Comments on: Mary Valley Rail Trail

By: Wolter K.

Wolter K. — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 09:37:48 +0000

51/70 My second time at Imbil and it's sad to see they haven't been able to get the trail over the Yabba Creek Bridge. Nice town. Drive up to the lookout if you get a chance

By: Trudie I.

Trudie I. — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 09:35:16 +0000

I am happy to report that Gympie Council have effected the repairs to the trail, and it is now completely open. Great to see so many people using the trail on a regular basis.

By: Joel E.

Joel E. — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 08:08:34 +0000

The Mary Valley Rail Trail may only be 4.7 km long but I found it an excellent ride despite some washaway sections clearly affected by heavy rains this year.
It has a nice wide surface and is a delightful relaxing ride with a few cuttings as the trail passes through what feels a remote area with many bellbirds tweeting away.

It more down hill from Brooloo way, so some times no need to pedal.

What is sad is that the Imbil Railway Station still has signs from when from when the Mary Valley Rattler tourist train used to run here until 2013, a ride I did in 2012.

The tourist train now only goes from Gympie to Amamoor a town 17kms further north, so hopefully one day the rail trail can be extended allowing a combination of a tourist train and a rail trail. Assuming the tourist line is never reopened.

Having seen a train less than a decade ago, hopefully the bridges can be reused.

By: Patrick B.

Patrick B. — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 07:57:36 +0000

This is a great short trail but unfortunately with recent heavy rain in April 2022 had washed out track in several places.

By: Imbella

Imbella — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 02:03:00 +0000

The Mary Valley Rail Trail (Stage 1) was officially opened on 28 July 2019. It is fully constructed and serviced with excellent interpretative signage. (The 2018 comment by Dave is now irrelevant.) Gympie Council have constructed a concrete causeway over Western Creek, and the compacted fine gravel surface is ideal w for walking, horse riding as well as biking. It is a 5km trail from Imbil to the former rail terminus at Brooloo. Detailed local history, rail history and description of other natural features including the Bellbird colony are provided on the signage at Brooloo, Breakneck Road crossing, Western Creek Road crossing and at the Imbil end of the trail at Selwyn Street. Imbil has a range of ideal accommodation (camping, caravanning, hotel, motel, quality cabin and B&B accommodation available as well as a range of eateries (cafes, coffee shop, Railway Hotel, restaurant at Bowls Club. The Trail passes through a farming area and beside State Forest but more importantly right over the site of the first gold discovery at Boyds Gully which commenced the rush in 1870 to the Imbil Diggings. There are two box culverts under the rail trail at Browns Gully and the larger one that allows the discharge of Breakneck Creek under the rail trail. Though only 5km, it is an excellent trail to ride and is an adjunct activity for the many campers and other visitors to Imbil. Consideration is currently being given to extending the trail northwards from Imbil which would take in Melawondi Tunnel, Melawondi (sawmilling location), to Kandanga.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 23:21:58 +0000

Rode this trail on 31.7.2018. Pretty bumpy on Mtn bike, but okay. The trail had been slashed/mowed only a day or so prior which was great. Every road or driveway has barbed wire gates closing off tail. Some I was able to open and close, others I had to throw bike over and scramble under – pretty annoying and obviously not possible for horse riders to use. The old timber bridge that was there in 2004 has since been removed, sadly. I had to throw bike down embankment and push through long grass to get to road to bypass this creek, just south of Western Creek road. Two things made this an enjoyable trip. 1/. The Bell birds at George Burtenshaw Feature Protection Area can be heard as the trail passes right beside it. 2/. The lovely little town of Imbil….