Snowy River Cycling

Take yourself on a journey over rivers, under trees, beside farmland and through forests on the East Gippsland Rail Trail that stretches for nearly 100 km between Bairnsdale and Orbost in Eastern Victoria, Australia. Just bring yourself, your clothes and a camera while we provide your bikes, maps and information, transport your luggage, book your accommodation and provide a shuttle service to return you to your starting point.

Depending on how far you prefer to ride each day, the trail can be comfortably ridden over two or three days: take a side trip on the Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail to Lakes Entrance and add a fourth day. Rail Trail map.

We will tailor a package to suit your group’s size, dates of travel, style of accommodation and which of our services you need.

A rail trail passing through the village of course! Come and spend a weekend in Bruthen, which sits on the East Gippsland Rail Trail 30 km east of Bairnsdale, just 3 1/2 hours drive from Melbourne. Spend part (or all) of each day exploring the rail trail, return to your cottage to relax on the verandah or by the fire, before visiting the excellent Bullant Brewery to sample their beer and superb food.

The Great East Rail Trail Ride is a fully supported three day cycle event along the 100 km East Gippsland Rail Trail. It ran for the first time in 2014.

This is a little Great Ride, with numbers limited to 120 – to ensure a splendid time is had by all.

With a daily riding distance between 30 and 40 km (with Extra Sweat options provided for those who’d like to ride further) this Great Ride is fabulous for families, new cyclists, old cyclists and those for whom cycling simply fills the intervals between eating and drinking.

The lower reaches of the Snowy River, where it’s floodplain wraps around the country town of Orbost, is perfect for exploring by bike. Quiet, mostly flat country roads and trails follow along the edge of the river and wind into the surrounding farmland.

Suggested Rides Lochend Rainforest and return. 16 km, all sealed. Ride along the banks of the Snowy River with the river on one side and rich dairy farms on the other. The ‘Devils Backbone’ shelters a remnant of the rainforest that once covered the floodplain: revegetation works along the riverside now rely on birds to carry seeds from the Lochend Rainforest to replanted areas.

Lochend and Lake Road. 25 km, most sealed 4 km of dirt.The ride to Lochend is extended by riding up and along the ridge line above the farmland, with views to the sea on one side and mountains on the other, returning to Orbost via Grandview Lookout at Newmeralla.

Rail Trail Loop. 30 km, 7 km unsealed rail trail. Ride the rail trail as it threads through bushland, hidden from view from the nearby highway before turning off onto a quiet country backroad leading back to the riverflats. A skimming downhill run with stunning views across farmland to the mountains finishes back at a riverside road, leading back to town. Combine Lochend and Lake Road with the Rail Trail loop for a more challenging ride of 45 kilometres.

This five day/four night cycle tour encircles the little known Victorian reach of the Snowy River as it carves through the high country before spilling onto it's floodplain and out to sea. If you are up for an adventurous and moderately challenging ride through the most spectacular scenery in Victoria that no one has heard of, read on!

Starting and finishing in Orbost on the rivers' floodplain just kilometres from the sea, this cycle tour takes in the limestone cave country around Buchan, high country cattle stations, the awe inspiring 1000 metre deep Snowy River Valley, it's remote river crossing at McKillops Bridge, the craggy remote Deddick River valley and the deep green forests bordering the Errinundra Plateau.

Cycling touring in this remote location means you need to be self sufficient - or have great support. We offer tour packages with three different levels of support to make it easy for you to get out and enjoy this fabulous landscape. Join one of our scheduled self guide trips, or organise a bunch of friends and let us organise a trip at a time to suit you.

The Snowy River Adventure Cycle uses a mix of sealed and unsealed roads which have light traffic levels. As well as the 'Main Route', most days there is also an optional alternate 'offroad' route.

The Main Route uses either sealed or all weather two wheel drive gravel roads. Conditions on these roads can vary with major weather events so you need to be prepared for the unpredictable!

By "light traffic" we mean that on a typical day you can expect between 5 and 20 vehicles to pass you in total for the whole day.

Where available, the alternate 'off road' gravel route uses forestry roads which vary from dry weather two wheel drive roads to four wheel drive only. These are usually longer, hillier and being entirely on unsealed roads and tracks are significantly more challenging than the main route.