Walhalla

There are several ways to discover Walhalla: underground on a guided tour of the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, on a ride with the Walhalla Goldfields Railway, or on foot along trails connected with the history of gold mining. These different experiences give your trip a clear focus. When choosing your holiday accommodation, consider whether you mainly want to explore the mine, the railway or the trails.

Gold mining underground and in the town’s history

The Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine offers a fully guided tour about 260 metres underground. The destination is a machinery chamber excavated from solid rock in the 1860s and 1870s. Bookings are required to guarantee a place on the tour. This makes it a visit with a set format: you see the chamber as part of a guided tour, not as an area to explore freely.

The production history of the Long Tunnel Extended Mine also shows the significance of gold mining in Walhalla. In the 1890s, it was Victoria’s highest-producing gold mine for five consecutive years. For anyone interested in the development of mining, this provides a specific historical connection to the underground tour and to the gold mines passed by the Walhalla Tramline Walk.

Another trace of the past is the Walhalla Old Post and Telegram Office Museum. It is the only surviving original public building in Walhalla. As a counterpoint to experiences in the mine and outdoors, this building turns the focus to the town’s public history. This lets you shape your trip around mining, local history and landscape without limiting yourself to a single way of exploring.

By rail through Stringers Creek Gorge

The Walhalla Goldfields Railway takes passengers through Stringers Creek Gorge and departs from Walhalla’s historic railway station. The start of the route is particularly striking: the first 1.5 kilometres run almost entirely over six large trestle bridges crossing Stringers Creek. The number of bridges and the precise distance make this section a distinctive part of the train ride.

The season also shapes the impression of the gorge: ferns and wildflowers are widespread there in spring and summer. If you want to combine a train ride with a look at the landscape, you can plan to enjoy these seasonal plants as part of the experience. The railway and the trails offer different perspectives on Walhalla: one is a ride through the gorge, the other a walk along designated routes.

Trails of varying lengths

The Poverty Point (Old Steel Bridge) Walk is an 8-kilometre circuit that takes about 3 hours. This information helps you plan it as a distinct hiking experience. If you would prefer a choice of different trail sections, the Walhalla Tramline Walk offers sections from 400 metres to 5 kilometres long. They pass historic ruins and gold mines.

Between Walhalla town centre and Thomson Station, the Walhalla Tramline Walk forms part of the Australian Alps Walking Trail. In this section, the trail passes through bushland and fern clearings. Details about the route, landscape and different trail lengths give you specific pointers for choosing your activities. The 8-kilometre circuit and the sections of the Tramline Walk offer different formats, without requiring you to infer a walking time for the shorter sections.

Walhalla is therefore a suitable destination for a trip where you want to discover gold-mining history and landscape in different ways. Choose your holiday accommodation to suit the focus you want for your days in Walhalla.

More town guides

If you would also like to discover other places: Rosedale, Drouin, Glengarry West, Tabilk, Horsham, Acheron, Euroa, Murray-Sunset.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.