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MOUNTAIN RIVERS RAIL TRAIL WALK
A pleasant walk, in three stages, from the Mountain Rivers property:
Lodge > Thomson Railway Station (2 hours)
Thomson Railway Station > Platina Station (1 hour)
a) Platina Station > Rawson-Tyers Rd (1 hour), or
b) Platina Station > Lodge (2 hours)
Before starting, leave a car at your planned destination, or at the end of each stage. This saves carrying lunch too.
Stage 1 (all downhill).
Option (a) is to walk down through the paintball fields, past the dam, turn left onto the east boundary firebreak. After the locked gate turn right onto the north boundary firebreak. After another locked gate turn right onto Happy Jacks Track. After 50m you will see the yellow post marking the start of the old tramway to Thomson Station.
Option (b) is to walk past the house and shed then turn left onto the east boundary firebreak. (Look for the old bren gun carrier on the right.) Turn right and follow the 4WD track through a locked gate. Continue for nearly a km then turn left downhill to Happy Jacks Track. The yellow post marking the start of the old tramway is almost opposite.
Follow the old tramway to Old Depot Rd (another yellow post). About 500m before the end you will hear, but probably not see, Happy Jack Falls (which is in a steep gully). Then turn left and follow this 4WD track around the hairpin bend and then parallel with the Thomson River until Thomson Railway Station (300m before Thomson Station another walking track links to the Australian Alps Walking Track at the Poverty Point Bridge).
Stage 2 (almost flat)
Walk past the Walhalla Goldfields Railway yards and onto the rail trail. After 500m are the ruins of two rail bridges, around which the track bypasses. Continuing, the trail gives great views of the river below.
At a sharp bend and cutting there is a sign commemorating a rail accident, and nearby is a steep walking track (optional extra) descending to the entrance of the Horseshoe Bend Tunnel (built to divert the river for gold mining).
After another 2 km the rail trail reaches Platina Station, where the Coopers Creek Rd passes overhead on a bridge (From Platina Station another walking track links to the Horseshoe Tunnel exit).
Stage 3a (almost flat)
From Platina the rail trail continues climbing slowly towards the Rawson-Tyers Rd (bitumen).
After 1½ km a sign at the Horseshoe Bend (not related to the tunnel), indicates where the front of a train used to be visible from the rear of the train.
The rail trail continues for 4 km through cuttings, embankments and fern gullies to the Rawson-Tyers Rd. Just before the road, a short uphill detour brings you out at a carpark and large visitor information sign.
Stage 3b (uphill with a couple of steep bits)
From Platina turn onto the Coopers Creek Rd (gravel). After a 500m climb, cross the Walhalla Rd (bitumen).
Continue climbing Depot Rd for 4 km (there are 2 steep sections of 4WD track).
Arriving at Rawson, pass the Stockyard pub and caravan park on the left.
Mountain Rivers Lodge entrance is 800m further on, on the right.
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