If I were to conduct a poll of residents around Stawell and ask them where the Rail Trail was, most would shake their heads and declare their lack of knowledge of such an asset — yet it exists. 

The Stawell Rail Trail starts at Pleasant Creek and winds its way through the tranquil Illawarra Forrest and terminates at Mt Dryden Road.

The track itself is well defined and suitable for all ages and abilities.

I have seen mums and prams, push bikes, older hikers with dogs in tow and more enjoying the tranquillity of the track, yet disappointingly its existence remains unknown to most in Stawell.

To date around $71,000 in grant money has been invested into the construction plus fire and flood money also.

The trail itself is an ongoing project of the Stawell Secondary College. 

Since the project’s inception in 2001, Powercor has also donated $34,000 to it.

The school's year 9 ecology students manage the project under the guidance and instruction of the Project Initiator John Pye.

It is they who do the project management and decide how the money will be spent.

Students are also required to work onsite. 

The first part of the track which goes from Grampians Road to Coad's Flat Road has ample seating plus a picnic table.

These were made and installed by the men from the Stawell Men's Shed. 

The ultimate aim is to see the track reach the mountains following as closely as possible to the original rail line to the Heatherly Quarry.

This in turn gives opportunity for ancillary walk tracks to branch off to the likes of Lake Fyanns, Lake Londsdale and Halls Gap.