This railside trail is a mixture of shared-use paths and relatively quiet on-road sections, all with asphalt surfaces. The trail begins at Laffin Point and passes through the Port of Goolwa and the pretty seaside towns of Middleton, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor, which all date back to the mid-1800s

Built to a high standard, the shared path visits numerous parks with water fountains, bike repair stations and toilets. The beaches might have something to do with that. As this is a tourist region, convenient parking for cyclists’ vehicles can be an issue.

The main sections of the trail are:

Goolwa Wharf to Port Elliot: While the railway swung away from the shoreline, the shared path on this 15 km section takes a scenic route along the coast to meet the train line again just before Middleton

Port Elliot to Victor Harbor: In many places on this 7.5 km section, the railway line and trail are next to each other, providing opportunities for photographs of the trains with the coast in the background.

Access Points

• Goolwa North: On-street parking on Liverpool Rd, near Howell St
• Goolwa: Park at Goolwa Wharf at the end of Cutting Rd, or along Liverpool Rd to the north of Goolwa Wharf and close to the Murray River
• Middleton: Along Surfers Pde and the Esplanade
• Port Elliot: On the foreshore off The Cutting, but the area is often busy, so the best options can usually be found along Scrymgour Rd, Basham Pde or Strangways Tce
• Victor Harbor: Often busy near the town centre, but on-street parks can usually be found on Bridge Tce, Flinders Pde and The Esplanade

Goolwa North to Goolwa Wharf (3.5 km)

• From the Howell St/Liverpool Rd corner, the start of the Encounter Bikeway, a pleasant shared-use path takes you along the Murray River within the reserve next to Liverpool Rd
• Trains did not run in this area but you soon cross the tracks that run from Goolwa inland to Strathalbyn. This line is used by tourist trains based at Mt Barker
• The trail goes under the famous Hindmarsh Island Bridge before arriving at Goolwa Wharf

Goolwa Wharf to Port Elliot (15 km)

• The train line originally approached the wharf by reversing along Cutting Rd to be at right angles to the wharf. This was later changed so the train was parallel to the wharf and did not have to run through the centre of Goolwa. The train heads inland then west to Middleton, the trail goes straight.
• The wharf area was once a hive of activity moving produce from river barge to train; now it is just as busy in holiday season with tourists visiting the area’s many attractions. Enter the wharf area from beneath the Hindmarsh Bridge, turn right into Cutting Rd, cross the rail line and then turn left into Dunbar Rd
• As Dunbar Rd passes the railway station and moves away from the river, where there is an entrance to the next section of shared path. This short gravel strip follows the train line, then crosses it and continues along the quiet roads of Admiral Tce and Riverside Dr on the Murray River. From Barrage Rd, the trail is a shared-use path that passes a café, playground and bird hide.
• From Bristow-Smith Av, the trail uses the back streets of Goolwa and a section of shared-use path through a wetland to an off-road section at the end of Redclift St. This  leads along a timber deck over the usually dry wetland within Tokuremoar Reserve, which contains some of the last and least disturbed indigenous cultural heritage sites and foreshore dune habitat of its type on the Fleurieu Peninsula
• The trail then climbs to Surfers Pde, which offers great views of the Goolwa and Middleton surf beaches
• The trail deviates inland toward Middleton to cross Middleton Creek via a footbridge, then moves back to the coast at Middleton Point. When the surf is up, this area is always busy
• The trail runs through Rantalang Basham Beach Conservation Park as it heads to Port Elliot. It’s worth taking the time to look at the restored farm buildings and artwork in this reserve
• The Cockle Train line edges closer to the trail as you move through the reserve. As you climb to Port Elliot you will see Port Elliot Rd on the right, where the 1936 Australian Grand Prix was run between Victor Harbor and Port Elliot. Seventy thousand people watched Les Murphy win the race in an MG at a top speed of 110 kmh.
• Approaching Port Elliot the scenery changes from sprawling, sandy surf beaches to smaller surf beaches broken up by large areas of granite.

Port Elliot to Victor Harbor (7.5 km)

• The trail enters Port Elliot along Scrymgour Rd and then Basham Pde. Pause at the junction of Basham Pde and The Cutting to take in the scenery and history of Horseshoe Bay
• The cutting is on the alignment of the railway line, which ran down to a small jetty on the west side of the bay. Horseshoe Bay is very scenic with its rolling surf, cafes, islands and walking trails, but it proved extremely dangerous for shipping due to its shallow depth, rocky outcrops and exposure to high wind and waves. After the loss of many ships, the SA Government extended the rail line to Victor Harbor
• Enjoy the Harbour Master’s Walk around Freeman’s Knob, the shops of the Strand and the Port Elliot Railway Station
• The trail climbs up Strangways Tce along Murray Pl and then into Barbara St, where it crosses the railway line. In many places the line and trail are next to each other, providing opportunities for photographs of the train with the coast in the background
• The trail diverts around Urimbirra Creek at Watsons Gap, but the train crosses the creek on a reinforced concrete arch bridge built in 1907
• The trail (shared-use and on-road) follows the railway line to the Hindmarsh River Bridge, and then continues on adjacent to Hindmarsh Rd for 500 m before turning left, crossing the railway line and Bridge Rd
• The shared-use path turns right then left, past a skate park, toilets and bike repair station, before turning right and following the coast. Just past the bowling greens, you will see the Anchorage Hotel on the corner of Coral St and Flinders Pde. It’s worth a short diversion to travel along Coral St as you will see a railway crossing controlled by wooden gates. Victor Harbor Railway Station is immediately south of the gates.
• Return to the foreshore path and travel along Warland Reserve to the bridge that leads to Granite Island. See CONNECTING PATHS below.

Victor Harbor to Rosetta Head (5.5 km)

• The railside trail ends in Victor Harbor, but the Encounter Bikeway continues to Rosetta Head (“The Bluff”). This pleasant trail hugs the coastline and offers a scenic ride to a car park from which you can walk to the summit

CONNECTING PATHS

• Goolwa Barrage (4 km return): Follow Barrage Rd south from the trail (continue following Barrage Rd past the Bristow Smith Av corner and along river for 2 km. The concrete barrage was built in 1935 to stop salt water from the Murray mouth spreading up into the river and fouling the water supply. You can walk along the barrage out into the Murray and watch boats moving through the lock while seals and pelicans hunt the plentiful supply of fish.
• Watson’s Gap path (7 km return): The trail winds around Watson’s Gap Bridge and across Urimbirra Creek. A shared-use path on the northern side of the trail follows the creek into a  subdivision.
• Granite Island Tramway (7 km return): The Goolwa to Victor Harbor train ran along a timber causeway to a screw pile jetty (constructed in 1881) on the eastern side of Granite Island, where freight was loaded on to ships. Horse-drawn trams now ferry tourists to the island on a curved concrete bridge that replaced the causeway in 2022. The start and end of the causeway have been retained for your perusal. The bridge is technically a rail trail, but cycling is not permitted.