Pathway to central Victoria's hidden treasures from deep gorges and fern-lined rivers to the artefacts and cultural heritage of the greatest gold rush the world has ever seen.

The Great Dividing Trail, a community-planned 280km public walking trail following the top of the Great Dividing Range from Bacchus Marsh to Blackwood, Daylesford, Castlemaine, Bendigo, Creswick, Ballarat and Buninyong, allows recreational walkers and tourists the time to savour central Victoria?s unique combination of gold rush heritage and its natural beauty.

Created by a community-owned organisation, the Great Dividing Trail Association (GDTA), the Trail links the old gold rush towns at the heart of Victoria, as well as the forests, hills and lakes, straddling the Australian Great Dividing Range.

The Trail's completed spokes consist of four major Tracks, each of which in turn are separated into thematic Walks that can be easily accessed for day or shorter walks. From 2010 the three major track sections between Bendigo and Ballarat/Buninyong will be collectively be referred to as the 'Goldfields Track'. An extension of the GDT is completed within the Ararat township, with a proposal to link it to Ballarat. Work is proceeding to create a new leg of the GDT between Blackwood and Mount Macedon.

NOTE: All prospective walkers should check and be fully prepared for any predicted adverse weather conditions, and never walk or ride on the GDT in extreme weather (predicted heat, cold, rain or wind, including total fire ban days). Carrying sufficient water is essential at all times. 

CURRENT TRACK ALERTS (updated late June 2010):

• The Goldfields Track section of the GDT (between Buninyong & Bendigo) has received $500,000 in Federal Government TQAL funding for track upgrades for walkers and to progressively make the track accessible to mtb cyclists. Work crews are on the track during 2010 progressively removing the green painted hardwood posts and replacing with them unpainted (cypress pine) posts with a gold top and revised logos. It is possible you will encounter some tracks sections during 2010 where work is in progress, where signage is unclear and where the track route is slightly changed. Please bear with us during this upgrade and make sure you always carry a GDT track map. The work, including some sections where mountain bikes will be required to divert will be completed by early 2011.
• There is NO guaranteed natural or potable drinking water  available along most parts of the Great Dividing Trail. Walkers should carry sufficient  water with them at all times and replenish in towns from public and commercial supplies. Good rains to mid 2010 have resulted in some flows in  the Loddon and Lerderderg Rivers, and some creeks, including the Jim Crow Creek are flowing during 2010.
  
• Walkers should carry GDTA maps, Meridian publications or survey maps  and carry a compass and whistle. A GPS would be useful.
• Mobile phones will not operate on all  parts of the Trail.