Just an hour and a half out of Melbourne, you’ll find the leafy little town of Rokeby in West Gippsland.
The Rokeby to Crossover Rail Trail is about 4km one way, and is the perfect walk for those who don’t like inclines.
As we had an elderly person and 10 year old dog with us, it was a suitable trail for everyone. We spotted quite a few people with dogs on lead and some joggers too.
The path is wide, straightforward and mostly flat. The whole trail is flanked by the tall trees of Crossover Regional Park, making it feel cool and shady.
The walk is similar the whole way except that every now and again, you’ll glimpse someone’s farmland or private property and rolling green hills.
There are also small paths that diverge off the main one. There was little signage but I assumed they might be mountain biking paths.
There were three or so benches along the track, which helped the eldery person in our group take a reasonable number of breaks.
At the end of the track, you reach an old trestle bridge in Crossover, which looks quite old, but has a mysterious, abandoned look as it is framed by towering, leafy trees.
At this point of the track, there was also signage pointing to another carpark, indicating you could also start the walk from Crossover. You can also continue onto Neerim South (3km from Crossover) and then Neerim (5.6km from Neerim South), which makes up the Rokeby to Neerim trail.
As it was nearing sunset, we took a few photos of the bridge and made our way back the way we came.
For those who want to add some entertainment to the walk, you can download the Geocaching app and embark on something akin to a treasure hunt. The app noted there was a cache near an intersection with a seat we were resting at, but we were unsuccessful in finding it.
As the sunlight was disappearing, the last rays peeked between the trees on our return walk. It added a sense of tranquility to the journey. We also spotted a few wallabies, who jumped off into the forest as we got closer.
The map at the start of the walk also noted you can also veer off to explore a short Rokeby Flora and Fauna Trail, which has some interpretive signage.
If you are ever in West Gippsland, the walk is a relaxing activity to add to your itinerary, especially if you have a family and dog. I think it would also be very great for families with bikes.
Make sure to time a visit with the Rokeby Market, which runs on the second Saturday of each month from September – May. It’s quite large compared to some smaller country markets. It has capacity for 100 stalls, which are inspired by the motto, “Make it, Bake it, Grow it, Breed it”. Rokeby Reserve, where the market is held, is also the beginning of the Rokeby to Crossover walk.
The walk is also about fifteen minutes from Warragul, where you can refuel at plenty of cafes and eateries.