The Ridgeline Trail

What is the Ridgeline Trail?

The Ridgeline Trail is an idea, proposed by Bellbrae Primary School Parents and the Surf Coast Energy Group, for a new community trail on the ridgeline of the Spring Creek Valley.

The trail will connect the regional towns of Bellbrae, Jan Juc and Torquay, and mark the start of a recreational bike route, that will eventually stretch all the way to Anglesea.

It will be “off road”, running in parallel to the Great Ocean Road from School Road to Duffields Road, with views over the Spring Creek Valley.

It will be 3.7km long, and travel through a restored ecological corridor 9.6 hectares in size.

As you rest, walk, run, or ride along the trail you will be surrounded by nature. You’ll hear kookaburras, parrots and smell the wattle. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the eagles that live in the valley.

You’ll pass through moonah tunnels and by ancient yellow gums, as you learn about the First Peoples who also walked this path.

Visitors and residents will be able to use the trail to ride to work, to exercise, to walk their dogs, to visit friends and to access local attractions (cafes, wineries, beaches and mountain bike trails). Families and children will be able to use the trail to get to school, to sport or to after school activities.

The trail will connect to bus stops, making it easy to catch a bus into Torquay, to local schools, to sports grounds, or into Geelong.

The Vision

The Ridgeline Trail project will deliver an upgraded and extended pathway, restoration of local biodiversity and an enhanced trail experience. The landscape corridor will be valued, cared for and revitalised.

In June 2022, we submitted the idea to Council’s Community Project Development Program.

A Council project officer was assigned to help us draft a vision for the trail.

Children riding to school, local residents, runners, bike riders, families, school staff, local businesses, historians and property owners all shared their thoughts and ideas.

In September 2023, the draft vision was sent to all Councillors requesting “in principle support”.

Download the Community Vision document

How are we bringing the trail to life?

Featured

Council kickstart path upgrade

The Surf Coast Shire Council has kickstarted the trail by funding construction of a safe pathway

Bellbrae kids restore nature

Grade 5 Students from Bellbrae Primary and children from Natur.Ed are helping to restore biodiversity on the trail

Weeds are on the way out

The Surf Coast Shire Council and the Department of Transport are tackling the weeds

Families advocate for safe crossings

Christian College and Bellbrae Primary families are advocating for safe crossings on the Great Ocean Road

It’s cool to walk to school

Bellbrae Primary School are encouraging families to walk, ride or catch the bus to school.

Taking action for our kids and community

SCEG will be at the One Planet Festival on Saturday March 16 to share information and answer community questions about the Ridgeline Trail.

The Ridgeline Trail is a community project supported by the Surf Coast Shire Council and the Department of Transport and Planning.

Local families, schools, environmental groups, community groups and businesses are working together to bring the trail to life for the benefit of the Surf Coast community.

There are many ways you can help, and every little bit is appreciated.

We’ve heard stories about learning to drive, jumping the fence to catch yabbies in the dam, picking blackberries, making bike jumps and taking short cuts after a big night out.
Martin Hooper has given us a poem, you can read it here. We found an amazing article from Torquay Museum Without Walls with photos of the old Cobb & Co coaches. You can view it here.
If you have a great story we’d love to hear it.
What would you like the Ridgeline Trail to look like, feel like? How would you be using it and what for? What change would you like to see? What don’t you want to see?
Head to Contact Us and let us know!
We think you will be surprised.
We want to learn more about the animals and plants that live on the ridgeline, and we’d love your help.
If you like birdwatching, download the Bird Data app and contribute to our survey “Birds of the Ridgeline”.
Or, download the iNaturalist app, take a photo and show us what you’ve found.
These apps share data with the Atlas of Living Australia, which means your observations will contribute to Australia’s national biodiversity database and be used by researchers and decision makers in their work.
We’ll use the information to help us to restore the natural environment along the trail.
To find out what species have already been observed click on Explore Here and type in Bellbrae 3228.
The Ridgeline Trail is a hidden secret. Most people don’t know it’s there.
If you’ve walked or ridden to school along the path with your children, next time invite one of their mates. They won’t know how much fun it is, and how lucky we are until they give it a go.
If you run the trail, tell a friend. The views of the valley will blow them away.
Over the next 12 months we will be working on projects to:
• Clean up the rubbish
• Remove weeds
• Upgrade the pathway surface between the Bellbrae Reserve and Christian College
• Make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists to use the path
• Learn more about the cultural history of the ridgeline and valley
• Learn more about the biodiversity along the ridgeline
• Encourage the community to go for a walk or ride along the trail
Head over to the Surf Coast Energy Group (SCEG) website to DONATE or VOLUNTEER.