My first solo experience of the Waranga Rail Trail was exciting and enjoyable.
The Waranga Rail Trail follows the old railway between Murchison and Rushworth. Both towns are rich in heritage: Rushworth for timber and gold mining, and Murchison for farming, the Murchison Meteorite, and the Goulburn River. The trail passes through native forests, Waranga Basin, and irrigation canals from the Goulburn Weir.
I arrived at Rushworth, found carparking near the start of the trail and very soon on my mountain bike out on the trail. Fortunately, much of the original rail infrastructure is still in place around the old Rushworth station site and is featured on the trail out of town. After crossing the Bendigo Murchison Road, the trail surface changed from sealed to gravel. It was then a graded gravel surface on a shared path all the way to the Murchison.
The morning mist over Waranga Basin was delightful as was the bushland along the trail. It was also exciting to explore the old rail bridge crossing over the Goulburn River. Unfortunately, the trail finishes at Murchison township but hopefully could be extended across the river and onto Murchison East where PTV currently operate a service to Melbourne and Shepparton. There were numerous options for coffees, lunch and meals at Murchison and Rushworth.
I look forward to revisiting the trail after the official opening when we might see some interpretative signage at appropriate locations. This is a great trail for autumn and spring as there is currently no shelter along the 19kms of trail.