In January of 2016 I hired a bike, rode to Bruthen, stayed at the pub, ate at the fabulous Bull Ant Brewery and rode back to Bairnsdale the next day. It was a hot ride but I totally enjoyed the solitude and the break at the river at Nicholson. The section from Nicholson to Bruthen takes you a long way from highway and is a great rural ride. Bruthen is a lovely town.The rest of the track is quite remote and you will need to take a friend but knowing the country as I do, you will love it. Great trail and it can be extended to Lakes Entrance if you are keen. If you want just one section, Nicholson to Bruthen is the best section that I rode. (See full trail notes and elevation guide)
Here is rail trail on the Aussie map
?Getting There: From Sydney, you can fly to Merrimbula and bus to Orbost. You can train to Bairnsdale from Melbourne. Bus from Canberra to Orbost. Or drive…
?For now, enjoy the pictures I took on the trail and refer to the following site for more information
www.greateastrailtrailride.com.au
This is a trail that requires some planning for issues such as punctures if you head past onwards to Orbost from Bruthen. Rest assured as you crunch down the compacted gravel you will know that you are on a rail trail.
The distances between the towns are as follows
Bairnsdale to Nicholson 9km (retarred in 2019)
Nicholson to Bruthen 21 km (gravel)
Bruthen to Nowa Nowa 28 km (gravel)
Nowa Nowa to Orbost 43 km (gravel)
Here are some good articles
Bruthen to Nowa Nowa
Orbost to Nowa-Nowa
To Lakes Entrance
Gravel bike or MTB is probably best.
A short version of the same ride
If you want to go between a nice river stop and end up at a great little bush town, ride between Nicholson and Bruthen on the East Gippsland Rail Trail. Its 21km each way and because its an old railway line the hills are gradual. Highly recommended
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| View from the rail trail bridge at Nicholson |
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| Nice farmland on the way to Bruthen |
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| A walk before a great dinner in Bruthen |
The full version
My friend rode the full trail including the trip to Lakes Entrance on a two battery Kalkhoff Ebike in 3 very long days. Here are the ride details. He caught the train from Melbourne to Bairnsdale to start the trip (4 hours). this is not a trip you want to be attempting on road bike though a gravel bike with care taken on the slopes should be ok. (See the notes above on other pages)
Full trail on the map This included the Lakes Entrance Discovery Rail Trail shown in green
See all the pics here Look for the full map of the trail and its all the pics after that.
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