This trail through the Boyne Valley and over Dawes Range to the Burnett River is not for everyone. No concrete, no smooth asphalt but some beautiful landscapes and jaw-dropping railway engineering.

It is being developed in stages, with four sections open:

Dawes Range (25km): Offers stunning mountain views as it passes through six tunnels, with an array of national parks nearby.

Mundubbera to Mt Debateable (30.5km):  Follows the Burnett River most of the way, has great views of some beautiful heritage bridges, with opportunities for canoeing.

Mt Debateable to Reids Creek (7km): A short trip on a variable surface to inspect the broken bridge across the creek.

Four-Mile Scrub to Boynedale Bush Camp (4km): Pleasant journey along the shore of Lake Awoonga.

Gayndah is the closest town to the southern end of the trail and has most facilities, including free camping at the former railway station. Along the way, there is parking at the railway sidings, with water and toilets available in most small towns along the corridor, see SECTION GUIDES

Dawes Range – Barrimoon Siding to Builyan (25km)

• Firm gravel surface to tunnels, softer gravel and sand in some sections after that, suitable for mountain bikes.
• Cattle on corridor
• No mobile phone service: UHF can be used in the area
• Carry plenty of water
• Most bridges are intact, but are not trafficable at this stage, so waterways may be impassable after rain.

Barrimoon Siding is about 6km from Kalpowar. Currently there are corflute rail trail signs placed at strategic positions from Monto to Barimoon Siding. (Note: It is a gravel road from Kalpowar to Many Peaks and is not suitable for caravans due to a steep descent.)

The first 10km of the trail descends via sweeping curves through the six tunnels and many impressive cuttings, delivering panoramic views of the countryside.

Once descended into the valley, the trail surface becomes less firm with some soft and sandy sections, gates to be opened and steep and loose gullies to be negotiated under existing rail bridges. The gullies are manageable when dry but will likely be impassable if water flows during or after rainfall events. All but one gates are straightforward to manage.

Approaching Many Peaks there is a signed detour to get trail users around a disused railway bridge. The signage is a little vague. There is a new amenity block at the historic Many Peaks Railway Dam but that is not on the rail trail. You need to get on to the (very low traffic) bitumen road at Many Peaks and ride back less than a kilometre to the dam park. It is well worth doing so as there is a shelter, history information signage, toilet block and elevated lookout over the old weir. There is no drinking water available.
The final section to Builyan Siding has more soft sections.

Facilities

• Kalpowar is a very small village with limited accommodation and facilities, and is 6km before Barrimoon Siding
• 2km before Barrimoon Siding is the Kalpowar State Forest camping area with a toilet
• Many Peaks has facilities at Railway Dam
• The Grand Hotel Many Peaks offers accommodation and meals Wednesday to Monday (closed Tuesdays)
• Builyan is a small village with limited facilities; a general store (not always open), and showers and toilets at the community hall
• The nearest major regional centre is Monto, so bring all required food and drink.

For those wanting more detail, the six tunnels were built just after World War I and their lengths are: No.1 – 100m, No.s 2 and 3 – 105m, No. 4 – 130m, No. 5 – 155m and No. 6 – 170m. Tunnel 6 still has the rail line and the original ‘hogback’ sleepers in place. One tunnel is significantly curved so that it is dark upon entering but after a short distance light starts to appear from the other end, so torches are not essential but may be helpful.

Mt Debateable to Mundubbera (30.5km)

The trail does not actually start in Gayndah, because of a destroyed bridge across Reid Creek.  The access point is at the Mt Debateable Station site, which can be reached by using Gayndah – Mundubbera Rd and turning right onto Mt Debateable Rd about 10 km west of Gayndah. From here you ride west for a look at the rich variety of bridge designs used for the railway.

Mostly only suitable for fit mountain bikers, walkers and horse riders. Cyclists should be ready for puncture repairs. Expect significant soft sandy sections which will slow progress and some difficult gully crossings. There are plenty of gates especially towards Mundubberra. 

• The trail surface varies from hard-packed railway ballast, to loose sand and soft mud
• Includes a remarkable number of heritage listed bridges.  However none of the bridges are open at present, and temporary bypasses (some steep and rough) have been built around them.
• Close to the Burnett River, you get stunning views and koalas have been sighted in the eucalypt forest beside the trail.
• No toilets or drinking water along the trail
• Cattle on the corridor

This section was opened by the volunteer committee in September, 2022, at low cost to provide access for those keen to experience this picturesque section while funding is obtained to deck the many bridges and improve the trail surface.

Camping is available at Gayndah Railway Station and Mundubbera Showgrounds.

Mt Debateable to Reid Creek (7km)

Mostly only suitable for fit mountain bikers, walking and horse riding. Cyclists should be well prepared with provisions for puncture repair. Expect significant soft sandy sections which will slow progress and some difficult gully crossings.

It is only possible to reach Reid Creek by starting at Mt Debateable and going there and back.  The trail follows the Burnett River towards Gayndah, and ends at Reid Creek where a large bridge was destroyed by a flood in 2013.  Funding is being sought to build a replacement to get the trail into Gayndah.

Four-Mile Scrub to Boynedale Bush Camp (4km)

This walking only section runs from Four Mile Scrub to the popular Boynedale Bush Camp, along the shores of Lake Awoonga.

It has a smooth gravel surface and is basically flat.