Riders who enjoy visiting wineries have a new route to try following the official opening of the Great Western Wine and Heritage Cycle Trail.
Great Western is a small Victorian town between Ararat and Stawell in the Grampians region that is rich in the history of Australian wine making.
Two famed wineries, Best’s and Seppelt, and other more recent producers, call the district home.
Best’s has some of the world’s oldest vines, and winery, while Seppelt is noted for its history of sparkling wine production and underground limestone storage tunnels.
Now there is a new off-road track that takes riders to the fascinating wineries and other attractions around the village.
The $425,000 project was funded by equal contributions from the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund and Northern Grampians Shire Council.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said the council was grateful for the government’s support of the project, which offered a wealth of benefits from improved safety to economic opportunities.
“Previously, there was no connection for pedestrians or cyclists from town to the two major wineries,” she said.
“While people could cycle between the wineries, they were sharing the roads with cars, trucks and other agricultural vehicles.
“The 2m wide trail provides a safe route for cyclists and pedestrians, reducing traffic-related risks and improving accessibility for all users.”
Councillor Hyslop said the trail also provided tourism and community recreation benefits.
“We anticipate there will be a mix a local use and tourism use, with people riding and walking to the wineries at either end of the path, as well as residents using the path for recreation purposes,” she said.
Senator Jana Stewart, who officially opened the trail, said it was great to partner with local government to invest in projects the community is passionate about.
“It's also fantastic to have funds such as the Building Better Regions Fund to facilitate important projects like this in our regional centres. I love seeing investment in our regions.”
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