This ride was originally planned to be along the entire length to Boolarra, however, bridge damage caused by the Churchill Fires in 2009 meant that the track was still cut between Darlimurla and Boolarra. The trail is very much a down hill run when you start at Mirboo North, so if you can arrange transport at the end of the track it would be quite a bonus. The trail drops 152 meters over its relatively short 12 km run. For the shortened 5.6 km run to Darlimurla there is still a healthy 73 meter drop, but because this has become a return trip, you face a climb of the same height on the way back. You can view a “Runkeeper” GPS track of the return trip at this link, which gives you a good idea of the grades.
The line to Mirboo North used to Branch at Morwell, with the first section to Boolarra opening in 1885. A year later, the line was completed to the terminus at Mirboo North. The line retained its passenger service until 1968 and was fully closed in 1974. With thanks to Les Brown, there are a couple of photos of an excursion train on the line in 1968. The links below will take you to the photos on his site:
61 RM and trailer Near Boolarra
It is unlikely that we will ever see the rail trail extended through to Morwell, as the first section of the line is now a rather large hole in the ground from which coal has been extracted.
This ride takes you through some classic Gippsland Bush. As it passes through the Strezlecki Ranges, you can be sure of plenty of cuttings and embankments. There is plenty of evidence of the 2009 Churchill fires in some parts of the bush near the line, especially behind Darlimurla and the hills above Boolarra.
Enjoyed this ride – especially the outbound part. The near constant climb back up the hill did become tedious, but this was the second ride of the day, as the Wonthaggi Trip was completed earlier. An alternative to all this hard riding up hill stuff, and you have no transport to park at the other end of the trail, is to do this trip on a Thursday, as this is the day that the Morwell to Mirboo North Bus runs. As long as you are in Boolarra by2.00 Pm, you can lock your bike up there, and get the bus back to Mirboo North. Here is a timetable to see how it works.
The gallery has some pictures of the trail and all the trail locations mentioned above. Boolarra was explored later the following day but was unfortunately reached by car.
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View Mirboo North to Boolarra in a larger map