Riding from Melbourne to Bairnsdale



H

headexplodes

Guest
Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has ridden from Melbourne to Bairnsdale. I
believe there is a rail-trail for some of the distance... the rest I
have no idea, and I don't really like the idea of riding on a highway.

Thanks in advance
- Robert.
 
headexplodes said:
Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has ridden from Melbourne to Bairnsdale. I
believe there is a rail-trail for some of the distance... the rest I
have no idea, and I don't really like the idea of riding on a highway.

Thanks in advance
- Robert.
There is one small section of rail trail near Yallourn 8km other than that you take the old Princess Hwy as I dont think you're allowed on the freeway. Its a hard slog totalling about 300km. How do I know - I thought it might be fun when I was young and foolish. Good luck
 
headexplodes wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Just wondering if anyone has ridden from Melbourne to Bairnsdale. I
> believe there is a rail-trail for some of the distance... the rest I
> have no idea, and I don't really like the idea of riding on a highway.


There's loads of backroads, look in a recent Melways. You can
go along the coast, or inland around the back of Pakenham etc ...
it's a smorgasboard of roads. And .. you're going east, the
prevaling wind is a south westerly - you'll most likely have
tailwinds most of the way! w00t!

I rode from Pakenham to Warragul on Sunday with a whopper tailwind,
along a lovely road paralleling the highway. Very nice. The return trip
was a bit less rapid though!
 
headexplodes said:
Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has ridden from Melbourne to Bairnsdale. I
believe there is a rail-trail for some of the distance... the rest I
have no idea, and I don't really like the idea of riding on a highway.

Thanks in advance
- Robert.
Catching the train to pakenham might be advisable. Riding through the city is generally the worst part - the train is only $2.50 on a sunday too.
 
headexplodes wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Just wondering if anyone has ridden from Melbourne to Bairnsdale. I
> believe there is a rail-trail for some of the distance... the rest I
> have no idea, and I don't really like the idea of riding on a highway.
>
> Thanks in advance
> - Robert.

Greetings,
You don't have to ride on the highway/freeway hardly at all. Take the
suburban train out to Pakenham, then hit the old `magic route' via Nar
Nar Goon, Tynong and Longwarry to Drouin, old highway to Warragul. A few
K's of freeway to Yarragon, then cross to the north side of the rail
line and cruise to Moe.
From Moe, head to Yallourn North, then pick up the back route to Tyers,
Glengarry, Toongabbie and through to Cowwarr, Heyfield and Maffra to
Stratford. Cross the highway at Stratford heading for Meerlieu and you
drop onto the highway again on the outskirts of Bairnsdale. All this can
be easily traced on any good road map.
Rail trails of sorts exist at Moe to Yallourn, and again from Glengarry
to Stratford, but not sure how far they have progressed or what
condition they are currently in. Enjoy the ride, and watch out for the
magpies.
Regards,
Ray.
 
take a looky here:

http://www.railtrails.org.au/states/trails.php3?action=cat&cat=1

Julia Blunden also has a done a good touring book on the area recently

http://www.adventurepro.com.au/bookshop/bs.cgi?action=details&id=APBTVJB
(no idea what it's like but might be worth a glance to see if you can gleen anything...)

chaars
FD
 
In article <[email protected]>,
ADA23 <[email protected]> wrote:

> I dont think you're allowed on the freeway.


It's allowed east of Nar Nar Goon -- not that it's very pleasant. Better
to go the back way, as others have outlined.

--
Shane Stanley
 
SomeGuy wrote:
> headexplodes Wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Just wondering if anyone has ridden from Melbourne to Bairnsdale. I
>>believe there is a rail-trail for some of the distance... the rest I
>>have no idea, and I don't really like the idea of riding on a highway.
>>
>>Thanks in advance
>>- Robert.

>
> Catching the train to pakenham might be advisable. Riding through the
> city is generally the worst part - the train is only $2.50 on a sunday
> too.
>
>


Thanks for the reply. However, I live in glen waverley (kinda already on
the correct side of melbourne) and I dont mind riding through the city.
Riding on roads in the city isnt that exciting i suppose but exploring
bike trails is awesome. You get to see the city from a different
perspective that just driving along roads (which all look the same) and
you discover places you never knew existed!

I started riding around melbourne on bike trails long before I ever got
my car licence . I rode from glen waverley to the city, right out west,
back past the docklands, up to bundoora, templestowe and even right up
the side of mt dandenong. After I got my car and started driving around
such places I'd be like "hey, i've been here before, and there's the
bike trail!". Quite interesting I reckon... and u all think i'm crazy
:p. what fun.

Anyway, thanks for all the replies. Your suggestions will help me plan
my ride if/when I go. All I have to do is convince one of my
not-so-crazy friends to join me :p

Thanks again.
- Robert.
 
headexplodes wrote:

>
> Thanks for the reply. However, I live in glen waverley (kinda already on
> the correct side of melbourne) and I dont mind riding through the city.
> Riding on roads in the city isnt that exciting i suppose but exploring
> bike trails is awesome. You get to see the city from a different
> perspective that just driving along roads (which all look the same) and
> you discover places you never knew existed!


The joys of bikes :)

> I started riding around melbourne on bike trails long before I ever got
> my car licence . I rode from glen waverley to the city, right out west,
> back past the docklands, up to bundoora, templestowe and even right up
> the side of mt dandenong. After I got my car and started driving around
> such places I'd be like "hey, i've been here before, and there's the
> bike trail!". Quite interesting I reckon... and u all think i'm crazy
> :p. what fun.


Who thinks you're crazy for wanting to go on a long ride?
 
Bleve said:
headexplodes wrote:
Who thinks you're crazy for wanting to go on a long ride?

*raises hand*

I cherish my train rides now :D

hippy
- Lovin' Nuremburg
 
"headexplodes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> Just wondering if anyone has ridden from Melbourne to Bairnsdale. I
> believe there is a rail-trail for some of the distance... the rest I have
> no idea, and I don't really like the idea of riding on a highway.
>
> Thanks in advance
> - Robert.


You should see if bicycle vic has the Bairnesdale to Melb route from a few
years back on thier site.

Other than that:
Bairnsdale -> Paynesville -> backroads to Sale then Maffra then all the way
to Moe, then Waterloo Road to Yarrgon, back roads either through Shady Creek
to the North, or through Cloverlea to the south. Hwy between Warragul and
Drouin, back road to Nar Nar Goon, then FWY all the way to Naree Warren is
allowed (or you can ride throuhg Berwick). The speed limit is down to 90km
all the way from Packenham to the Berwick bipass now.

From Naree Warren, head up the Narre, Cranbourne Road to Belgrave, then take
the Burwood HWY to the city. Voila!

P
 
"Paulus" wrote:

> You should see if bicycle vic has the Bairnesdale to Melb route from a few
> years back on thier site.
>
> Other than that:
> Bairnsdale -> Paynesville -> backroads to Sale then Maffra then all the
> way to Moe, then Waterloo Road to Yarrgon, back roads either through Shady
> Creek to the North, or through Cloverlea to the south. Hwy between
> Warragul and Drouin, back road to Nar Nar Goon, then FWY all the way to
> Naree Warren is allowed (or you can ride throuhg Berwick). The speed
> limit is down to 90km all the way from Packenham to the Berwick bipass
> now.
>
> From Naree Warren, head up the Narre, Cranbourne Road to Belgrave, then
> take the Burwood HWY to the city. Voila!


A good route to tour.

But from Yarragon - turn right to Shady Creek and take the Old Sale Rd
through Buln Buln East. turn right again to Crossover, Neerim South, Neerim
Junction and the Noojee Rd through Powelltown. This will bring you to the
Warburton Hwy at Yarra Junction, then get on the Warburton Raitrail for a
traffic-free run into Lilydale. Jump on a suburban train for the last bit
into the city.

Reverse this if heading out to Gippsland. For the OP, if you are riding from
Glen Waverley, take the Dandenong Creek trail to Bayswater, Croydon Ck trail
to Croydon, then maybe Hull Rd to Lilydale to connect to the Warburton
Railtrail.

Cheers
Peter
 

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