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  • Day 4

    High Country Rail Trail

    May 2, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Maybe it was because it's a long way away, or maybe it was fear of the unknown. Even though the High Country Rail Trail has been open for many years, the Ghostriders had never explored it prior to 2021.

    When we first started thinking of riding the Tumburumba Trail, I started looking at combining it with several other trails to make a week of cycling and exploring. If we were going to come such a long way from Melbourne, we might at least make maximum use of our time. Over a few days, the plans evolved to include the Tumbarumba, High Country and Murray to the Mountains Trails.

    The High Country Trail starts in the centre of Wodonga and stretches about 40 km through Ebden and Bonegila to Tallangatta. Much of the trail runs along the side of the massive Hume Weir, but in case you might be thinking that it must therefore be a flat trail, you have another think coming. Although there are no extended climbs, there are many smaller undulations along the route.

    Once again we started the ride in brilliant sunshine. The thermals and leggings were definitely not required, but the sunscreen was. The start of the trail is quite close to the Motel 24, where many of our riders were staying.

    The first few kilometres are high quality smooth bitumen, but the surface does not last too long. Once you reach the site of the old Bonegila Migrant Hostel, the surface deteriorates to fairly rough gravel. In some places it is actually quite loose and potentially dangerous, but the less than perfect surface is compensated for by the magnificent scenery across the Weir.

    Because the lake was artificially made, there are still hundreds of drowned trees poking through the water surface. These certainly add a certain moodiness to the scenery.

    All our riders made it safely to Tallangatta, where we settled down to a lengthy lunch at the Bakery. Then it was time to remount the bikes for the long ride back to Wodonga.

    Although the surface of the trail is not as good as the Tumbarumba Trail, we all agreed that it really was an enjoyable ride. Maybe this will become a regular part of the annual calendar ?

    Tomorrow we have a free day to explore Wodonga.
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