Riding The Goldfields Track

During the first week of Spring, two friends and I set off from Southern Cross train station in Melbourne, Australia, to embark on a three-day, point-to-point mountain bike ride through regional Victoria. Starting in Ballarat, we made the 200km off-road journey along the Goldfields Track, passing through historical gold rush towns including Daylesford and Castlemaine, before finishing up at the track’s end-point in Bendigo.

Although the Goldfields Track has traditionally been a walking trail, in recent years there has been a significant push from state government to open the track to mountain bikers. And it’s no wonder why. Aside from taking riders along the beautiful rolling landscape that is the Goldfields region, there’s also a plethora of killer singletrack to discover. And for anyone who can appreciate what life must have been like back in the 19^th century, the historical aspect of the Goldfields Track makes this journey quite special too.

The Gold Rush

During the Victorian Gold Rush era in the 1850’s, scores of people from all around the country and all over the world flocked to the Victorian Goldfields in search of their own personal fortune. Word spread quickly about the precious metal’s abundance, with Mount Alexander being one of the richest shallow alluvial goldfields in the world. How rich? Over 4 million ounces of gold was discovered in the area, with the majority of that being found within 5 metres of the surface. If you’re wondering, that’s a lot of gold. By 1852, it is estimated that some 92,000 newcomers had arrived in Victoria and by 1860, the population of Victoria had increased ten-fold to 540,000. As you can imagine, the heaviest traffic in all of Australia belonged to the dirt road between Melbourne and Bendigo.

Due to heavy (and lucrative) taxes imposed on those arriving at port in Melbourne, many Chinese migrants coming by boat chose to disembark over the Victorian border at Robe in South Australia. With 500km between their arrival point and Bendigo, these international gold seekers made the remainder of their journey into Victoria by foot. Over time, an established route began to form through Western Victoria, and then in the Goldfields itself from Ballarat through to Bendigo. Today we can walk or ride along many of the same paths that those early pioneers traversed.

This route was previously known as the ‘Great Dividing Trail’, and it’s long been popular with hikers and bushwalkers. In 2010, the trail was rebranded as the Goldfields Track, and a new committee was setup to develop, manage and promote the route to cyclists. Over the past seven years, this has led to upgrades such as improved signage and the addition of bicycle specific sections to separate two-wheelers from the walkers. Tourism operators have also gotten on board, with a number of bike-friendly accommodation and service options popping up along route. All up, it’s made the proposition of riding the entire track’s length easier than ever before.

Although mountain bikers have been tackling sections of the Goldfields Track for many years (in fact, the middle leg in between Daylesford and Castlemaine has long been regarded as one of the best point-to-point day rides in Victoria), we’d decided that it was time to tackle the whole enchilada.

The Plan

To get some planning assistance, I got in touch with Andy Bos from Tread Harcourt. Tread is a cycling-centric café and accommodation venue located at the base of Mt Alexander, right on the Goldfields Track. In late 2013, Andy and his partner Paula Ewing purchased the Harcourt pub, with the goal of transforming the motel into accommodation geared towards cyclists.

Alongside the accommodation and café business, Andy and Paula are also running guided tours of the Goldfields Track where they can assist with pick-ups, drop-offs and gear transfer between stops along the trail. Of course if you’re more the bike-packing type, you could always ride self-supported and utilise the many campsites along the route too.

Starting from Ballarat, Andy indicated that the Goldfields Track would break down nicely into a 3-day journey, with each day’s ride running between 5-7 hours. Of course it’s a bit of a ‘choose your own adventure’ type deal. For the sadists amongst us, you could try the whole route in 1-2 days if you really wanted to.

While for those who prefer a more enriching holiday experience, you could easily tack on a few additional days to further explore the towns that the track takes you through. And with the current plans in place to add more singletrack along some of the key nodes along the way, the options are only set to increase.

Day 1: Ballarat to Daylesford (70km)

To begin our 3-day journey, I join my companions at Southern Cross train station in Melbourne on a crisp spring morning. For $20 or so, the train journey takes just 90 minutes to reach Ballarat, and with specific bike storage on board it’s a great alternative to the car – especially for those who have just flown in to Melbourne airport.

We arrive to meet Andy at Ballarat station, and over a silky flat white, he whips out the trail map to show us where we’ll be heading for the day. As it turns out, the true start of the Goldfields Track is on the summit of Mt Buninyong (hallowed ground for road cyclists, as it has played host to the Australian Road National Championships many times), which is a 20km trip southeast of Ballarat.

Andy explains that most mountain bikers begin the Goldfields Track from Ballarat in order to cut this 40km section out. While there are future plans to develop this section with purpose-built singletrack, we take Andy’s advice to start from town in order to get straight into the good stuff.

The section from Ballarat to Daylesford is known as the ‘Wallaby Track’, and it contains some of the most diverse environments that you’ll ride through over the entire Goldfields Track.

There is a mixture of dirt bike paths and 4WD tracks to start off with, which allows us to take in the lovely spring colours surrounding us. Lush green grass, bursting yellow wattle, and patches of orange native flowers provide a visual and scented welcoming to the area.

The track soon begins to meander through singletrack as we climb up towards Creswick. The tracks here are about as natural as it gets, with the rooty and shaley surface giving way to awesome bursts of trail in amongst fast open descents along rutted double track.

My rear tyre spits out rubble as it digs in for grip on one of the loose and rocky corners, and I find myself briefly ruminating on the difference between modern machine-built trails, and the age-old hiking trails we’re speeding along. Indeed, there’s something inherently flowy about riding point-to-point trails, and this section already has it in spades.

Despite heavy rains earlier in the week, there are merely a few puddles to ride around during the course of the day. That’s part of the beauty of the Goldfields region and its soil composition, as it drains so well after rain, making it rideable nearly all year round.

After we pass through Creswick, we duck back into the bush and begin the steady climb up the southern face of the Great Dividing Mountain Range. On this side of the range, we’re informed that you can experience cold and wet weather pretty much anytime of the year, so carrying a lightweight waterproof jacket with you is a must. The climb takes us up into the Wombat State Forest, where the temperature drops a couple of degrees. Densely packed ferns line the forest floor, and moss covers the taller trees like furry green jumpers wrapping snugly around each trunk.

Clocking up just over 70kms for the day, the last part of our ride takes us along a rocky escarpment that feeds into Lake Daylesford. It’s a stunning area with a rugged natural beauty that is synonymous with the Australian landscape.

As the sun slowly makes its way towards the horizon, we trundle past a series of rusty hand pumps that were originally used for accessing the mineral-rich spring water from underground. With the fading light adding a warm glow to the washed out bush colours surrounding us, the iconic hand pumps signal our arrival in Australia’s spa capital: Daylesford.

After a much-needed recovery pint at Jimmy’s bar in town, we head down the road and check into the Continental House Hepburn – a large and quirky 1920s guesthouse that has become a cycling-friendly partner of the Goldfields Track. Run by ex-Brits Veronica & Steve, this beautiful old weatherboard house features quaint Victorian décor and sits amongst expansive grounds dotted with an eclectic, but totally suiting mixture of native and european flora.

We’re welcomed inside like extended family, and soon we’re enjoying a glass of local Shiraz while being recalled stories of the guesthouse’s history as an infamous party venue during the roaring 1920s. We’re then offered free reign of the communal kitchen, as well as the option of a catered breakfast. We elect for the catered option.

Conveniently, just next door is the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa. And so with seven hours of saddle time firmly under our backsides, our weary bodies welcome the opportunity to indulge in a soak in the mineral-rich hot pools. This is luxury that even dirty mountain bikers like us can appreciate.

After a thoroughly relaxing dip, we finish off our Friday evening with a hearty pub meal at the Old Hepburn Hotel. Known as a key focal point for the Hepburn Springs area, the Old Hepburn Hotel has been home to a number of pubs that date right back to the 1850’s during the Gold Rush era.

The current building has been standing since 1911, after fires sadly destroyed the original. Foundations aside, the Old Hepburn Hotel is a bonafide Aussie country pub. We each pull up a stool to chat with the local bar flies, who are intrigued about our plans to ride the 200km Goldfields route on two-wheeled pushbikes without motors.

Alongside the warming atmosphere and excellent parma menu, one of the best features of the pub is the courtesy shuttle bus, which thankfully saves our stiff legs the stagger home.

Day 2: Daylesford to Castlemaine (61km)

Waking to sunny blue skies on Saturday morning, all three of us arise feeling suspiciously refreshed. This led me to conclude that every mountain bike ride should finish at a mineral hot pool – of course. After some muesli, fresh fruit and a good mug of proper coffee, it was time to bid our farewells to our lovely hosts from the Continental House.

The Dry Diggings Track itself has long been known to mountain bikers within the region, so there was much anticipation as we clipped into our pedals to set off along the trail.

There’s certainly no messing about on the first stretch of the day though, which encompasses a solid heart-starter of a climb up and out of Hepburn Springs. Lungs were opened up, while tender backsides were gingerly reintroduced to firm saddles.

After a few moments of pain, it isn’t long before we have Mt Franklin in our sights though, and a fast snaking descent takes us right to the gates of the tantalising Daylesford Chocolate Mill. Proving to be the perfect reward for our early-morning climbing efforts, we enjoy our 2^nd coffee for the day alongside some beautiful handmade Belgian chocolates.

From the Chocolate Mill, the Goldfields Track sends us past Mt Franklin on a series of dirt roads that allow us to more easily absorb views of the rolling pastoral landscape. Standing at 648m tall, Mt Franklin rises up out of the flat plains like a solitary green pimple.

Its presence is made all the more obvious in the otherwise desolate landscape thanks to its slopes being peppered by dense clusters of dark green pine trees.

Now an extinct volcano, the small mountain was created by a volcanic eruption some half a million years ago, where lava flows filled the surrounding valleys with gold.

Before we get too absorbed in the views though, our tyres cross Porcupine Ridge Road and then we’re slung back into some fast-paced rocky singletrack. The following 15km section winds gently downhill, and it features some of the raddest natural flow trails I have ever ridden. With everyone strung out in a singletrack train, my thumb hovers over the dropper post remote as I begin to lean the bike over further and further through each successive corner.

There are no berms or heavily built-up features, just natural flow at its absolute best. As we traverse down the loam-filled gully, the descent seems to go on forever with minimal need for either braking or pedalling. Everyone is on Cloud Nine by the end, with huge shit-eating grins and high-fives bursting out left, right and centre. This section of trail is without doubt the highlight of the day, and possibly the entire Goldfields Track.

Before long we begin to near our lunch stop at Vaughan Springs, with a series of loose rocky chutes launching us down into the gorge. Home to the Lawson Mineral Spring, Vaughan Springs also has a beautiful campsite positioned alongside the Loddon River.

On a warm day, the idyllic swimming hole is a perfect spot for a mid-ride dip, and for many hikers tackling the Goldfields Track it’s a convenient overnight campsite. For us, it’s a chance to stretch the legs and chow down on some sandwiches before heading back out onto the bike.

Climbing back up the gorge onto the other side of the river, the rocky ascent provides plenty of opportunity to test out our low-speed technical climbing skills. Chunky slab rock and tight corners give everyone’s upper body a serious workout.

After passing through Fryerstown, we hit the beginning of the ‘Poverty Gully’ water race just outside of Castlemaine. Although this marvel of gold rush engineering was built some 120 years ago, those miners surely must have had mountain bikers in mind when they designed it.

Riding through fire burnt trees with the water race down to your left, this six-kilometre descent winds its way down the hillside, getting faster and looser the further down you go. By the bottom section, we’re carrying some serious pace, and we need to scrub hard over small ripples in the track to avoid being shot off our bikes into the prickly bush either side of the track.

It’s a brilliant heart-pumping climax to the end of a very sweet day of riding.

After hitting the bitumen, a final roll down the hill opens up beautiful sunset views over the top of the Castlemaine town centre and the mellow countryside encircling it.

As the sun begins to set, we cross the main street and park up our bikes outside the Public Inn to settle in for a few beers and some exquisite tapas. Taking a seat outside to watch the world slowly drift past us, I can’t help but feel how pleasant it is to be away from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne city. Rural Victoria certainly knows how to do ‘relaxed’.

Just as the food coma begins to set in, Andy and Paula throw our bikes on top of their 4WD to make our way out to Harcourt, where we’ll be spending the night at Tread. Although we’d only racked up six hours worth of riding that day, the fatigue from the previous day’s journey is beginning to catch up with our bodies. Needless to say, I’m fast asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

Day 3: Castlemaine to Bendigo (58km)

The final day of our Goldfields journey turned on the best weather of the whole trip. Our bodies are starting to feel a little worse for wear though, and getting out of bed takes just a little longer than it did the previous days.

Once we’ve got a fresh espresso and some tasty bircher museli in our bellies at the Tread café though, it’s time to cover the arms with sunscreen rather than the arm warmers from the previous two days.

Before embarking on our final day of riding, we’re joined by a host of riders from both the local Castlemaine and Bendigo mountain bike clubs. Word had got out that we were writing a feature on the Goldfields Track, and plenty of proud locals were keen to tag along for the ride. Of course we obliged by meeting them at Republic cafe for our second coffee of the morning…

Known as the ‘Leanganook Track’, the ride between Castlemaine to Bendigo is currently the mellowest section of the Goldfields Track. The start of the day doesn’t feel particularly mellow however, as there’s plenty of elevation gain to start off our day.

We’re taken up some steep stem-kissing fireroad climbs through a pine plantation, which is home to some of Castlemaine’s best mountain bike trails (known as ‘The Pineys’). For those with more time up their sleeves, this is a location that you definitely want to explore, and Andy & Paula are the perfect information source for being pointed in the right direction.

At 744m high, Mount Alexander’s elevation might not sound impressive on paper, but it’s the way it rises up out of the landscape that makes it look a whole lot more intimidating. We’re told that ‘The Mount’ is a very popular hill climb loop amongst road cyclists from Bendigo to Castlemaine, while the rocky outcrop on the western face is often dotted with rock climbers.

The off-road route is supposed to take us around the North Western side of the mountain, but Andy guides us along some dirt fireroads to give us a peek at the site of the soon-to-be-built Harcourt MTB Park.

Previously owned by the Hancock Timber Resource Group, the area at the base of the mountain has recently been handed back as Crown (public) land after a 30-year lease.

It’s here where we get a preview of what’s to come in the future, with Andy pointing out the small pink ribbons tied to tree branches, which mark out the path for the planned 35km trail network. Exciting times for the region and local mountain bikers.

Once we crest the highest point of the ride, it’s largely descending for the remainder of the route. We latch onto some singletrack along an old mining water race, which takes us over gentle rolling terrain littered with dust and rocks.

As we near Bendigo, the trails get drier and rockier again, as the bushland takes on muted brown and silver hues. We’re also treated to some classic Bendigo-style mountain biking, with some crazy loose and fast double track descents keeping everyone’s brakes running hot.

At about three o’clock in the afternoon we cruise into the Spring Gully trailhead at Bendigo, before pulling up stops over the road at the One Tree Hill pub. Despite the heavy climbing early on in the day, the gradual descent following Mount Alexander is a perfect way to finish off 200km of riding.

Better yet, a few glasses of ice-cold lager in the beer garden with our fellow riding buddies conclude a stellar riding trip.

Along with the local riders who have joined us for the day, we share some stories of our journey over hot chips and cold beer, but before the legs and back can freeze up too much, it’s time for us to bid our farewells to Andy and the Bendigo crew. Basking in the warm afternoon sun, we soft-pedal our way to the Bendigo train station to hitch our lift back to our starting point in Melbourne.

And just like that, our 3-day riding journey comes to its satisfying conclusion with a quiet train journey back into the busy city centre. Needless to say, I daydreamed about chicken parma’s, mineral hot springs, and endless natural singletrack all the way home.

The Goldfields Future

Riding the Goldfields Track completely exceeded my expectations. It’s a rewarding expedition that also happens to offer beautiful scenery along with fantastic food and culture along the way, but it was the riding that blew me away. The good news is that the quality of riding is only going to get better.

There are significant works in place to further upgrade the track, and you’ll see more purpose-built trails being sculpted into the existing route.

The longer-term vision of the ‘Ride Goldfields’ concept also includes the creation of several ‘hubs’ along the route that will be home to a series of dedicated mountain bike parks. This will include a mountain bike park just outside of Ballarat in the Canadian Forest, one at Creswick, Harcourt (at the base of Mt Alexander), and one in Bendigo (Spring Gully).

With the Goldfields Track linking all of these parks together, the goal will be to encourage mountain bikers to spend more time exploring the trails within the region.

As such, I’m pretty darn excited about the potential of the Goldfields region developing further into a world-class mountain biking destination, as it’s already a terrific place to ride right now.

Throw in all of the wonderful wineries, craft breweries, culinary delights and friendly accommodation options, and you’ve got every reason to start organising your very own Goldfields adventure.

Getting There

Whether you choose to start from Ballarat or Bendigo, the Goldfields Track is easily accessible from Melbourne either by car or by train. Because it’s a point-to-point ride however, taking the train makes it all pretty easy.

My recommendation is to begin from Ballarat (making the overall gradient slightly downhill), which involves a 90-minute train ride on the V-Line service from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne.

If you choose to drive or you just want to ride a specific section of the Goldfields Track, get in touch with Andy Bos at Tread Harcourt (www.treadharcourt.com.au), who is able to provide a pickup and drop-off service along most of the track.

Track Information

Definitely consult the www.GoldfieldsTrack.com.au website when planning out your trip. This is an invaluable resource for trail maps, accommodation options and riding information for each section of the track.

When To Visit

Autumn and Spring are definitely best. Although you can easily ride the Goldfields Track year-round, the best times of year are often the shoulder seasons. You’ll get mild days with perfect riding temperatures, and you’ll miss the sunburn and snakes of summer. You can certainly ride the track through winter, but remember that temperatures can plummet towards freezing around Ballarat and Daylesford.

Accommodation

There is plenty of choice in accommodation through the Goldfields region, but there are some fantastic options that offer cyclist-friendly service.

Our first night was spent at the Continental House in Hepburn Springs (www.continentalhouse.net.au), and our hosts Veronica & Steve welcomed us into their beautiful 1920’s guesthouse like we were family. You can BYO and utilise their commercial kitchen to your hearts content, or like us, you can be treated to a beautiful homemade breakfast.

We stayed at Tread Harcourt for our second evening, which offers up comfortable and affordable lodge-style accommodation. They’ve got an area for bike washing and repairs, and there’s a secure lockup area too. Tread also have a brilliant café onsite that’s a popular hangout for cyclists on the weekend.

Other accommodation options along the Goldfields Track include historic cottages, barn houses, a renovated scout hall, and even indoor camping space at an old primary school. There is also a multitude of campsites along every section of the track, so for the bike-packers out there, you can ride the entire track self-supported.

For a full list of accommodation options, head to www.goldfieldstrack.com.au for more listings.

Fuelling Up on the Goldfields Track

One of the best aspects of the Goldfields Region is the produce. There are some incredible backcountry dining experiences for those who need to replace the calories burned from a days riding, and the numerous wineries, cideries and breweries on route make this trip so much more than just about the riding. For the foodies out there, you’re going to fall in love!

We started off our trip with a beautiful coffee at Yellow Espresso in Ballarat, and capped off the days riding with a hearty pub meal at the Old Hepburn hotel (www.oldhepburnhotel.com.au). If you’re staying in Daylesford, there is a plethora of well-regarded restaurants and cafes at your discretion, though the Gourmet Larder does a mean coffee and cooked breakfast.

We can highly recommend all of the handmade goodies at the Chocolate Mill that’ll keep you going on the morning of Day 2 (www.chocmill.com.au). Make sure you get yourself some takeaway cake though, as it’s your last food stop before Castlemaine.

Once you reach Castlemaine, you must get yourself to the Public Inn that’s located in the Old Castlemaine Fire Station (www.publicinn.com.au). For the craft beer lovers, the rotating tap list will keep you happy, and the rustic menu puts the spotlight on local produce of the season. Keep an eye out for special events that showcase beer, wine, food or all three! Their sister-café, RePublic, operates next door, and is a regular pre and post-ride hangout for local cyclists.

Harcourt is your next stop along the Goldfields Track, and if you like cider you’re in for a treat. There are fruit and apple orchards everywhere, and you could do far worse than to spend an extra day checking out the cellar doors of Bresse and Henry’s of Harcourt for delicious cider.

Trip Tips

Take water. While plans are in place to improve the availability of drinking water along the Goldfields Track, currently you won’t find many drinking taps outside of each town centre, so taking a hydration pack with 2-3 litres of fluid is a must.

Get yourself a map! Signage has improved along the Goldfields Track, but it never hurts to be sure. For $29.95, the comprehensive ‘Walking Guide’ (available on www.GDT.org.au) is not only an informative read, it also maps out all of the specific mountain bike diversions along the trip.

Suspension is your friend: Although there is a good dose of 4WD tracks and fireroads along the Goldfields Track, our tip is resist the temptation to take a race hardtail or a cyclocross bike. The trail surface is hardpack and the majority of the singletrack is laced with chunky rocks. Throw a loaded hydration pack into a 3-day riding equation, and needless to say your back will thank you if you’ve got a comfortable dual suspension bike to ride.

Tubeless is bliss: The shale and quartz of the Goldfields region loves to eat lightweight race tyres. Punctures and sidewall cuts are the most common mechanical experienced on the track, so take spares. Tubeless will get you more pinch-flat protection, but make sure you’re running tyres with decent sidewall protection.

Enjoy your surrounds: Yes you could probably hoof along the track in a shorter period of time, but there’s so much more to see and explore throughout the Goldfields region than just the singletrack. Read the information boards along the way, watch out for historical markers, and learn what it was like for migrant gold miners back in the 1850’s. Enjoy the food and wine, take a soak in the mineral hot pools at the Hepburn Bathouse (www.hepburnbathhouse.com), and check out the fantastic Art Gallery in Castlemaine (www.castlemainegallery.com).

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