Cathkin.
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.
After Molesworth there was another steady climb to the Cheviot tunnel, built from bricks in 1889 and 201 metres long.
I walked through the dark of the tunnel to daylight on the other side.
After the descent from the tunnel there were more bridges, this time across the floodplains of the Yea River.
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).
I had cycled 38.5 kilometres and climbed 307 metres.
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.
Interested in visiting this beautiful rail trail yourself? Check out this Ultimate Guide by Tour de Vines for information about where to stay, ride and eat along the trail.
