In June 2026, thanks to support from Trevor Bond and Calum Campbell, 17 riders were able to easily do the combination of the Kingaroy Kilkivan Rail Trail (KKRT) and the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT). We squeezed this ride in between wet weather the week before and a cold snap the following week.
The previous rain added lots of green to the scenery,
Sunday just before lunchtime at Roma Street railway station saw 10 of the riders “tap on” with their Go Cards and wait for the midday train to Gympie. We were concerned that Queensland Rail may have a limited the number of bikes on the train. All those fears dissolved as we boarded the train in the last carriage sat down and enjoyed the next three hours of stories and yarns.
We arrived in Gympie just after 3pm, tapping off and rode the short 5km into town. Total cost to travel over 150km – 50cents. While we were enjoying the train, two other riders were making their way to Kilkivan. The last rider, Gaylene, had spent the previous weekend just outside of Gympie and was dropped off in Kilkivan.
Michael O’Hagan, the leader of our monthly Full Moon rides from the Nundah Crit track to the Full Moon Hotel had taken a week to make his way up from Brisbane to Kilkivan.
The other rider, Steve Page, had arrived in Gympie the day before and simply rode to Kilkivan.
Early on the Monday morning we met at Polleys bus depot. For $7 Polleys would take 8 of us from Gympie to Kilkivan. But we had 10 riders! Fortunately Calum was on hand with his trailer and took two of the bikes to Kilkivan. Polleys were a tremendous help and we would certainly recommend that you contact them should you want to ride the KKRT + BVRT but do not want to ride along the Wide Bay Highway to Kilkivan.
We were all present and accounted for in Kilkivan by 7:30am where the ride briefing was conducted. We assembled for a group photo at the start of the trail then off we went.
The first section of the trail to Goomeri was the roughest section of the whole 5 days riding. The wet weather the week before provided a few creek crossings for us. There was always a way to cross the creek without getting your feet wet. Renate ably demonstrates how to do this.
We had agreed to meet at the Goomeri Bakery for a coffee and cake.
It was a treat. Then off to Murgon. This section is relatively easy. We passed the very secretive industry that farms Duboisia plants. Extracts from these plants are used for motion sickness tablets. The following week I heard how this plant played a significant role in the D Day invasion. This link https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/no-one-saw-it-coming/dday-bush-medicine/106778814 takes the listener to that podcast.
The next leg was also fairly easy and before long we were in Wondai for an overnight stay. As we cycled into Wondai, we rode passed Trevor and Calum’s camp sites, picked up our bags and agreed to meet for dinner at the Wondai Hotel.
The next morning our bagmen were waiting for us to drop off our bags and we headed for Kingaroy. A relaxed coffee and lunch and then we headed for Nanango travelling the well signposted “Link Road” A few little hills to challenge us but it is a well travelled route.
The next day we split up into two groups. One group made their way to Yarraman via the Old Stock Route, while the remainder made their way via the Downs Burnett Cycle Trail (DBCT).
While the DBCT is a bit longer it is a little bit more scenic. Along the way we found a great map of all the Southern Queensland Regional Riding routes for Gravel and mountain bikes (including e-bikes). Download the map from this link – you will find it interesting.
https://www.downsburnettcycletrail.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Finalised-Map.pdf
The remaining three riders arrived via the Out There Cycling shuttle at Yarraman earlier in the morning and we met up with them in Blackbutt bakery. All riders now on board for the remainder of the BVRT.
The trail from Blackbutt to Linville was being resurfaced in preparation for the Brisbane Valley Cycling Festival.
The surface was the best we had ever seen but there were a couple of places where the construction work was ongoing. Fortunately workers enroute alerted us to machinery and gravel on the track.
We arrive in Linville early. There was a buzz around the campsites and hotel as the second QLD:NSW State of Origin football match was showing later that night.
Our start the next morning was delayed when one of the riders arrived at the start with a flat tyre. The rider was “assisted” by onlookers providing expert guidance on the repair while others watched the “show” with a cup of coffee in their hands.
The ride took us through the Yimbun tunnel (1910) just outside of Harlin. The links below provide a short snapshot of various riders exiting the tunnel.
https://youtube.com/shorts/p4wD7ZiReMg?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/7kdOM_JB65A?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/eNh4x1DKc9s?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/57uEevs1mL0?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/IW8lBfclt-U?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/YBIwYhAve_w?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/UM5DsE8mOkg?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/8NuP9WAWi_0?feature=share
It was not long before we were having a restful lunch at Toogoolawah and meeting up with one of our bagmen. The short ride from Toogoolawah to Esk where our bags were waiting for us at either the caravan park or the pub.
On our last night together we dined at the Esk Hotel, thanking our support crew and planning the bag drop off times at the Wulkaraka train station. Esk was preparing for the Brisbane Valley Cycling Festival and plenty of colour was being added to the Esk train station
The next day we departed at 08:30hrs, had coffee and cakes at Lowood and reached Wulkaraka without any major challenges. The train trip back towards Roma Street station was easy. Your correspondent arrived at his local railway station, tapped off (another 50 cents) and rode 800 metres to get home.
A full week of travel, some 360km, engaging in great conversation, riding through beautiful scenery all with no cars and 50 cents each way by train – it does’nt get much better than that!