Coast to Crater Rail Trail - Updates
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The latest developments and improvements on the trail
Section One (Camperdown to Timboon) nearing completion
30 June 08 The Coast to Crater Rail Trail should soon be in a rideable condition. This is apparent from an inspection in mid-June when Bicycle Victoria toured the length of the Camperdown-Timboon section of the trail with the Committee of Management. Watch this space - we'll have more information here about a special opportunity to explore this trail.
Surfacing is nearly complete, with rough gravel laid down on most of the trail which will be rolled and smoothed over winter. Signage for the trail has been installed, and with a few additions and minor adjustments of current sign alignments the route will be well marked. Work on restoring the historic Curdies River Bridge is continuing apace, and encouragingly, most of the pilings have already been restored, with only about half a dozen more to be upgraded before the length of the bridge can be resurfaced. With some additional changes and improvements to fencing alignments and a handful of gate points, the trail should soon be passable over its entire length.
At least initially, sections of the trail will still only be suitable for the more "adventuresome" riders. For instance, there is a stretch north of the bridge at Curdies River for approximately 4 km that features some steeper grades, narrower embankments and sharper corners than are usually found on rail trails. Additionally, this section will still have its original rails and ties in place, serving as a stark reminder that you're on a rail trail! Still, this is a small section of the overall trail, which will be navigable to most users, by dismounting and walking your bike, so don't be discouraged!
Caption: Example of the rustic portion of the trail, with sharp, narrow turns.
Initial access to the trail will be through town in Camperdown, starting at the central point of the train station, especially beneficial for all of those wishing to tackle the trail without the use of cars. Currently, signage needs to be improved to improve access from the station to the trail to ensure clear access for riders.
The trailhead at the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery will offer riders a welcome spot to rest, refresh, and replenish supplies. The Distillery is already open for business, and with a great deal of carparking in place with more to be added, and vegetation rehabilitation projects underway, it will make for an ideal location, both as the current end of the trail and as a link in the greater Coast to Crater Trail once it extends towards Port Campbell & Princetown...
...Speaking of Princetown
30 June 08 Now that the Camperdown to Timboon section of the Coast to Crater Trail is nearing completion, thought and effort is being put into developing the remaining sections of the trail. Interested local champions are soon to set up a new Committee of Management for the Timboon to Princetown section, which will take in the coastal attractions of Gibson's Steps, Loch Ard Gorge and the Twelve Apostles.
A feasibility study for the entirety of this section has already been completed for Corangamite Shire Council (linked in the post below). Initial discussions have focused on starting with the section of trail leading west from Princetown back towards Loch Ard Gorge as laid out in the study.
Next steps will be investigating and applying for further sources of funding.
Comment sought on the proposed extension along the Great Ocean Road
Jun 07 Community comment on the Coast to Crater Rail Trail Assessment report is now being invited and submissions close on July 6, 2007.
The report details the design and costs of extending the Camperdown to Timboon section of the rail trail (currently under construction) to Port Campbell, along the Great Ocean Road past the Twelve Apostles and onto Princetown.
Bicycle Victoria is very supportive of this project and will be working hard over the coming months to secure funding from State and Federal Governments.
If you like the idea of riding from the amazing Crater Lakes at Camperdown, through spectacular forest to the coast and then past the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, let the Council know how much they should make this project happen as soon as possible.
Click here to read the report and email council, shire@corangamite.vic.gov.au, to comment and show your support for the project.
Trail building well underway
May 07 Construction is underway on the Camperdown to Timboon section of the rail trail. The trail should be open to riders and walkers later this year.
In the meantime the local Committee of Management has asked people not to use the trail as it is a construction site. It seems that a lot of people cannot wait to ride and walk along this old railway line through some of Victoria's most beautiful and hidden remnant forests. Click on email me updates above to be notified when the trail is open for use.
The restoration of the Curdies Bridge on the rail trail (see right and below) is about to begin. The Committee of Management has asked for volunteers to help with the project. Anyone interested in working outdoors with timber and learning some 'old' skills from trestle bridge experts will be warmly welcomed. Email us and we will put you in touch with the team.
Coast to Crater Rail Trail reaching for the coast
May 07 Consultants are putting the final touches to a feasibility study for the two remaining sections of the trail. These are:
- The Timboon to Port Campbell section that will follow a water pipe easement away from the road for most of its route to the coast; and
- The Port Campbell to Princetown section that will run adjacent to the Great Ocean Road past Loch Ard Gorge, The Twelve Apostles, and through to the mouth of the Gellibrand River and Princetown.
The report should be available for public comment soon followed by funding applications to State and Federal Governments. Bicycle Victoria strongly supports this project and looks forward to it being developed as one of Victoria's highest priority tourism walking and cycling trails.
Click on email me updates above to be notified when any important information comes to hand.
March 2007 - Curdies River Bridge to be restored
Heritage Victoria have just announced over $150,000 to restore the Curdies River Bridge just north of Timboon , which will become a major feature on the Coast to Crater Rail Trail.
The Coast to Crater Rail Trail, which is currently being built from Timboon to Camperdown, was to go around the bridge. This funding will mean that riders and walkers will be able to go over this spectacular bridge.
Congratulations to all involved in continuing the successful flow of funds to this exciting project.
Click here to view the Heritage Victoria media release.
Whisky to flow freely on the Coast to Crater Rail Trail
Sep 06 The Timboon Rail Yards and station buildings are about to be converted into a Historical Whiskey Distillery and rail trail information centre. The Timboon Boutique Distillery will serve whiskey and other vital refreshments for riders by late 2007. Private and state government funding has now been secured for the project.
The construction of the rail trail from Camperdown to Timboon is imminent with tenders being sought for the project in the next week. The majority of work will be undertaken this summer and all going well riders will be enjoying a new trail and the local whisky next summer.
Also, the design of the Timboon to Port Campbell, Twelve Apostles and Princetown section of the trail is also about to commence. Funding will be sought for this section of the trail in early 2007.
Construction begins north of Timboon
Jul 06 The Coast to Crater Rail Trail Committee of Management has been busy replacing wooden culverts on the trail to the north of Timboon and have taken delivery of 1000 sq metres of gravel for the trail surface.
Most of the remaining construction works will be undertaken by contractors. Project Delivery Pty Ltd are currently finalising the project costs and preparing tender documents.
Treasurer Brumby announces $250,000 for Coast to Crater Rail Trail
The State Government's Small Town Development Fund decision to commit $250,000 to the Coast to Crater Rail Trail has been welcomed by Bicycle Victoria.
The contribution, which comes on top of the $207,000 committed by BHP Billiton last month, will result in a high quality walking and cycling rail trail from Camperdown to Timboon by the end of 2007.
The Rail Trail Committee of Management, the Corangamite Shire Council, and Bicycle Victoria have been working together on this project for a number of years and are elated by the announcement.
This rail trail will bring many benefits to the region; locals will have a safe and beautiful place to exercise, visitors will get a unique experience of the stunning countryside, and local businesses will benefit from the money visitors spend.
BHP Billiton deserves praise for its commitment to the health and vibrancy of the local community and the State Government should be congratulated for recognising the significant economic and social benefits the project will deliver to the region.
Construction will commence shortly, starting with the rebuilding of missing culverts and bridges with the vast majority of trail construction to occur next summer.
The design of a walking and cycling trail from Timboon to the coast will start shortly.
The aim is to see the multi use trail continue through Port Campbell, past the Twelve Apostles and onto Princetown to meet the Great Ocean Walk.
Funding applications for the next stage of construction will be developed over the next six months.
The Coast to Crater Rail Trail is now well on the way to becoming one of Victoria's best tourism and recreational trails.
We expect that over 4,000 people will visit the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail in North East Victoria this Easter, in a few years we can also expect many tourists to visit this trail on long weekends.
More than $200,000 donated to Coast to Crater Rail Trail
As part of its commitment to the Minerva Field Development and the communities in which it operates, BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty Ltd committed to provide $207,000 funding for the Coast to Crater Rail Trail.
See the media release at the right of this page for details.
Coast to Crater Rail Trail gets Corangamite Shire Council support
In November the Corangamite Shire Council committed some money to the project as well as a strong commitment to continued valuable in-kind resources.
A number of government and corporate funding applications are now being prepared with the hope of some good news early in the new year.
Bicycle Victoria made a presentation to the Corangamite Shire Council in late September 05. We requested support for the rail trail through small finanacial contributions and in-kind support. The support from council is required by state and federal funding agencies and is therefore critical to the success of the project.
Background
An exciting walking and cycling trail that would run between Camperdown, Cobden, Timboon and Port Campbell is a step closer.
An old railway line ran between Campberdown and Timboon. A Rail Trail Committee of Management was appointed several years ago and the group has been working on small sections of the old line to develop a recreational trail.
The railway line finished at Timboon but a water pipeline easement offers opportunity to continue the trail south to Port Campbell, creating a 50km trail.
The combination of pretty towns, rainforest sections, volcano craters and lakes, and the delights of Port Campbell and nearby Twelve Apostles on the coast make this a very attractive cycling destination. The proposed trail alignment will also take in the Timboon Cheese Factory and a planned distillery and cafe at the Timboon station.
Progress
In July 2005 Bicycle Victoria met with the Rail Trail Committee to investigate the possibility of using the water pipeline easement to connect Timboon to Port Campbell.
The easement is maintained by SW Water and is fenced and cleared. We will be approaching SW Water to see if the trail can use the alignment.
The Committee of Management will be upgrading the section between Cobden and Lake Bullen Merri over the next few months. In 2004 gates were installed at road access points to prevent illegal vehicles from using and damaging the trail.
Bicycle Victoria will be meeting with Corangamite Shire council in September to brief the councillors on the project.
2004 Great Vic Bike Ride visit
Sep 04 Bicycle Victoria met with the Rail Trail Committee to inspect the trail between Cobden and Camperdown and identify improvements required for the Great Victorian Bike Ride which passed through in November 2004. A rider survey found that the although the trail had attractive scenery the surface needed improving.
Presentation to council
In March 2004 Bicycle Victoria met with Shire councillors to discuss the future of the rail trail between Camperdown and Timboon (with potential to extend it to Port Campbell along other easements).
The Coast to Crater Rail Trail has the potential to be one of the premier tourism trails in Victoria. The trail could bring many benefits to the Shire if it was developed into a tourism trail suitable for walkers, bike riders and horse riders.
What is needed
Trail groups have been carrying out tree planting, weed removal and bridge construction but in order to make significant progress an application for a large funding grant is needed to construct a smooth gravel surface that makes the trail accessible to more people.
The 4km section between Timboon and Curdies Bridge needs work to bring the surface up to a standard that people can comfortably walk or ride along. It would give Timboon residents a wonderful place to walk the dog or go for a bike ride.
At the Camperdown end, constructing a trail from South Beach at Lake Bullen Merri (see photo, right) to the rail trail along Naroghid Rd would give the trail a suitable starting point with car parking and toilets available.
Proposed route
