This little gem is in two parts, separated by a short, on-road section through Rokeby.  It was part of the Warragul to Noojee branch line that featured the tallest trestle bridges in the Southern Hemisphere, of which the impressive Noojee Trestle is the sole survivor.

There are distance markers along the trail. In an emergency, call 000 and quote the figures on the emergency marker closest to your location

This remarkable countryside of tall trees, rolling hills and scenic views is only a short drive from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Access Points

• Rokeby south: Limited parking on Old Telegraph Rd West, outside Rokeby Flora and Fauna Reserve
• Rokeby: Carpark at end of Lavinia St is southern end of Crossover Regional Park, toilets in recreation reserve hall
• Crossover carpark on Bloomfield Rd is 600m from the trail and another 200m from the trestle bridge

South Rokeby to Rokeby (1.5km)

• Enter the flora and fauna reserve, established in the 1960s, from Old Telegraph Rd West. Here you will find a number of endangered native plants.
• A short side path on the left leads to the Tarago River picnic area, a grassy spot with a picnic table, seats and good fishing.
• Sadly, someone filled in the cutting at Brandy Creek Rd, so you have to turn hard right and climb up that road to Rokeby Recreation Reserve. There’s a narrow path most of the way that takes you past the hall to Lavinia St and the start of the next section.
• Rokeby has a substantial market on the second Saturday of the month.

Rokeby to Crossover Trestle Bridge (3.8km)

• This stretch climbs on a 1-in-40 grade, which was the steepest continuous ascent on the line between Warragul and Noojee.
• Watch for the interpretive signs in a shelter and mountain bike tracks in the bush, built with the blessing of Parks Victoria.
• At the top end of this section is the heritage-listed Crossover Trestle Bridge, built by the railway contractor in 1891 as a road bridge for traffic to pass over the railway line’s deep cutting.

BONUS TRACK

Rokeby to Neerim Trail (13km)

• Much of the rail corridor between Warragul and Noojee is now in private hands, but you can get an idea of what the train trip was like by travelling along the Rokeby to Noojee Trail.
• The first part of this journey is as described above, travelling via the rail trail through the Crossover Regional Park to the trestle bridge.
• Just before that bridge, the trail climbs to the west from the railway alignment to Bridge Rd and then follows the road reserve to Neerim South.
• The main street of this town has the former railway station’s turntable cone on display.
• The trail re-joins the rail corridor about 5km north of Neerim South (see map) for some spectacular mountain views at Apex Picnic Area Lookout.
• It ends on the outskirts of Neerim at Elton Rd, but planning is already underway to extend this shared-user path towards Noojee.
• Neerim South has shops, picnic tables, cafes and accommodation.