YEA, MERTON, MOLESWORTH, YARCK
Scroll beyond the links below for town information
Yea, Merton, Molesworth and Yarck are all situated within an hour of Lake Eildon, which is to the east of these towns and are also on the main route from Melbourne to Mansfield and Mt Buller. Yea is the largest of these towns, with a population of over 1500 residents and was established in the 1850’s.
Yea offers a variety of accommodation and food options and has many retail stores and services. With such a long history, it is well worth following the Yea Heritage Walk, a self guided tour through the town with informative signage, to learn about the fascinating past of Yea and its impressive buildings. Another one of the regions attractions is on the edge of town, the Yea Wetlands and Y Water Discovery Centre, which also incorporates the Visitor Information Centre.
These towns are also located on the 134 km long Great Victorian Rail Trail which can be enjoyed in small parts or as a whole, on foot, bicycle or horse. The rail trail has an interesting history that includes the construction of the Cheviot Tunnel, at just over 200 metres long and constructed in 1889 from over 650,000 handmade local clay bricks. The tunnel is about halfway between Yea and Molesworth.
Merton is the closest of these towns to Lake Eildon, Mansfield and Mt Buller and just north of the town are the Strathbogie Ranges. Merton has a BBQ/picnic area and a walking trail with historic information signs about the old buildings in the town, most are long gone, but some are still standing and beautifully preserved. There is also a Railway and Cemetery Walk, a 1.2km trail that passes through a grassy woodland ecosystem with historic information at the start.
Yarck is between Merton and Molesworth and like the other towns mentioned here, is a great base for those wishing to enjoy the Great Victorian Rail Trail or as a stopover along the route. It features some historic buildings, a country pub and cafes.
Cafes, accommodation, country pubs and High Country farm gate stalls can be found throughout the region, with produce available seasonally, fresh from the growers.
Follow these links for more detailed information on the Great Victorian Rail Trail and Yea Heritage Walk
