85km | 1:13 hours | Glengarry - Stratford
Shadowing the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail, this journey weaves through the idyllic countryside with handsome mountain vistas of the Great Dividing Range. The scenic C105 is punctuated by warm and quirky villages offering unpretentious charm and good old fashioned country hospitality.
Leg 1: Glengarry to Cowwarr
20km | 14 mins
Start your journey at Glengarry’s historic railway station, where you’ll find the cutest café for miles in Platform Cafe 3854. While the trains don’t run anymore, you’ll see plenty of traffic on the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Caffeine up while you're there... the team know their way around a coffee bean.
Nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, Narkoojee Winery boasts many accolades for their premium wines. Enjoy the impressive backdrop while you sample the full range of current release wines at the cellar door, or stay for lunch at their Mediterranean-inspired restaurant.
The Glengarry Hotel is a favourite for classic pub meals. Head to Apex Park if you’re in need of a leg-stretch, picnic facilities or playground.
Toongabbie is an historical town with a strong connection to the Walhalla goldfields. You can see the Ned Stringers Memorial and the Mechanics’ Institute Hall, a restored two storey weatherboard hall built in 1883. Enjoy the quaint Toongabbie Golf Course, with wide fairways working their way up and back between tree-lined avenues. Overall, the 18-hole course is flat with no bunkers, but the small target areas create a tough challenge.
On to the tiny town of Cowwarr. Keep an eye out for the unique mailboxes driving around the town. The impressive Cowwarr Weir is a tranquil location for swimming, fishing and canoeing along the Thomson River, or just relax with a picnic.
Leg 1 Highlights
Leg 2: Cowwarr to Tinamba
via Lake Glenmaggie
47km | 45 mins
Sitting on the banks of the dreamy Thomson River, Heyfield is a handsome country town. Heyfield Wetlands is a twitcher’s paradise with more than 4km of walking paths and boardwalks. The wetlands also get top billing if you’re feeling stroll-ready or fancy a spot of fishing.
Travel through bucolic countryside to the serene and very beautiful Lake Glenmaggie. On the drive itself, you will be blessed with stunning views across the scenic rolling hills that make up this part of Victoria. Laced with picnic areas, the large expanse of water is a hotspot for recreational boating, swimming and fishing.
The Lake Glenmaggie Weir Wall is an interesting picnic location with barbeques, many picnic spots and several bush walks.
This little pocket of fertile land also has two wineries. Situated high on a hill, Blue Gables Vineyard creates elegant wines best paired with their wood fired pizzas, and ten minutes down the line is Glenmaggie Wines where you can sample premium, award winning wines at their stunning cellar door. If you pop by at a meal time, don't miss the opportunity to dine in the restaurant. The freshest produce is sourced from their own garden and surrounding farms and transformed by the kitchen team into delicious dishes like pork belly and charcuterie platters, just perfect to enjoy alongside Glenmaggie wines.
Next stop: Tinamba, surrounded by idyllic countryside and home of the Tinamba Food & Wine Festival held annually each April.
Arrive on an empty stomach at the knockout destination restaurant Tinamba Hotel or enjoy a cold one under the signature verandah, shaded by a canopy of ancient oak trees.
Leg 2 Highlights
Leg 3: Tinamba to Stratford
via Maffra
18km | 15 mins
Lovely Maffra oozes with quintessential country hospitality and an extra dose of quirk. There’s the Maffra Sugar Beet Museum, displaying the history of the local sugar beet industry, and the Gippsland Vehicle Collection with its ever-changing display of unique and vintage cars, bikes, machinery and memorabilia. Stock up at The Berry Dairy, a family-friendly strawberry farm. Grab a basket and pick your own strawberries (Nov - Apr), then follow it up with a visit to the petting zoo, so you can say hello to the adorable goats, sheep, chickens, ducks and calves that call the Berry Dairy home.
Round out your day with a visit to The Pino Deriu Gemstone and Mineral Collection, full of rate minerals and gems in the restored Maffra Court House. If you’re in need of a leg-stretch, hit the leafy Macalister River Regional Park with playground and skate park. The Maffra Market runs the first Sunday of every month.
From Maffra, your journey conveniently passes the doorstep of Vines on Avon which offers a superb backdrop to enjoy your meal.
Breeze into the artsy town of Stratford, flush with heritage buildings and home to the annual Shakespeare Festival (Apr/ May). Wander the unique homewares, clothing, gifts and craft stores. Get your culture fix by walking the Shakespeare-themed Stratford Arts Trail.
On the bluff, high above the bend of the Avon River is Knob Reserve, an important Aboriginal meeting place. See the scar trees where sheets of bark have been removed for canoes, food bowls, shelters and shields. Look out for the grinding stones, etched with deep grooves where axe heads were sharpened over many centuries. Take a picnic, or just go for the views.
