Warrnambool to Port Fairy Rail Trail

Rail Trails?

Former railway lines converted to cycling/walking paths are called "Rail Trails" in Australia. There are lots of them, and here was my first, a 50 mile round trip to Port Fairy from Warrnambool. 

The Ride - Warrnambool to Port Fairy

See Full Ride Details 

05:03:38

54.2 Miles

10.7 mph Av

25.9 mph Max

I had some difficulty locating the start of the trail. I went the wrong way for a while, but found my way back.

Once you're on the trail, it is very good quality, clearly marked and mostly through farmland or along a river. Only one section is adjacent to a road.  

Along the way, I opened a gate for some women on horses. Those horses attracted flies like nothing I've seen. The woman I spoke to just didn't seem to bother about the flies, they were all over her face and mouth. I wasn't cheeky enough to take a photo.

Koroit is a small town about half way there. It has an IGA which was handy. IGA stands for Independent Groceries Australia (I think) and they are the local store which usually have everything you need, including, snacks for cyclists.

Koroit also has the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve (or State Game Reserve), a place I really should have visited.

The Town - Port Fairy

Upon arrival at Port Fairy, there are many bakery and other food options. 

There's a strong Irish influence here, and the town was originally called Belfast. 

I love the spectacular tree-lined streets.

More shades of Belfast

There are different beaches depending on your thing; relaxer, or surfer.

The Ride Home
 
 On the way back, the trail was held up by cattle. When the farmer brought up the rear, I had a good chat with him. On this trip I found so many people were friendly and wanted to chat about what I was doing.

The ugliest place I went past was an abattoir (probably where those cows were heading). Right on cue as I passed, in full view, a large shipment of carcasses was delivered and dumped onto the ground. The smell was unbelievably bad. I didn't take a photo in case they thought I was animal rights. But anyway it won't put me off my meat tonight.

One of the prettiest places on the way back is a marsh land
 

Unfortunately this marsh attracts red-bellied black snakes. They are very deadly if you are bitten. I kept a safe distance. These ones aren't aggressive and prefer to slither off into the grass, than confront you.

These metallic skinks are found everywhere, and they're very cute.