On Sunday 15th October, 83 adventurous trail riders boarded the buses in Tallangatta that would deliver them to Corryong to begin their ride in the 11th Tall Trestle Treadle. A beautiful spring day set the scene perfectly for this unique ride.

The first section -Corryong to Colac Colac – is an easy ride on the sealed trail. On arrival at the caravan park the bikes were loaded onto one of four bike trailers, whilst the riders enjoyed a light morning tea of scones jam and cream, fruit, tea and coffee.

From Shelley station to Darbyshire, riders passed through sections of native forest and pine plantation, on a rougher trail. Lunch at the historic Koetong Pub was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with the break provided time to discuss the adventures of the ride so far. After lunch, riders continued from Koetong station to the bottom of the Darbyshire hill on the High Country Rail Trail. Some cyclists got up to 70km per hour on the Darbyshire Hill descent!

At the bottom of the Darbyshire hill bikes were loaded onto the bike trailers and transported to the Old Tallangatta wayside stop. With the warmer weather some riders felt the challenge of the final stretch to Tallangatta and were glad to sit and enjoy the afternoon tea provided at the Goods Shed. 

Old hands noticed the changes to the trail along the way, as new sections have been cleared and bridges constructed. The Shelley to Darbyshire section is now almost complete and as the trail is improved and moves beyond Old Tallangatta, the ride will in the future be completed entirely on the High Country Rail Trail eliminating the need to transport riders between sections. 

The success of the event is dependent on the time and effort of the many volunteers of the Tallangatta and Bonegilla Rail Trail groups, along with the support of local volunteers, local bus companies; Cavanagh and Phil Gigliotti, Koetong Hotel and Colac Colac Caravan Park. The support of such a large group means that the workload is shared.

If you are interested in joining the volunteers, our monthly meeting is held on the first Wednesday of each month at the Tallangatta Goods Shed. For future events and information find us at www.highcountryrailtrail.org.au and on facebook.