MAXIMISING the tourism potential of the Great Southern Rail Trail (GSRT) was at the forefront of the minds of presenters and attendees at Gurneys Cider in Foster on Wednesday.
South Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils, along with Rail Trails Australia combined to run the inaugural Great Southern Rail Trail Tourism forum, which, given the enthusiastic response, is unlikely to be the last.
Councillor Scott Rae kicked off proceedings, acknowledging his initial scepticism about the value of the GSRT, but saying he’s been proven wrong and that it brings much greater returns than what council spends on it.
The trail now runs for 130 kilometres between Nyora and Yarram and is ideal for cycling, walking or horse riding, providing the opportunity to attract people to the region and explore its towns along the way.
Key issues raised were the need for more accommodation along the GSRT, and for it to be suited to cyclists and other trail users, along with the requirement for suitable transport to enable riders to access the trail.
Steven Kaye, vice president of Rail Trails Australia, spoke of his recent adventure along the GSRT as part of a group of 44 riders, noting they spent a substantial amount of money at local businesses, including Kelly’s Bakery in Korumburra, and Coal Creek Motel.
While South Gippsland offers many attractions, it was the rail trail that drew the group to the area.
Steven stressed that overnight stays provide much better financial yield to communities than day-trippers, illustrating that it pays to accommodate the requirements of trail users.
“We need to have bike hotels,” he said, highlighting important considerations such as proximity to the trail, keeping bikes secure overnight, offering charging facilities for ebikes, having early breakfast available, and providing clothes washing facilities.
James Morphet of Eurocycle Adventures spoke of the potential to establish cycling tours in the Gippsland region along trails such as the GSRT, being experienced in running off-road tours in Europe and New Zealand.
Like Steven, he said appropriate accommodation and transport are key factors.
“We want to bring holidaymakers from overseas and we want to give people experiences but you need to have the facilities,” James said, adding “I reckon there are huge opportunities here.”
While riders on Eurocycle trips carry the gear they need on the ride, transportation of other travel luggage is required.
“We do it all and the only thing they have to do is get themselves there,” James said of the tours and the fact riders can just enjoy the experience without having to organise accommodation and meals.
Neil Jeremiah of Yarram operates True Blue Bus Lines and has started running a service for rail trail users, picking them up and transporting them and their bikes, whether conventional or ebikes.
He’s happy to transport large or small groups, or even individuals, and enjoys showing people some of the sights along the way, such as the Toora Dog Tree.
Meeniyan Motel’s Matt Campbell sees the GSRT as important to the business.
“The trail is a big part of our marketing,” he said, noting one of the first connections he and partner Mel made after buying the business was with Rail Trails Australia.
After organising suitable insurance, the business now hires out good quality and reliable bikes for people to explore the GSRT.
Attendees enjoyed a delightful lunch prepared by the Gurneys Cider team before hearing from other local business operators and South Gippsland Shire Council in what was a rewarding day-long event.
