Beaufort to Navarre

March 7, 2019

Before an overseas trip I like to do a ride to test out my bicycle and gear. Trying out sandals as cycling shoes and a Kobo e-reader. For this year have decide since I had spare time between today and Monday to do a ride I have thought about for a while connecting a few routes I haven’t done before.

First caught my first train to to Beaufort, relaxing ride to a town getting ready to be bypassed by the western highway. Then took a quiet scenic tree lined route via Raglan to Elmhurst, with a gentle climb to where the Wimmera river starts. Meet another cyclist on a day ride he does this route often and would work connecting with Skipton rail trail south of Beaufort.

Smiths Bridge camping area, halfway between Beaufort and Elmhurst

Elmhurst is a town I visited in 2009 and when crossing a railway line I went over the handle bars and hurt my left hand that still causes my left ring finger not to bend properly. Nice to see the town again but is struggling even more than I remember.

I spent a few days here recovering after my fal in 2009, toilet block has improved with showers

Where I went over my handle bars in September 2009, wheel got caught in gap between road and rails on a wet day and since then my left ring finger still doesn’t bend properly

From Elmhurst I followed the former railway line to Navarre, having done a railway heritage bus trip visiting the railway line in 2008, so I knew part of the railway route is on road. I found that for the most part the rail right of way is next to roads so easy to follow a railway line that closed in the 1950’s. Some wooden bridges are still there along with mounds of railway platforms.

Navarre is a small town that has a general store and a park with water and power along with the recreation reserve, where I hope to sleep.

From here I plan on cycling to Stawell, then cycle the Grampians rail trail that goes near Halls Gap before heading south towards Dunkeld, then following the remains of the short lived railwakeld and Penshurst before redoing the route between Penshurst and Koroit and hopefully revisiting Tower Hill before getting the train from Warrnambool.

Today's ride: 87 km (54 miles)
Total: 87 km (54 miles)

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