** POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING: Wangaratta to Bright Cycling Circuit

** This event has been postponed until spring 2019.
Enjoy a moderate 3 day rail trail ride in Victoria’s North East Alpine region, with two overnights in Myrtleford.

GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Moderate 3 day cycling circuit, approximately 180 km in total, including two nights accommodation in Myrtleford. 
MEETING TIME | LOCATION: Wangaratta Station at 9:53am on Friday 5th April. Most people will meet at the Melbourne Southern Cross Station at approximately 6:35am to catch the 7:05am Albury Train service. 

MAP REFERENCE: Melway map X922 grid C7 | Google map goo.gl/maps/ryUNLT5qDQF2.  

DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 250 km from the GPO. Allow 3 hours driving/train.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: V/line service departing Melbourne Southern Cross at 7:05am Friday 5th April, arriving Wangaratta 9:53am. Return service: departing Wangaratta 6:14pm on Sunday 7th April, arriving Melbourne Southern Cross 9:44pm.

TRAIN COST: Concession / Senior $33 return. Full price $66 return. Reservations are required for this service. Bikes will be carried in the luggage car, but it’s best if they’re booked in. The leader will book in the bikes once numbers are confirmed, but you will need to purchase a paper ticket (Myki is not applicable for this route). No need to use your Myki if travelling to/from Southern Cross by train ‐ just show your V/line paper ticket at the barriers.

FOOD | MEALS | WATER: Bring snacks if required and a water bottle ‐ there are water refill points along the way. Lunch will probably be in Everton on Friday (pub or general store), in Bright on Saturday, and Everton again for the return on Sunday. Evening meals will be at a restaurant, pub or cafe in Myrtleford. For breakfast we will source a reasonable cost café in Myrtleford or you could bring a small plastic bowl, spoon, cereal and milk and make your own.
APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Bring suitable bike attire to match the weather forecast, and to cater for all possible contingencies. It could be cold in the region in April. Be sure to bring at least one spare tube. Bring something suitable to wear in the evenings, and perhaps for the return train trip (for the wellbeing of your fellow travellers)! Bring minimal personal effects for the trip as you will have to carry everything with you on your bike.

ACCOMMODATION: Those who book early will be accommodated at The Rails Hotel Motel, Myrtleford (on a “first in first served” basis for who gets what rooms and who goes in them)! There are 5 x (2-bed) rooms which have been reserved for 10 people for $115 per person for the 2 nights and 2 x (1-bed) rooms which have been reserved for 2 people for $189 per person for 2 nights. In each room is a queen bed so you sort out between you who goes in that bed! Latecomers will need to organise their own accommodation for Friday and Saturday nights in Myrtleford.
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We will be riding from Wangaratta Station to Bright, and back, via the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail.

• Friday: we will commence at the Wangaratta Railway Station and ride to Everton Station, which at 26 km is the halfway point to Myrtleford. We’ll have a picnic lunch, which you can bring from home or purchase in Wangaratta. After lunch, we’ll have the only significant climb, up to Taylors Gap. From there it’s a gentle descent all the way to Myrtleford, however we’ll stop off 7 km before Myrtleford at the delightful Gapstead Winery to taste some wines and purchase some supplies for the coming two evenings. 
• Saturday: this will be a very relaxed day. After a leisurely breakfast, we cycle the flat 30 km to Bright for lunch and a look around this picturesque town before returning to Myrtleford for dinner.
• Sunday: our only deadline for Sunday is to ensure we get back to Wangaratta Station in time to catch the train at 6:14pm. Lunch will be at the halfway point - a picnic lunch you buy in Myrtleford in the morning. We could potentially take an 18 km diversion to visit the Cock’s Eldorado Dredge.

The approximate distances are: Day 1, from Wangaratta to Myrtleford: 55 km; Day 2, from Myrtleford to Bright and back: 60 km; Day 3, from Myrtleford to Wangaratta: 55 km. The entire trail is sealed and suitable for road bikes, though the surface is a little rough in places.
Being a rail trail, the gradient is gentle ‐ Bright is only about 150 m higher in altitude than Wangaratta. From Wangaratta the trail climbs gently to Everton, rising around 35 m in altitude over 22 km. It then undulates a little prior to climbing 150 m to Taylors Gap. From there it’s gently downhill all the way to Myrtleford, then quite flat between Myrtleford and Bright.
FURTHER INFORMATION: www.tourisminternet.com.au/brirail.htm.

LEADER | BOOKING: Kevin K. | by Thursday 22nd March. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Don’t delay, book as early as possible in order to get the best accommodation deal and to secure your participation in the event. The aim is to limit the event to only 12 people. You will need to select, and pay for, your preferred accommodation option at the time of booking. If you are not a Nomads member, you will need to first take out a one-month Nomads Temporary Membership (cost $8) prior to booking your accommodation. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.