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Bike Path 2

Australian Rail Trails and Bicycle Paths

Below are details of the Australian Rail Trail, Bicycle Path

This section displayed below of Australian Rail Trail commences at Wangaratta, in Victoria,  and goes to Bowser, approximately 5 kilometres of very flat bicycling.

This bike ride commences at Apex Park, alongside the Ovens River at the northern end of Wangaratta. Apex Park has an excellent children's playground, toilet facilities and picnic and barbeque facilities. Below is a photo of Apex Park, showing one of the children's playgrounds, and also showing the main Highway bridge across the Ovens River.

To commence the ride, you must cross the Old Hume Highway, and to your right is the bridge allowing the Highway to cross the Ovens River. Looking from this bridge upstream, you can see the junction of the King River, straight ahead, and the Ovens River, joining from your left.

To the left of the Ovens River is a levee bank protecting the northern suburbs of Wangaratta from floodwaters. The top of this levee bank has been asphalted to form an ideal Rail Trail. Ride along this levee bank until you rejoin the old Hume Highway.

The photo above is looking along the levee bank towards Apex Park, and the photo on the right is looking back towards Wangaratta along the levee bank a little further along.

Turn right and follow the bike path next to the old Hume Highway for a few hundred metres and you will see a road to the right. Take this road. It was formerly the "Old, Old Hume Highway". This now unused road forms a magnificent setting for the next 800 metres as it meanders past lagoons full of wildlife, and crosses over the quaint historic bridge.

Above left is the quaint historic bridge, and right is a black swan on the lagoon.

Rejoining the Old Hume Highway and proceed north, across Reedy Creek on the new bike path bridge. The bike path veers to the right just before the Caravan Park.

Above is a photo of the new bike path bridge crossing Reedy Creek.

Above the bike path meanders behind the Caravan Park and passes the Vine Hotel. Follow the bike path past the Vine Hotel, past the football ground and the path turns right and runs next to the Old Hume Highway towards the Wangaratta North Family Motel.

Note

The Vine Hotel is a great place to commence your bike tour. You may leave your car at the large car park, and you may be able to have a meal and a drink on your return.

The Wangaratta North Family Motel is the ideal place for your base camp if you wish to stay in a motel, or self contained units, or a family camp facility, whilst you explore the whole rail trail from Bright to Wangaratta.

The Motel is at Bowser, and just past the Motel you can see the old railway lines where they crossed the Highway to head for Tarrawingee, Everton, Beechworth and Bright.

You may now join the original Australian Rail Trail on its 14 Km journey to Tarrawingee.

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