If you like the look of this ride and you are not sure about 3 days riding why not have a go at Alex Geel's one day ride on the BVRT from Coominya to Esk on June 4. For details refer to the calendar entry here..
https://bbta.org/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=738657&item_id=2299787
A group of 13 riders explored the KKRT from May 1 through to May 3. We met in Yarraman then together with our bikes and luggage were taken up to Kilkivan by Out There Cycling https://www.outtherecycling.com.au/ . The photo below introduces the riders with their bikes loaded on the trailer, luggage stowed and ready for the shuttle to Kilkivan.
A bit over one hour later we arrived in Kilkivan, fueled up and started our trek. The first section from Kilkivan to Gomeri is a bit rough with ballast still on the trail. With the recent rain grass on the edge of the track had grown substantially and at times the grass was a high as the riders.
The recent rains caused ponds to fill up and the creeks to have a small amount of water flowing. Creek crossings were easy though.
Some creeks did have plenty of water. Thank goodness for the bridges.
Along the way we ran into a farmer herding cows up to the diary. This slowed us down a bit…
It was’nt long before we were in Goomeri, the home of Australia’s only Pumpkin Festival. No pumpkins for us though – just coffee and sweets.
The next section was smoother riding but the grass was still long...
But the riders were happy to be out an about
As we approached Murgon we could see the infrastructure emerge,
The creek crossing here was rough and tough but we all got through unscathed.
We arrived in Murgon with a few hours left in the day. More than 75% of the riders were staying at the Murgon Motor Inn https://www.murgonmotorinn.com.au/ The mangers of the motel were very accommodating allowing us to place our bikes in a locked shed. We even had the whole restaurant to ourselves. The meals were generous to say the least!
The next morning we met at the Murgon rail station. No trains so we had to ride!!!
It was a sealed track all the way to Kingaroy, a very pleasant and comfortable ride indeed. Even the President has a smile....
The countryside was spectacular and it is worth noting that along the trail now there are now many loop rides, some from Tingoora and others from Wooroolin. Jason went off to explore one loop while the rest of the group ambled along.
A lot of the little rail communities north of Kingaroy still exist. There is so much history to discover. One example is the dairy farming heritage of the area as evidenced by the old Mayborough Co-Operative
By mid afternoon we had reached the end of the line at Kingaroy.
We all met at the Kingaroy RSL club that night for dinner and planned the ride for Yarraman. About half of us decided to ride the Kingaroy – Nanago Link road and then the old stock route. While others planned to ride out via the Tarong Power Station on mostly sealed surfaces. This group was planning on arriving in Yarraman early so they could travel to the Boyne Valley rail trail event being run by Bicycle Queensland.
Peter and Suzanne however, opted for even another route only to find one of the bridges out. A bit of a detour was required...
The group using the Link road on the other hand was rewarded with treats at the Nanango bakery.
By midday we had all arrived at Yarraman. The Royal Hotel offered us a hot shower for a few $$’s and provided storage for our luggage. A great way to finish a wonderful three day in the countryside.
If you want to see more of the photos click on this link.
https://bbta.org/content.aspx?page_id=187&club_id=738657
Many thanks to all the riders on this ride. It was truly a wonderful time.