TOCA Members Tackle the East Gippsland Rail Trail Adventure

 

 

For photos of the trip, go to the TOCA Photos Page.  For best viewing of the photos, click on the first photo to enlarge it, and then use the arrow buttons on the screen to scroll through the photos.

 

Lead Up...

From 9–11 May 2026, Tesla Owners Club of Australia (TOCA) members and their families gathered for the National TOCA Rail Trail Event in the spectacular East Gippsland region of Victoria, enjoying a weekend of cycling, camaraderie, and stunning scenery.

 

Members travelled from the ACT, Victoria and country NSW, with some making the 4–5 hour journey on Friday, 8 May, to Bairnsdale, Victoria, the chosen basecamp for the weekend’s rail trail adventure. The newly built Quest Apartments provided excellent accommodation, although the bike storage facilities proved somewhat undersized for a town so popular with cyclists!

 

Following the long drive, members reunited over dinner at a local Indian restaurant, enjoying great food and even better company before retiring for the night in preparation for the weekend’s challenge.

 

Day One – Unexpected Detours and Historic Wonders

Saturday morning began with a hearty breakfast at a local café before the group set off for the East Gippsland Rail Trail trailhead, located just four kilometres from their accommodation.

 

With a mix of two traditional human-powered bikes and a fleet of e-bikes, the group rolled out into East Gippsland’s picturesque countryside. The opening sections of the trail offered relatively flat riding through open farmland, before transitioning into magnificent forested sections dotted with historic wooden trestle bridges such as the Deep Creek Trestle Bridge.

 

These engineering marvels, remnants of a bygone railway era, sparked nostalgia and admiration among the group, evoking memories of the steam locomotive age and the extraordinary craftsmanship that brought the railway to life.

 

The day offered riders a choice between a shorter and longer route. In true adventure style, the group accidentally found themselves on the longer course via Bruthen — adding an extra 12 kilometres to the day’s ride. Undeterred, the intrepid team embraced the challenge.

 

Lunch was enjoyed trailside near Mossiface before the route continued through rolling green farmland, scenic forests, and a forestry reserve approaching Nowa Nowa.

 

As daylight faded, the group arrived in Nowa Nowa after dark — unplanned but handled with good humour and determination. Fortunately, two shuttle vehicles had been strategically positioned to transport drivers back to Bairnsdale before returning to collect riders and bikes.

Dinner at the local pub capped off an exhausting but rewarding day, with participants turning in early after clocking an impressive 60 kilometres on Day One.

 

 

Day Two – Forest Trails and Iconic Bridges

Sunday began with another group breakfast before members returned to Nowa Nowa to continue the journey toward Orbost, tackling a 40-kilometre ride through more breathtaking Gippsland landscapes.

 

This leg of the journey proved flatter than Day One, allowing the group to settle into a comfortable rhythm as they passed the impressive Ironstone Creek Trestle Bridge and stopped beneath the historic O’Grady’s Trestle Bridge, also known as the Wairewa Railway Bridge. 

Built in 1915, the bridge remains one of the standout features of the East Gippsland Rail Trail and provided the perfect backdrop for photographs and a well-earned lunch break.

 

The scenery throughout the second day continued to impress, offering a distinctly different landscape to the opening leg while still delivering the natural beauty East Gippsland is known for.

 

In the final kilometres approaching Orbost, riders paused to admire the long trestle bridge running beside the Princes Highway across the flood plains before finally reaching their destination at a local park.

 

 

 

After retrieving vehicles from Nowa Nowa and returning to Bairnsdale, the group celebrated the weekend in style with a lively dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant, where traditional dress-up outfits added an extra layer of fun to the evening.

 

 

A Weekend to Remember

Monday marked the journey home for many members returning to Canberra, Sydney and surrounding regions. Meanwhile, some Victorian TOCA members extended the adventure with a ride along the Gippsland Rail Trail between Stratford and Traralgon, reportedly enjoying more stunning scenery and a memorable experience.

 

A special recognition goes to Mark Read (VIC) for planning the itinerary and capturing the adventure through drone photography and video editing. Credit also goes to Darryl Bourke (ACT) and Aaron Wood (VIC), who tackled the demanding first day on a traditional bike, keeping pace with the e-bike riders over a challenging distance.  Darryl was a little worse for wear at the end (he is the one lying down collapsed in all the photos). 

 

Most importantly, thank you to all attendees whose enthusiasm for cycling, adventure, and the outdoors made this event such a success.

 

 

 

With another major Rail Trail Event planned for October 2026, TOCA hopes even more members will take up the challenge and join the ride.