Explore the O’Keefe Rail Trail

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Four cyclists, a runner and two walkers cross the bridge over the Campaspe River at Axedale

Explore: the inaugural Cycle the O’Keefe event showcases the whole rail trail to new riders. Photo: City of Greater Bendigo

By Geoff O’Sullivan

It finally became possible to travel off-road all the way from Bendigo to Heathcote in May 2015 when the extension to the O’Keefe Rail Trail from Axedale was completed. Now a new, not-for-profit community event is showcasing the trail for locals and visitors alike.

At nearly 50 km long, the trail joins the three towns and traverses forest, grazing lands and, most spectacularly, Lake Eppalock. The trail had been over 20 years in the making with the last section between Bendigo and Axedale opened in 1999. Some ten years later a new community group, the Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail, began lobbying for the old trail to be upgraded and extended, and over the next few years missing bridges were replaced and the trail crept slowly towards Heathcote.

The extended and upgraded trail has been a boon for the communities of Heathcote, Axedale, Knowsley, Longlea, Junortoun and Strathfieldsaye providing a safe recreational facility and a boost to visitor numbers coming to explore the region. It’s also created opportunities for new community events like the O’Keefe Rail Trail Marathon which began last year and brought together volunteers from across the region to plan and run the event.

This year the marathon is being complemented by the inaugural Cycle the O’Keefe being run on Saturday 22 April by the combined efforts of communities along the trail in conjunction with Bike Bendigo. The event offers bicycle riders the opportunity to ride part or all of the trail with the support of a team of event marshals and in the company of other like-minded explorers.

Local cycling identity and Olympic gold medallist, Scott McGrory, is the event’s ambassador and, along with his family, will take to the trail – at a gentler pace than his medal winning effort. Priscilla the Powerful Owl will be out on the trail offering a prize of a helmet and bike light to the first rider to spot her. The organisers are hoping to tempt people who haven’t ridden for a while back onto their bikes, and showcase what the new trail offers to those who haven’t yet seen it.

The event offers a range of distances.

  • Family Ride (Mia Mia Derrinal Road) 5 km
  • Knowsley to Heathcote 16 km
  • Axedale to Heathcote 26 km
  • Junortoun to Heathcote 42 km
  • Ultra Ride 70 km

If you need transport for you and your and bike from Heathcote back to Axedale, that’s available too, but you’ll need to let the organisers know when you book your selected distance.
For more information contact me, Bike Director Geoff O’Sullivan, on 0414 414020 or see
http://www.theokeefe.com.au

1 thought on “Explore the O’Keefe Rail Trail”

  1. A bit belated for this comment but I recommend this ride, having completed it back in March 2016. I took the VLine train from Melbourne to Bendigo and rode to Heathcote and back to Bendigo in one day. Then took the train back to Melbourne. I recall the trail surface was good except for some loose patches before Axedale, heading out. It was a 6 hour trip, actual moving time plus stops along the way. Most enjoyable. I used an urban bike with narrow tyres for that trip. Nice!

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