Imagine if you could ride from Ipswich to Gladstone on rail trails (and some back roads)?
Well, one day you might be able to. At present you can ride Ipswich to Gladstone on rail trails for a good chunk of it, and dream of more.
Route breakdown – day by day
This route has been provided by BQ’s Director of Advocacy Andrew Demack, who rode the route in 2021. In part, this was to celebrate the opening of the Barrimoon Tunnels section of the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail was opened.
While change is slow in a lot of regional Queensland, it can be fast enough to catch out intrepid bikepackers – or offer up an opportunity you may not be aware of. Since the time of writing Kirsten’s Cottage in Builyan has changed hands, and its opening hours have also changed. The Grand Hotel at Many Peaks has reopened. Craig and Desley O’Grady are the new owners and this is a very bike friendly establishment to plan for a stop. We encourage you to research and verify any of the stops you will need for food, water or accommodation.
A meander through SE Queensland, utilising 50 cent fares to get to Rosewood for the start, and to leave from Ipswich once the ride is complete. This loop utilises the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) and part of the Terra Australis bikepacking ultra course. I completed this ride in 5 days, but it could be done in a longer or a shorter period of time.
Passes through quiet rural backroads, a lot of farmland, with sweeping vistas of Lake Moogerah, Mt Superbus and Cunningham’s Gap. A steep climb to finish the day before emerging on the stunning plateau of White Swamp.
Day 2: Koorleah National Park to Leyburn
A brutal climb to start the day, up to 1000m above sea level, passing through clouds and old growth rain forest, before a beautiful and well earned descent into Killarney for a warm coffee and a refill of water. From Killarney you pass through Tannymorel and enter more farmland before entering Warwick. From Warwick you traverse Sandy Creek Road and pass through Pratten before some stateforest riding before Leyburn, with Queensland’s oldest pub and a free campground with hot showers.
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A beautiful ride on a dirt road to Millmerran, before 3 to 4 hours of isolation, red dirt and beautifully undulating terrain in Dunmore State Forest. Cecil Plains has a wonderful small shop, a post office and a pub, before continuing on to Dalby on some of the flattest roads in south-east Queensland.
Day 4: Dalby to Linville
A hard day after the mostly flat day 3, especially with a headwind as I had. You will pass through more wheat fields and lots of quiet dirt and rural asphalt roads, as well as passing at the foot of the Bunya Mountains. A well deserved break comes in the form of the Cooyar Hotel, with cold drinks and lunch that is open a few days of the week. The ride up Mt Binga to Blackbutt can be a sore one at times, however I have never been more excited to see the BVRT in my life after a quick stop off at the Blackbutt Bakery and local store for some supplies for the following day. The Rail Trail Refuge is an amazing place with lovely owners, and a soft bed after a plunge in the pool and a dinner at the Linville Hotel was amazing.
Day 5: Linville to Ipswich
A full day on the BVRT, passing through well known towns and being swooped by the locals. A welcome reprieve to not have to worry about traffic.
Connecting the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail (KKRT) to the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) is an attractive prospect for both intrepid cyclists and those keen to see more of Queensland by bike. The ride connects two stations and combines scenic roads, rail trails and old routes that covers roughly 394 km with about 3000m of climbing. We have a suggested route breakdown for 5 days – some will do it in less, some may do more. You can also opt to use a shuttle to get to Kilkivan – or even the local school bus if you travel out on a week day.
This route can be done as a ‘flashpacking’ trip staying in booked accommodation – or pack the tent and sleep system for the full bikepacking experience.
The route
Starting out from Gympie, the route heads into the undulating hinterland via Gympie-Woolooga Road. It climbs steadily, with the early hills warming up the legs. At Smith Road north of Woolooga you’ll trace north of the original rail alignment, and curve pack south to cross the old rail corridor at Oakview, before following Bular Road into Kilkivan. This makes 80km for the day thus Kilkivan is an ideal first night stop.
From Kilkivan the route swings south-west towards Kingaroy on the KKRT, which is well signed for the entire route. The first half of the rail trail may be rough and ready, and take the descents into gullies with caution after storms. The descent into the South Burnett region is a treat with gentle grades and a move to a sealed surface for fast rolling. The region has some charming roadside stops; make time for a coffee stop in Wondai! You’ll arrive in Kingaroy with just under 90km for the day.
Day 3 brings the Link Trail, or a version of it. This connects the KKRT to the BVRT. Much of the ride is on sealed roads, this section offers gravel or mixed surface, bringing texture and variety. You’ll roll through bushland, past historic railway relics, and tackle a pretty unique river crossing before a climb out of the gully. Yarraman is on the horizon which makes a great stop for the night – and maybe dinner at the front bar of the Royal Hotel?
The next day is pretty easy rolling, follow the BVRT from Yarraman to Esk, covering about 80kms. The first stretch is classic country Queensland to Blackbutt (don’t miss the bakery!) before rolling down the range to Linville. Don’t miss Linville as a lunch stop, before pushing on to Esk for the evening. This day is all off-road on the most popular rail trail in Queensland.
The final stretch from Esk back to Wulkuraka (or Ipswich) delivers a flatter route and fast rolling rail trail. The oute passes through historic towns, with Fernvale well-placed for an early lunch (or second breakfast). The final run in to Wulkuraka is fast and amooth through the outer suburbs, and when you pass under the trail head sign you’ll have completed an epic journey!
What makes this route especially appealing is the balance. Yes, you’ll ride almost 400km and do a healthy dose of climbing but you also ride through a mix of landscapes and moods: from remnant rainforest fringes and timber country to open agricultural plains and winding backroads.
When to go
This route is best travelled between April and October, to avoid the hottest temperatures. Expect a bit more wind in winter and a few encounters with magpies from August onwards.
Eating and drinking
Water and food are available at regular intervals – but do stock up and be mindful of how long it will take you to get to your next stop. If you’re travelling mid-week, double check opening times so you don’t end up missing out!
What bike
A gravel bike or cross-country style mountain bike is a great option. Depending on the amount of days you choose to tackle the route, an off-road capable e-bike would be great – just don’t forget your charger and have an understanding of the range of your bike – especially when loaded.
Head to the Komoot link to download the full route as described.
Here at Bicycle Queensland we love a ride that is a good loop, as every vista is new, and every metre that rolls under your tyres is a metre of discovery. Given the size of our state, there are some incredible rides to map out, but the trick can be making sure food and water is available on what looks to be a cracker of a longer loop.
The ride
This ride starts in Kilcoy, head north on Kennedy St out of town and then onto Mount Kilcoy Road. This passes via larger properties on a flat valley road, before the route turns abruptly skyward soon after the 20km mark and the most challenging climb of the route commences.
Strap yourselves in and engage low gear – this is a long one! You’ll gain nearly 500m in the next 4km. While it’s all double track and an open 4WD route, it is steep and has some washouts at different points. On the ridgeline you are now on an undulating route – watch for deep puddles after rain, but this is mostly fantastic adventure gravel riding.
At about 44km you join the sealed Kilcoy-Murgon road, and ride through the remnant forest to Jimna. Beware of vehicles on this route – it is lightly travelled but is a main connecting route. Turn right to Jimna at the 50km mark. There’s a small store in town, a park, toilets and Jimna Base Camp at the old school. This is open on weekends for coffee and snacks – you can also book to camp here or even book out the old Headmaster’s House if you prefer a real roof. With a basic camp kitchen, Jimna Base Camp is ideally placed to make this route a weekend bikepacking route.
Whether you leave Jimna the following day or after a coffee, do so with full bottles and pockets. The next resupply is back in Kilcoy in about 58km time. Climb School road and rejoin Kilcoy-Murgon Road, which is now dirt. You’ll ride past the old fire tower at and 56km turn hard left and onto a descent. This road is mostly narrow, with some bitumen but mostly dirt. Expect to see livestock on the road on the lower sections – enjoy the descent but be wary of oncoming traffic!
This valley goes through Monsildale, one of the earliest areas to be settled outside of Brisbane. With under 20 inhabitants, you should have a quiet ride down Monsildale Road and along Sheep Station Creek. A couple more routes join the dirt road and there are some minor climbs. At the 90km mark you reach Murgon-Kilcoy Road and return to Kilcoy. This is a main road so ride with awareness of traffic as you head back to Kilcoy.
How to Get There
Kilcoy is about an hour and a half from Brisbane or a little over an hour from the Sunshine Coast. You can park on William St, or near the yowie on Hope St. There’s a bakery and IGA in town to stock up on supplies. You can ride from Caboolture train station, but some parts of the route are less enjoyable by bike. You can even ride to Kilcoy from the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, using Gregors Creek Road, north of the Yimbun Rail Tunnel.
When to go
We rode the route in late May, which was sublime. But March through to October will likely be great. Avoid the route after extended wet weather, as you do pass through the Conondale Ranges on the way to Jimna. They stay a bit wet!
Eating and drinking
You have a few options in Kilcoy, from the pub through to CJ’s Pattiserie and beyond. Jimna is very limited, with a weekend kiosk and coffee at Jimna Base Camp
South East Queensland is awash with adventurous gravel rides. Anyone who scans Google Maps or Strava will see countless potential routes. But a heatmap doesn’t necessarily show a great ride, just a route someone has completed. It is an incomplete story, and you never truly know if it is a good story or a tale of hike-a-bike, lantana and barbed wire fences.
Thankfully, this one or two day route from Kenilworth, in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, is a stunning ride of about 120km. Do note that this is a very taxing one day gravel ride, and the route used by the Sunday Creek Classic gravel race. There is only one re-supply point for snacks and water at Jimna, approximately half way. Jimna has a small shop, but also Jimna Base Camp. The old school is now a refuge for motorbike riders, events, bikepackers and gravel riders. It is only open on the weekends, but offers camping or even the old headmaster’s house to rent out.
Starting the ride
This ride starts and finishes in Kenilworth. If you park near the Kenilworth showgrounds, you are just around the corner from the bakery and the super market. The showgrounds are a great place to camp as well, making an early start a bit easier. There are toilets, showers and you’re right next to all the amenities of Kenilworth. It’s just $20 for an unpowered site.
Carry at least 1.5L of water as you start this ride – if you have greater capacity, carry more. This is an advanced ride so if you plan to take all day to get to Jimna, carry sufficient supplies for the day. Head north on Elizabeth Street, and stick left to carry on north on Kenilworth Brooloo Road. After a few kilometres, turn left onto Pullen Lane, a dirt road.
Pullen Lane cuts through the forest of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) and the route will navigate you to Coonoongibber Creek Road after a couple of minor climbs and descents. This is predominantly all smooth riding gravel – however after rain red dirt could be heavy clay, with water in gullies. These are open roads, so keep your daytime running lights on for visibility.
You’ll emerge from the forest and turn left onto Aracaria Creek Road, which becomes Derrier Creek Road as it passes through large horse properties along the flat valley. Turn left onto the bitumen of Yabba Creek Road. This is a quiet road but still a fairly main one, so be aware of any vehicles.
You quickly turn right onto Bella Creek Road, and leave bitumen for a long time! This road leads you up the valley through Bella Creek Station, and onto the infamous Mt Buggery. It is mostly a gentle ride up the valley, across cattle grids and alongside the river. There are numerous crossings, and at times there may be stock on the road. Things are about to get hard, so it is time to eat and drink.
At about the 38km point, you start to climb properly. Not the small rises and descents you have been doing, but steep climbing in a series of ‘you’ve got to be kidding me!’ ramps. This road was graded in May 2024, meaning if you have the legs and lungs you can ride it on a gravel bike. Maybe. Expect to walk some sections. A mountain bike may have more success, but if you’re loaded, expect to walk a couple of sections. Remember, there are two kinds of riders: those who walk, and liars.
As you near the top and pass through some remnant rainforest, you may get a glimpse of Lake Borumba to your left. But don’t be surprised if you miss it while staring at your stem. The next section is rolling gravel roads, in and out of tree cover. You pass through a couple more major properties, including Kingham, on your way to turning left at Murgon-Kilcoy road at the 58km mark.
This is an unsealed road at this point and will have some traffic – but not much. It can have a lot of corrugations as it climbs and descends the ridgeline to Jimna. Turn left on School Road at about the 73km point. This is sealed road and it is just a past the iconic Jimna Fire Tower.
Jimna Base Camp is open on the weekends, with coffee, snack food to buy, plus toilets, showers, camping and accommodation. This place really is your saviour on a one or two day ride! It’s not quite all downhill from here, so fuel up and stock up for the return leg.
Climb on the road out of Jimna and turn left again onto the main road. You’re in a mix of remnant and regrowth forest, with some towering pines and rainforest species either side of the road. The gravel race takes a different variant out of Jimna with some singletrack and doubletrack – but that is not covered on the provided route.
Take a left onto Sunday Creek Road, and a quick road descent to cross a bridge before a steep climb out. Get used to this rhythm of climbing and descending, as the route profile doesn’t show the true breadknife nature of the next 25km or so.
You will mostly be climbing, and entering temperate forest with the associated weather. Again, avoid this route after prolonged rain. Red dirt makes the going very hard, and a lot of rock balast has been added to help make the road more weatherproof. This can create a lot of fatigue even for experienced riders, and the rocky balast can cause pinch flats and tyre cuts for those ready to send it all the way back to Kenilworth.
Respite will come though. From the 90km point the route is almost all downhill save for small rises, and at the 103km point you have a steep, uninterupted downhill. This is a popular route for 4WDs so as always, stay left. But if you get the chance, pull in to the lookout before your final plunge into the valley at Charlie Moreland Campground. Depending on the weather, it might be a great time for a swim!
From here, the technical challenges are over. It’s a grind back out to the road on a mix of smooth gravel and bitumen. Turn left onto Maleny-Kenilworth road for the final stretch back to Kenilworth and a chance to refresh and refuel!
The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail has become well-known as a safe, off-road route with very few technical challenges for most riders. While thousands of riders tackle some or part of the rail trail every year, not everyone knows how many great bike rides exist that use part of the BVRT along with back roads, old stock routes and other trails. The northern end of the rail is brimming with opportunities for different rides and opens the door to longer, adventurous routes as well.
The Linville – Nanango loop is one such ride. It’s not technically demanding, but at 126.7km with 1790m of climbing – it is a ride suited to experienced gravel riders. Or better yet – those who want to do a rewarding 2 day route, and either camp or book a hotel in Nanango.
Climbing the range from Linville to BenarkinJust follow the signs! The Link Trail is well-marked.Crossing the river on the Link Trail.
The ride
Starting from Linville, follow the BVRT towards Benarkin and then Blackbutt. The climbs has a few gullies but is mostly very consistent at a gentle gradient. Blackbutt is the last spot to top up on water or food before Nanango – so fill up! About 2km before the trail ends at Yarraman, take the right hand turn towards the Link Trail. This 2WD dirt road leads to a left hand turn on Din Din Road, with a bike sign for Nanango. This section is champagne gravel – but it is an open road so pay attention. The route does get more rugged as it becomes old Yarraman Road, descending to and crossing Yarraman Creek. Don’t attempt this route after heavy rain!
This road takes a steady climb out of the water crossing, through classic Queensland country. Follow this road towards Nanango, turning right onto Burnett St and left onto Drayton St to end up right in Nanango for food and drink – and lodgings if you’re staying the night.
The ride out of Nanango is straight forward, heading east on Drayton St and then left onto Mount Stanley Rd. This will be marked as the NAN1, one of three marked routes in the area thanks to David Kenny. Slowly but surely you gain elevation as you turn onto Bullcamp Rd, although in time the climbs become pinch climbs, on a narrow bitumen road that takes you to 530m – the ride’s high point.
A fast descent down River Rd links together narrow corners and high speeds, ending on a dirt road in the valley near the start of the Brisbane River. With just under 40km to go, you have nearly that many river crossings. With causeways to cross the river, recent rainfall will dictate how wet your feet get!
The dirt road becomes bitumen and while the kilometres tick by pretty well, you may note that as a one day ride the last stretch drags on. Despite running downhill to Linville, there are a couple of climbs that are cruel on tired legs to get into Linville, with a quick run towards the hotel to round of the ride.
This is a classic loop to ride in this area – perfect for a gravel bike, fine on a mountain bike (if not slow to finish) and totally unsuitable for a road bike. You are fairly isolated at times do it’s best done with friends, and with a few essentials like a first aid kit and essential spares.
Discover Australia’s longest rail trail on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail – all 161km of it! The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail is open all year round. The route is suitable for all ages, and as a traffic-free trail it can be ridden in many sections, whether it be a 20km or 161km ride. Hope on and hop off the trail at the stations that suit.
The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail connects rural towns such as Fernvale, Esk, Toogoolawah, Harlin, Moore, Linville and Yarraman. There is no shortage of farmlands, forests and picturesque settings. The trail has had extensive upgrades over the years, with a very smooth and hardpacked trail surface suiting a wide range of abilities. The northern end from Linville is more remote than the stretch from Wulkuraka to Esk, so do expect a different ride on the southern stretch to the northern one.
There a numerous outfitters who offer shuttle services, bike hire and accommodation options along the route. Visit Brisbane Valley Rail Trail to find out more on what you can expect along the way.
