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.

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).