| Great Victorian Rail Trail | |
| Length: | 134 km |
| Difficulty: | Low |
| Hills: | Gentle (except Alexandra branch) |
| Water: | Available in towns |
| Surface: | Gravel |
| Train: | Regular services to Seymour Station near start of route |
| Bus: | Available in major towns |
The Great Victorian Rail Trail (formerly Goulburn River High Country Rail Trail) is the second longest rail trail in Australia (after the 161 km Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in Queensland), following the route of the former railway line from Tallarook, the Mansfield Railway and Alexandra Railway in north central Victoria, Australia, about 100km (100miles) north-east of Melbourne. The trail surface is partially granitic sand and partly chert (a kind of gravel).[1]
Officially opened in June 2012, it stretches for 134km (83miles) from Tallarook near Seymour, through Trawool, Yea and Bonnie Doon to Mansfield, with an offshoot to Alexandra from Cathkin. Its highlights include the 200m (700feet) Cheviot Tunnel near Yea, views of the Goulburn River, the Heritage listed Trawool Valley and a former rail bridge over Lake Eildon near Bonnie Doon.
The towns passed through by the main rail trail are: Tallarook, Trawool, Kerrisdale, Homewood, Yea, Molesworth, Yarck, Kanumbra, Merton, Bonnie Doon, Maindample, Mansfield . The trail forks near Molesworth, leading to Alexandra .
On 29 April 2009, the Federal Government announced that it would contribute A$13.2 million from its community infrastructure program out of the estimated total cost of A$14.2 million needed for the completion of the trail as an economic stimulus and as part of the recovery effort in the wake of the 2009 Victorian bushfires. The money was spent to repair and build bridges, road crossings, car parking, rest stops and amenities.[2]