Blaze a trail with us!
We’re building overwhelming support for a new world-class recreational trail for all in Central Victoria.

Connecting communities
“From little things, big things grow.”
– Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody
Members, volunteers, supporters and friends. We are many, with one goal: to connect our communities along the proposed trail corridor.

Watch our story…
OUR PURPOSE
CMRT was founded to transform the 55km Castlemaine to Maryborough disused rail corridor into a world-class recreational trail. A trail that can be used by cyclists, walkers and horse-riders of all ages and abilities.
We want to connect communities, defend safe travel, encourage prosperity, look after the bush and tell amazing stories of place and people.
We use grassroots action to inspire communities and spur governments to lead the charge to establish a new trail in Central Victoria.
Our community outreach aims to rally people of all ages and backgrounds behind the idea of a trail. To build a trail, we need to build a movement.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung and the Jaara Jaara people, the custodians and caretakers of this land through which the trail will pass. We thank them for the care they have taken of the country: the rivers, mountains, trees, and animals. We could like to honour this Country, the Elders of the past and present and most importantly the young, proud Aboriginal people, as they are our leaders for tomorrow.


One of the wonderful things about our trail is that it’ll be equally enjoyable no matter which end you start from!
Start at Maryborough and you can alight from one of Australia’s grandest old railway stations. Start at Castlemaine station and you will be right where the story of the goldfields began.
A powerful and unique feature of the trail is that it has a train line to Melbourne at both ends. Easy for local commuters; a magnet for eco-tourists.
If you start in Castlemaine, you can easily find good food and coffee and any last-minute necessities, then you’ll be off along the Campbells Creek Trail to Winters Flat where the disused part of the old train line begins and the Goldfields Steam Train blows it’s whistle and turns off towards Maldon.
Then the creek, the road, and the rail trail rolls down the valley past farms and houses to Guildford. You’ll be able to look down on the cars passing by as you are safe on the trail and can enjoy the view.
At Guildford, the line crosses the highway on a high bridge and leaves the road for a while, past the place where Campbells Creek joins the Loddon River, over another bridge, and now you’ll follow the Loddon River through bush and farmland, all the way to the old Newstead Station which is now an arts hub.
Soon after Newstead, you will ride across the spectacular Joyce’s Creek bridge, the longest of the trail, at the bottom of Lake Cairn Curran Reservoir. Then it’s a short climb up onto the volcanic Moolort Plains, with big skies, and world-recognised wetlands.
The rollicking downhill run past the Moolort Silos and into Carisbrook is a blast before heading into Maryborough and the truly magnificent Maryborough Station where you can enjoy a well-deserved milkshake (or other age-appropriate refreshing treats).
We’ve always envisaged our trail as something more than a gravel path linking two points. Our region is studded with natural and other attractions. That’s why we developed our Guide to the Trail to highlight some of our region’s many attractions, and help better tell our stories of people and place.
P.S. Take a peek at some of views you’ll get along the trail in the Views Along The Trail gallery below (photographs by Mick Evans).



Celebrating our region
We’ve always envisaged our trail as something more than a gravel path linking two points. Celebrating our region’s many attractions is a primary aim for our trail. Our region is studded with natural and other attractions. That’s why we developed our regional “Guide” to help tell our region’s stories of people and place.
Feasibility study advocacy
Is the rail trail a good idea? Sure, but how good? What are the tourism opportunities? What’s the economic and social impacts can it bring? How will it impact communities? How much will it cost? How should it be built? We’ve recently raised $150,000 for a study to thoroughly answer these questions and more.
Community Ambassadors
Welcome to our new community ambassadors! These special volunteers are already having a big impact: from Maryborough to Yapeen, from Castlemaine to Newstead. They are working to connect communities to bring us closer together. The best voice for our trail will be local.

NEWS
Feasibility study our biggest milestone yet
It’s a new dawn for Central Victoria. Today we released the expert report into your trail. It confirms the 60km disused rail corridor can be profitably repurposed as a world-class recreational trail that attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year and brings jobs and prosperity to our local communities.
Community survey brings trail study tail wind
An overwhelming community response is providing a strong push to the feasibility study into a rail trail between Castlemaine and Maryborough as the study enters its final weeks. Complete the survey before it closes in late June. The survey and the study will help propel the trail’s next stage.
In search of memories
The Newstead Arts Hub is inviting people to come along to a Newstead station open day Saturday 22 April 2023 10am – 4pm. The Arts Hub wants you to be part of the celebration. Share your memories of the working railway station and its role in the town’s history. They’d love to hear your stories and learn about your connections.
EVENTS
Feasibility study our biggest milestone yet
It’s a new dawn for Central Victoria. Today we released the expert report into your trail. It confirms the 60km disused rail corridor can be profitably repurposed as a world-class recreational trail that attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year and brings jobs and prosperity to our local communities.
Come Quiz With Us Trivia Quiz Afternoon…Book Now!
Reckon you know your way along the 55km path of our future trail? Famous people, places and attractions? Put your local know-what and general knowledge to the test on Sunday August 6. CMRT’s Come Quiz With Us will celebrate the forthcoming release of the trail’s feasibility study.
2022 AGM 23 Nov 6:00pm (FOR members)
It’s been a high impact year, Trail Blazers. In the past year we’ve hit our biggest milestone: a $150K feasibility study. Our 2022 AGM in Newstead is a chance for us all to celebrate. Come along, have your say and vote a new Committee for 2023. Book today to secure your seat!
Volunteering
It’s time, says Tony Macer
On Australia Day Central Goldfields Shire recognised CMRT member Tony Macer as its Citizen of the Year. CMRT members know Tony as an amazing musicians and one of our most tireless volunteers. John Carruthers talks to Tony about community leadership, changing our national day and how the still waters can run deep.
All we want for Christmas
We’ll spare you Dasher, Dancer and Prancer. We’ll even skip that most downloaded Christmas pop song of all time…But only if you listen to our little Yuletide carol about volunteering…About making the next big leap to trail construction, and why we need more community talent. We hope that’s you!
Volunteer shout out 2022
CMRT President Janice Simpson gave a big thanks to our volunteers at our 2022 AGM last week. Special thanks to our regular project volunteers. We probably don’t do nearly enough to holler how much we’re grateful for what our volunteers do. But here are Janice’s accolades, as delivered and straight from the heart.