Running from the New South Wales border to Phillip Island in Victoria,
Gippsland is one of those rare regions in Australia where the grass is green, the rivers full and the countryside bucolic. All this verdant beauty comes at a price though, and that price is rain - lots and lots of rain. David and I are fair weather cyclists. We first came to South Gippsland to cycle the
Great Southern Rail Trail (GSRT) in November 2019. We got one perfect day, one okay day and two days of wet, windy weather. Instead of the whole trail, we managed little more than a third, but it was a magical third. We came back in 2021 (and again in 2023) to fill in the blanks. We both agree The Great Southern Rail Trail is the best rail trail in Australia. The scenery is lovely, the towns are idyllic and the wildlife, especially the koalas and echidnas we have seen right next to the trail, is magical.