It was my last day on the East Gippsland Rail Trail. I had already completed the sections from Orbost to Nowa Nowa (39 kilometres) and Bruthen to Nowa Nowa (33 kilometres) and today I was tackling Bruthen to Bairnsdale.
Derek kindly took me to Bruthen. We were to meet later in Bairnsdale for lunch. Bruthen is a charming town on the Tambo River. Heading south out of town, I came to this remnant timber bridge.
It was fun to ride through and look up at the detail of the structure.
From here, the trail began to climb gradually, passing a few pleasant resting spots such as this unusual picnic table.
The Tambo River floodplains spread out on my right.
There were some interesting remnants of the area’s agricultural history. Maize was the main crop grown in this region from 1910 to 1970. These maize cribs near Wiseleigh were built for storage of the corn.
Just after Mossiface, I passed these disused hop kilns, built in 1881 and used until 1910.
The trail was now running alongside Swan Reach Road. There were three underpasses.
Just before I came to Bumberrah an echidna ambled across the track ahead of me. Overcoming my surprise, I reached for my phone, but was too late to take a photo.
I was ready for my morning tea and this shelter near Bumberrah provided a welcome break from the cool westerly breeze.
A blueberry farm was nearby. Unfortunately I was too early for the season (mid-December to mid-February).
At Harmans Road, there was another pleasant resting place with a strategically placed bench. From there I could see all the way to Lake King.
Six more kilometres and I came to the Nicholson River. The rail trail bridge was built on top of the former railway bridge.
The views of the Nicholson river from the bridge were stunning – downstream
and upstream.
If you looked at the bridge from the side, you could see that it was made of both timber and riveted steel sections.
Only nine kilometres to go!
I texted Derek to let him know my location and before long we were lunching at the Stables Cafe in Bairnsdale.
I had cycled 33 kilometres and climbed 209 metres.
Recommendation
If you need to do an out and back ride on the East Gippsland Rail Trail, I would recommend starting in Nicholson and cycling to Bruthen and back – 20 kilometres each way, 40 kilometres in total. Bruthen has a few cafes as well as the Bullant Brewery, giving lots of options for lunch or a morning tea snack.
Other wonderful sections on the East Gippsland Rail Trail are between Bruthen and Nowa Nowa and Orbost and Nowa Nowa, while another excellent rail trail in Gippsland is the Great Southern Rail Trail.
