Spring - Mountains to the Mighty Murray - the lure of Ned Kelly, Wine & Gold - Adventures and Cycling in the Victorian High Country!

Our Mountains to the Murray, Ned Kelly, Wine and Gold back country cycling adventure is rated Grade 2 - easy to intermediate, with great cycling, fantastic scenery, and loads of fun and produce sampling.

• Next available tour - 14 to 21 October 2010 - Fantastic cycling and wine!
  
  This tour is booking now - for a booking form or if you require additional information e-mail info@bushrangerbikes.com.au

More information about our Autumn tour including an overview of the itinerary, plus transport arrangements - coming soon.

Spring is an Explosion of Colour and perfume - Bright - North Eastern Victoria.

Summary:

The Murray to Mountains (M2M) is Victoria's best rail trail, and arguably the best in Australia.  Bushranger Bikes runs a 8 night/9 day Spring tour to this fantastic region of Australia taking in the delights of the North Eastern Victoria high country, including 2 nights stay in both beautiful alpine Bright and fantastic historic Beechworth, a night in gourmet Milawa and a night in epicurean Rutherglen - vine & wine central.

This region is the land of vineyards, tobacco, hops, berries and bakeries and an abundance of local produce is waiting to be sampled.

We then travel to vibrant, colourful and historic Bendigo to ride the O'Keefe rail trail plus some local tracks and trails around the city - perfect.

Accommodation will be in high quality boutique establishments with an emphasis on something different or historic, and the food is fantastic - a trade mark of Bushranger Bikes tours.

Spring colour - cruising the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail - North Eastern Victoria.

Some Details:

This tour runs from Bright in the North Eastern Victorian high country to the mighty Murray River - Ned Kelly country - following the rail, wine and food trail down the Alpine Way to Milawa and Wangaratta. Then we pick up some quiet back country roads that will lead us through to the vineyards of Rutherglen and a new section of the rail trail that runs to Wahgunyah on the Murray River and the NSW boarder.  This section of the tour, including additional rides in Bright and Beechworth, is approximately 200kms of fantastic and relaxing adventure cycling at its best!

Then its a transfer through to the historic city of Bendigo where gold and wine continue to shape the culture and landscape.  Bendigo is a city of colour with amazing flower displays and also a vibrant student and education centre with good shopping and historic architecture.  We spend two nights in Bendigo and ride the O'Keefe Rail Trail and some of the local tracks and trails around and through town - fantastic.  In spring there is a floral colour explosion so get your camera ready.

The Murray to Mountains rail trail is fully bitumen surfaced and the gradients are kind, which makes for fantastic cycling.   The leisure days in both Beechworth and Bright offer and opportunity to explore (and shop) in and around these beautiful historic towns.  Both towns offer some fantastic scenery, historic buildings and fantastic shopping and food - all easily accessible on foot and on the bike.  In Beechworth a highlight is riding the Beechworth Gorge road and visiting local vineyards, whilst Bright offers trails beside the Ovens River, great shopping, and a side trip up Mount Buffalo with an awesome gravity assisted 26km ride down.

The O'Keefe Rail Trail and Bendigo tracks will provide another 50kms+ of great cycling through eucalypt forest and wild flowers on well graded gravel trails.

At this time of the year the new spring growth and flower displays, crisp clear days and nights and the possibility of just a little snow on Mt Buffalo and the surrounding mountains (Bogong, Hotham and Feathertop) provide awesome scenery and magic memories.

All our tours to this region include a visit to Brown Brothers Winery at Milawa, and a chance to check out local produce including olives, cheeses and mustards - food heaven!

Our tours to North Eastern Victoria and the Yarra are simply magic!

The magic of the vines - Gapsted, Alpine Way, North Eastern Victoria

More information about our Autumn tour including an overview of the itinerary, plus transport arrangements - coming soon.

Top

News Articles about the trail: - Click Here

The Sunday Telegraph writer, Veronica Matheson wrote a feature article on the Murray to Mountains trail - Trailblazing in Kelly country, December 11, 2005
Check out what she had to say - click here!

Simon Troman sampled the delights of the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail on a trip he titled 'a tasting tour'.  Simon commented that 'this was a marvellous trip with views, atmosphere, wine and food'.  Check out his article  in the Jan - Feb edition of Australian Cyclist magazine.

Top

Trailblazing in Kelly Country

By Veronica Matheson, The Sunday Telegraph

December 11, 2005

CRUISING along the much-lauded waterways of France is a popular tourist pastime. Holidaymakers spend their nights in a canal boat, then hop on a bike by day to explore the countryside.

Paths of glory ... cyclists enjoy stunning views off the beaten track

Markets, vineyards, and tempting food are essential to the daytime pedalling experience.

But, while north-eastern Victoria has no canals, the region has plenty to offer with sparkling, clean rivers, historic towns including places where bushranger Ned Kelly once roamed, a stunning mountain backdrop and a magical rail trail for tourists.

Defunct railway lines have become safe bike paths where cyclists have no problems weaving in and out of traffic to explore breathtaking scenery in the alpine foothills to Mount Buffalo and Mount Feathertop.

It is an out-of-town experience where holidaymakers become fit without knowing it, while feasting on the freshest produce the area can provide, trying local wines and bedding down in an eclectic range of accommodation.

The route is along 98km of trails connecting Wangaratta with Beechworth, Myrtleford and Bright.

The Beechworth and Ovens Valley railway lines were the first branch lines built in country Victoria. The first train to Beechworth was in 1876 and the last in 1977; and the first train to Bright headed out in 1890; and the last in 1983.

At the same time, the Ovens Valley railway line was used for passenger services until 1952 and continued goods services until the 1980s.

Some of the old train stations have been converted into shelters with toilet stops and drinking water for the rail trail bikers.

Cycling along the well-surfaced, and meandering rail trails doesn't have to be a race, more a fun experience, or a get-together of friends who travel at a relaxed pace.

The rail trail has attracted more than 40,000 users in the past 12 months, with 99 per cent taking to the trail on bicycles, either touring and staying in different places each night or taking day trips along the trail from a central location.

While in north-eastern Victoria, there are many more ways to extend the holiday. For starters, it is possible to catch a bus to the top of Mount Buffalo and ride back down by bike, or take a break for a river swim, or a mountain walk or do a spot of fishing for the next meal.

Many consider the ride from Beechworth to Everton one of the most seductive rides in Victoria. A highlight of the 15km rail trail ride is that it is all downhill and passes through native bushland.

It takes about 35 minutes, but can be much longer if stopping off to check out the flora (the scent of soaring gums adds to the experience) and fauna (cockatoos, kingfishers and rabbits are plentiful, as are noisy magpies).

A further excuse to dawdle is a much-needed stop at Pennyweight Winery's inviting cellar door to sample the organic wines. Pennyweight's back gate is right on the Rail Trail, 5km out of Beechworth; details at www.pennyweight.com.au

Also handy to the rail trail is Gapsted Wines, which provides an opportunity to sample great antipasti platters as well as checking out the cellar door. Jazz on Sundays; see http://www.gapstedwines.com.au/

A good diversion is to head to Milawa for cheese, mustards, berries, olives, and the wine treats at Brown Brothers.

Top