Daily Tour Notes
 Day 1
In Melbourne we meet at the Ibis Hotel at 6pm. were you will meet your guide and your fellow group members. After the first meet and greet, we will take a 10-minute walk to a lovely Greek restaurant, which is located on the SouthBank of the river Yarra in Melbourne. SouthBank is Melbourne’s cultural centre, home to the Victorian Arts centre, the National gallery of Victoria and the Australian ballet. After dinner your evening is free to spend as you wish. You might like to stroll down St. Kilda road, Melbourne’s most famous boulevard, or take your chances at the famous Crown Casino.
Meals - D
Day 2
We will start our day with breakfast at a great café called Warwicks, as we watch the commuters come off the trains and head into the city. We will do just that ourselves after breakfast, only we will explore the city by bike. We will go to Docklands to pick up the rental bicycles and cycle the main city cycle path which runs along the Yarra River. After 22km we will enjoy an early lunch at the Fairfield boathouse and then return via Dwights Falls to Docklands on the Capital City Trail, a further 17km. The latter half of your afternoon is free. Options include a ride on the St Kilda coastal cycle path . You may also like to enjoy more of the city of Melbourne by simply taking a stroll to the Victoria market.
Meals - B
Capital City Trail - 39 kms/ 24 miles
Day 3
We leave early today as we catch the 7.50am train from Southern Cross station to Wangaratta. Breakfast will be served while we enjoy the train ride and scenery, We arrive at Wangaratta at 11am. After grabbing a light lunch at the local bakery it is an 18km ride on a quiet road to the gourmet region of Milawa, renowned for its superb cuisine, fine wines and a great choice of fresh and preserved products. We will spend the night at the Milawa Motel, located close to the historic Brown Bros winery, and next door to Milawa Mustard. Take some time to sample the goat cheese and the wide range of pestos chocolate and ice cream at The Milawa Cheese Company, 2km before Milawa.
Meals - B, D
Quiet Back road ride –18 km/11 miles
 Day 4
The ride today leads us through the historic townships of Everton and Myrtleford. It is a 7 km ride to Everton followed by another 24km to Myrtleford. This section will take you through bush and rural farmland with views of vineyards, orchards and nurseries. We will enjoy a picnic lunch with fresh breads and local spreads beside the trail, before seeing some great views of Mt. Buffalo as we approach Myrtleford for afternoon tea. This township offers a stunning view of the Ovens Valley surrounded by mountains draped in autumn colours. We continue riding past Ovens to The Valley Homestead, our lodging for the next two nights.
Meals - B,L
Rail Trail Ride- 41 km/25 miles
Day 5
The ride for today is a 40km return day ride to Bright. Along the way Mt. Buffalo presents itself at different intervals and you will also get a glance of Mt. Feathertop. You will enjoy a relatively easy ride along the Ovens Valley through flat and open farmland as you approach Bright. Bright is the end of the rail trail, and after a relaxing lunch we will return to Ovens. After a long day in the saddle you will enjoy a well deserved dinner at the Myrtleford Butter factory. There is the option of extending our ride to Smoko, through the tree lined streets of Bright, with a 15km each way section on the road.
Meals - B
Rail Trail Ride – 40km/24 miles
Road Ride (optional) – 30km/18 miles
Day 6
 The Murray to Mountains rail trail is shaped like a Y with two sections, one of them ending at the top of a hill, so what better way to see the countryside, and save our energy for this afternoons ride than to take a van to Beechworth. Beechworth was founded on gold in 1852 and is one of Victorias most well preserved towns. At 550m above sea level, the town overlooks the plains of the Ovens and Murray rivers. It has a lovely lake and don’t forget to try a Beesting at the famous local bakery. Depending on your aversion to hills we have two rides planned today, the first 46km return to Yackandandah, made famous for being the set for the movie Strange Bedfellows and the second 12km Gorge Road circuit, or you might like to see Beechworth just by walking around and enjoying its ambience. We will spend the night at the Beechworth cabins.
Meals - B
Option 1 – Yackandandah Return – 46km/28 miles
Option 2 - Lake Sambell and Gorge Circuit -12km/ 7 miles
 Day 7
Today is a relatively easy day with most of the cycling section being downhill or flat. After breakfast we go downhill to Everton. It is a 18km ride through rural and native bushland. After this it is 32km of flat riding first to Eldorado, a further 13km for lunch under the willow trees and then on to Wangaratta. For the attentive, birds and native wildlife may be seen. You will also enjoy the silence and seclusion on this section of the rail trail. For those who would like to add some extra distance and want to do every km of the rail trail there is the option to add a further 10km The final dinner will be in Wangaratta and the accommodation will be at the Hermitage Motor Inn, a quiet 4 star motel near the railway station.
Meals - B, L, D
Rail Trail Ride- 53km/33 miles
Optional extra sidetrip – 10km/6 miles
Day 8
The trip does not end yet! After an early morning start, it is a leisurely train trip back to Melbourne. Arriving back in Melbourne you will have free time to visit the gardens, museums and shops.
Meals - B
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2011 |
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Apr 17th |
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Melbourne* |
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A |
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Apr 24th |
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Melbourne* |
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A |
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A:Available
L:Limited Seats
C:Closed
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