Planning your visit to Alexandra will be a breeze, especially if you contact or drop by at the Alexandra Visitor Information Centre, conveniently llocated at 36 Grant Street, Alexandra. Busy? Just Phone them at  03 5772 1100 or send them an email: [email protected]. Alexandra, Victoria, Australia is a town blessed with quaint historic village, breathtaking mountain ranges and majestic waterways. Alexandra offer lots of attractions, a wide array of affordable yet comfortable accommodations, heaps of things to do, great choices of places to eat, and excitingevents that you won’t dare miss. Walk leisurely along the wide tree-lined streets of Alexandra there you’ll see their post office, national bank and law courts, and discover the towns heritage buildings and monuments. Revive the past at the Timber Tramway and Museum (located at the Alexandra Railway Station) that displaysartefacts from the timber industry of the last century. There you can see a recreation of the bush sawmill and tramway era of the Rubicon valley from 1900 to 1950. Enjoy the walk through unruffled bushland, native wildlife and scenic views of Mt Buller on the trails of Lake Eildon National Park. For watersport enthusiasts, sail around Lake Eildon in a rented houseboat, relax and enjoy the view or experience the thrill of water sports like waterskiing, kayaking and wakeboarding. You’ll find some of the best trout fishing spots in Victoria in the nearby waterways, especially the Goulburn River and Eildon Pondage. The striking Cathedral Range State Park offers invigorating hikes to the furrowed pinnacles for wonderful views over the valleys and farmland, you can also try rock climbing for more adrenalin rush. Fishing and camping are other popular activities that can be enjoyed in this park. There is a local market on the second Saturday of each month known as the Community Produce & Craft Market from September to May, an annual art show at Easter, an agricultural show and rose festival in November, and the annual Truck, Rod and Ute Show in June. Alexandra has a horse racing club which schedules around four race meetings a year including one on New Years Day and the Alexandra Cup meeting in March. Golfers play at the Alexandra Golf Club on Gordon Street,or at the course of the Stonelea Country Estate on Connellys Creek Road. You can take a ride on a locomotive or join in the fun of the local community market. Birdwatching enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to McKenzies Reserve, which is home to many species of native birds. Alexandra is just 130 kilometres from Melbourne along the Maroondah Highway. Stop off and enjoy one of the many wineries in the district or treat the...

Yarck offers a unique Australian high country experience you don’t want to miss. Yarck is an extended farming community, just 90 minutes north east from Melbourne and is slowly gaining popularity as a weekend destination. This page provides information about the area, plus the best food, attractions and activities around the township. The Yarck Hotel T: 5773 4226 – Bike friendly The Yarck Hotel/Pub is a friendly, country pub that serve hardy, quality meals. The Hotel has a special $20 lunch menu and is Bike Friendly.  Don’t miss pot and parma on Thursday nights, it’s always very popular with the locals. The pub caters for functions, events and parties. The Yarck Hotel is open Wed – Sun visit www.yarckhotel.com.au for more details  T: 5773 4226 The Yarck General Store – T: 5773 4204 Bike Friendly In the hub of the Yarck Township  ‘The Yarck General Store’  is famous for it’s pies. The General store is bike friendly and is open 7 days a week. They have a wide range of delicious pies, cold drinks and great coffee. Most importantly, they are a bike friendly tourism store. The Giddy Goat Café – NOT bike friendly – AVOID THIS PLACE BIKERS STAY CLEAR OF THIS ONE – ‘The Giddy Goat Café’  has had terrible reviews from rail trail riders  and bikers have experienced that the cafe is anything but bike friendly.  The owner does not like you using her toilets or filling up your water bottles and doesn’t hold back telling riders!  So if you are a bike rider, head across the road to the Yarck General Store for a warmer welcome to Yarck.  The Giddy Goat Cafe Is not always open, she has her 2 untrained dogs in the back eating area outside who are often licking the plates from customers who have finished their meals.    Staying in Yarck – what accommodation is there? ‘The Churches’ – T: 5773 4233 Offer luxury accommodation with breakfast. These old Churches have been fully renovated into beautiful B&B’s. It’s really worth spoiling yourself for the weekend. Yarck Hotel – T: 5773 4226 The Yarck Hotel has 2 small rooms that are available for $60 a night. They are basic, but comfortable and...

Merton, Victoria

By Great Victorian Rail Trails on Oct 2, 2013 in Townships

Merton is a small town on the west of Bonnie Doon. It is one of the gateways to Mansfield Shire and is the first town you’ll came across when approaching the Shire from Melbourne.  Set on the foothills of the Strathbogie Ranges in north-east of Victoria. To the Southeast lies Lake Eildon, and it is also near to Mount Samaria State Park. It is approximately a two hour drive to Melbourne, going via the Kinglake National Park. Merton is about 15 km from Alexandra, 18 km from Euroa, and 22 km from Mansfield. There are lots of things to see and do in and around the town as it is located close to Strathbogie Ranges, Harrops Folly Sanctuary, Mount Paradox, Merton Creek and Kippings Bridge. A wide range of accommodation and places to eat is also available. Merton is a town for adventure seekers, nature lovers, and peace seekers. Merton is for all travelers alike. Visit Merton...

Experience Bonnie Doon’s water-side environment. Bonnie Doon is a small township situated on the Maroondah Highway just 21 km west of Mansfield, Victoria. Originally called Doon, the township was on the Brankeet Creek. The name was changed toBonnie Doon shortly before 1900, and in 1956 the town was moved to higher ground when Lake Eildon was enlarged. The name “Doon” was given by an early settler, Thomas Nixon, probably after the Doon Loch in Scotland. Bonnie Doon draws tourist on the lookout for the water activities of Lake Eildon and along with neighboring Mansfield, the township also serves as the doorway to the Victorian High Country. The Visit Bonniedoon website provides information about the area, plus the main attractions and activities here. Delicious Meals You can satisfy your hunger in an open kitchen setting at Heights Bar and Bistro. They are open 7 days a week during the winter and most days throughout the rest of the year and has a menu that differs over the seasons. In winter, Heights Bar and Bistro operates as a hot takeaway restaurant only, while in summer, the focus is on the a la carte menu. You can also satisfy your thirst as Heights Bar and Bistro is fully licensed and offers a selection of local wines, beers and mixers, as well as soft drinks and juices. There is also a bar area for those wishing to have a quiet drink. Accommodation Choose from various great deals of accommodation: Caravan Parks – Enjoy the serenity of bonnie doon’s charming park and area. Inn – Perfect to those looking for an affordable place to stay overnight. Bed and breakfast – Relax and feel at home, B&B’s are an ideal setting for city slickers looking for a place that has plenty of SERENITY. Luxury self contained accommodation – Perfect for a weekend get away to relax in the beautiful bush setting environment. Lots of Activities and Beautiful Sites A lot of locals in the surrounding region, use Bonnie Doon as a weekend destination with its countless activities such as bush walking, fishing, water skiing, boating, horse riding, trail biking, and off-road 4WD. Many motor cycle and car clubs use Bonnie Doon as a base for their weekend rallies around Lake Eildon and the King...

Maindample History & Things to See and Do Maindample was named after the Maindample Pastoral Run near the twin hills known as The Paps and was first surveyed as a township and area in 1875. However, the township was well and truly established by 1868 with the gold rush era and boasted five hotels and three stores with an estimated 1000 miners actively seeking their fortunes in the area but was known only as Maindample Settlement prior to its surveying. With the decline of gold the township started to shrink and by 1899 there were only about 10 houses and two hotels, one store and a blacksmith shop remaining – two of the houses belonged to the Railways and were lived in by railway gangers and their families.  It was often the wives of those gangers that manned the railway gates and met the trains for passengers and ticket sales. A police ‘camp’ was also stationed at Maindample from about 1868 to 1870 and manned by Mounted Constable Michael Kennedy – the same known for his part and death in the Ned Kelly shootout at String Bark Creek. The railway line was busy having been established but was not officially opened until 1891, catering for goods and passenger services. From 1895 to 1969 it remained that the railway gangers wife acted as the station caretaker and postmistress.  The local post office was moved from a private residence to the railway house and remained there until it transferred in 1969 back to Arthur and Kath Breadon, with Kath retaining the role of postmistress until 1989. Today the township of Maindample has changed dramatically – it has no store, no railway and since the last remaining hotel – The Bridge Inn – burnt down in July 2010, no hotel. The Maindample motel however, still remains and is currently operating under caretaker management. Maindample remains a thriving country settlement with more than 50 homes established in its centre and many more on outlying farms in the immediate area.  Maindample boundaries are now considered to be from Lockhart’s Road to the west through to Pap’s Lane in the east and to McGill’s Lane on the Midland Link; encompassing many farms and with an estimated...