Great Southern Rail Trail - Trail Description

Between Leongatha and Koonwarra. Alexander McCooke

Location: South Gippsland, 129km from Melbourne

Start/end: Leongatha to Foster

Region: Gippsland, Victoria

Length open: 49km

Surface: Fine gravel

Description

The trail is gently undulating with a wide and well-graded surface which meanders eastwards through the lush dairy cattle farmland and remnant bush of the Gippsland hills. Visitors are rewarded with views of Wilson’s Promontory National Park, which is not far away.

The South Gippsland Tourist railway runs from Nyora to Leongatha, refer site below.

Status April 2008: Between Koonwarra and Meeniyan there are three old timber bridges that have not been restored. To bypass these bridges it is necessary to use the highway for approximately three kilometres near Koonwarra (dotted section of trail shown on map). A highway realignment is planned in this area, and this section containing the bridges will not be opened until the realignment is completed.

Last updated June 2010.

News Items

April 2008 Tarwin River Bridge Open

January 2007 Special Heritage Day Event

For more information on this trail see the book Rail Trails of Victoria and South Australia.

Trail Map

See Rail Trails of Victoria and South Australia for a much more detailed map. The maps in the book include all trail access points, facilities along the trail and gradient profiles (example).

Gallery

Click any of the photos below for a larger image or display all.

New Pumphouse Bridge beside the old railway bridge across the Tarwin River near Meeniyan. David Levin 2008

Web Links

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Related Information

Discuss this trail in our Victoria Rail Trails Forum
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Rail Trails of Victoria and South Australia

This trail is included in our guide book Rail trails of Victorian and South Australia. The book features 25 rail trails. It includes plenty of photos, detailed descriptions and full colour maps.

It is available from book shops and bike shops or order direct.

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