Melbourne based Bicycle Network’s CEO Craig Richards recently ‘escaped’ the capital city, to see what it was like to cycle in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo. Accepting an invitation by Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail to visit Bendigo, Craig was surprised when experiencing some of the urban off-road trails, such as the Back Creek Trail with its creative artistic displays and Bendigo Creek Trail, and to see how these were providing a continuous safe route for cycling commuters.
Back Creek Trail (Williamson St underpass), Bendigo. Photo: Craig Richards
Riding a section the O’Keefe Rail Trail from Bendigo to Axedale with the Friends members, Craig was not able to spot a platypus in the Campaspe River yet lunch at the Axedale Tavern was certainly another highlight. Time did not permit exploring the trail’s latest 30km extension to Heathcote, perhaps a reason for another visit in the future!
Inspecting the former Axedale Railway Station development, O’Keefe Rail Trail. Photo: Les Lewis
The ‘country escape’ for the CEO certainly provided an awareness of how Bendigo is striving to become Victoria’s regional ‘City of Greater Cycling’, to improve both its community’s health and wellbeing as well as attract more of the active tourist market.
Bike riding numbers in Bendigo are on the way up by creating great places to ride pic.twitter.com/h1DYeoUnMZ
— Craig Richards (@richobicycle) February 26, 2019
Politicians say The friends of the Bendigo Kilmore Rail Trail have done an amazing job by putting their hand up not just out – congrats! pic.twitter.com/MDiw6Lf41v
— Craig Richards (@richobicycle) February 26, 2019
