Prom Coast locals and longtime visitors all know and love the old, abandoned train line turned walking, biking, riding path that connects so many of our towns, and its sometimes shady, sometimes windblown, sometimes gentle and sometimes hilly ways. And we all know and love our little villages in between, with their delicious bakeries, cafes, cideries and delis, and gorgeous art and homewares and clothes.
But there are so many natural delights along the Great Southern Rail Trail too, and there’s no better time to stop and smell the silage and the pine needles than in autumn, with its gentle sunshine and the bite of winter coolness in the air. So with school holidays on hand and children to be entertained, here’s the Prom Coast News guide to the rail trail’s natural wonders (with some refreshments thrown in for energy, of course!).
Rolling out of Meeniyan (where if you are bikeless you can easily hire one from the Great Southern Ride ebike hire store, and if you are foodless pick up some picnic treats from the Trulli deli), the first stop along the way is the South Gippsland Water bird hide. It’s a fantastic spot to pull out the bins and look for some of our rarer locals (like Pink-eared Ducks and Spotless Crakes) and the almost one hundred other birds that have been recorded there.
The trail then meanders through the rolling hills and lush farmland past Stony Creek and Buffalo, offering postcard-worthy rural vistas at every turn. But if you keep your eyes closer to the ground, it’s an ideal place to find a lovely, weird, minding-its-own-business echidna.
After some R&R at Fish Creek, keep your eyes peeled under the pine trees for pine mushrooms and slippery jacks hiding in the dappled shade (but beware of harvesting any, as they share their homes with many toxic colleagues). The trail up the hill from Fishy is also a fantastic spot for Gang-gang cockatoos – they love the cotoneasters along the creek here. If it sounds like a branch is about to fall, take a second look, it might be a couple of creaky red-crested birds feasting on berries.
The long, steep, (literally) breathtaking climb out of Fish Creek flattens out just as you pass under the Fish Creek- Foster Road bridge, and its here that you might sometimes see the darling Rufous Fantail, prancing and frolicking in the vines near the track up to the Hoddle Range Walk.
The hard work up the hill then pays off with one of the trail's most spectacular vistas – the Hoddle Range lookout. Take a moment here to catch your breath and soak in the panoramic views over Wilsons Promontory. If you'd prefer to enjoy this scenery with refreshment in hand, a short detour to Gurney's Cidery offers the same magnificent views accompanied by a crisp apple cider and maybe even one of their delicious new Pinsa Romana pizzas.
Toora was a great a spot for a cool drink at the Royal Standard (and hopefully will soon be again, if the rumours are true), and there are now a wonderful range of temptations just up Stanley Street – everything from wool at Sam’s Patch, to mortadella sangas at the Toora Deli, to art and pottery at Rare Earth Studio Gallery and lovely things for the home at the Panton Store.
The last stretch to Welshpool takes you through classic South Gippsland dairy country, with the Prom splendid in the distance, beckoning you onward to one of its most spectacular viewpoints – the Long Jetty at Port Welshpool. Here, if you time your ride just right, you’ll arrive at dusk, and can witness the brilliant, subtle light of the sunset on Corner Inlet, and the magnificent flocks of hundreds (maybe thousands?) of Welcome Swallows coming to roost under and around the pier. It’s a beautiful place, this Prom Coast.
