Plan Your Ride
200km, Mostly Flat, Hilly, sealed/unsealed
The Goldfields Track is designed for the Gravel Grinders. You can hike or bike this track.
The track travels through beautiful country towns that others visit for a weekend of relaxing. You could have a massage or lovely dinner. visit markets or enjoy the natural springs in towns like Hepburn Springs, Daylesford, Castlemaine or Creswick amongst others.
The easy access from Melbourne by train both at ends of the ride is fabulous.
What we Love
This ride starts in Ballarat and you ride or walk to Bendigo. Both are beautiful cities with streetscapes from the golden era of gold mining in Australia.
This definitely a harder ride with technical sections that make the riding fun and requires all your skills! Its not easy and definitely not a Rail Trail.
As you travel through the forests, both natural and man-made, pastoral countryside and single track you will encounter landscapes touched by the mining history. The mining stands out as being hands on with manual mining buckets and open hand dug mine shafts. Following the water races takes you through beautiful scenery as the water flows alongside to provide power, washing and drinking water to the mining communities along the path.
What to Look out For
Officially you can start at Mt Buninyong which is south of Ballarat. For ease of transport you can start at Ballarat where the station for the train from Melbourne is located. The ride finishes in Bendigo where you can also board the train back to Melbourne.
The southern section of the trail has rocks, loose gravel and rough sections. You will need a wide tyre bike for this section. The northern section can be done with more usual style of touring bike but it does have some very steep hills. You might need to get off and walk!
