2019 tour de RAIL TRAILS + KENILWORTH VIA JIMNA SPECIAL

Wulkuraka – Esk – Yarraman – kingaroy – wondi – kilkivan – jimna – kenilworth

 

7

days

488

kms

6805

meters climbed

Starting in Ipswich and finishing up in Kenilworth we headed north along the Brisbane Valley and Kilkivan Rail Trails before heading south back to Kenilworth via Jimna and Sunday Creek Road. The ride also took in various state and national parks and forests. Unfortunately not all of the riding was achieved or went according to plan.

The original plan was to catch the train from Brisbane to Wulkuraka and ride to Landsborough via Kilkivan/Kenilworth/Maleny and then catch the train back to Brisbane with a couple ‘rest’ days riding around the Yarraman and Kenilworth state and national forests. It was estimated to be about 500km in length and 5500m of elevation gain (+ the exploration rides at Yarraman and Kenilworth).

The first problem occurred when our train arrived slightly late at Ipswich railway station which was no big deal as normally it was a same platform transfer. However the reason our train was late was because another train had broken down just before Ipswich station and was now occupying the platform that the Rosewood train normally does which meant our connecting train was now on another platform that we had to get to with fully loaded bikes. In preparation for the ride ahead we also made sure we were will hydrated which also meant we had to have a toilet break as there are no toilet facilities at Wulkuraka station or its surrounding area. The next problem was this Rosewood train was a 6 car service when all the platforms on the Rosewood line were 3 cars in length meaning the first 3 carriages were locked.  With only one platform entrance that dropped us half way along the first carriage combined with the first 3 carriages being locked and the guard at the very end of the train on a curved platform was now unable to see us. So despite being on the platform making our way towards the unlocked carriages we heard the guards whistle in the distance and the trains air compressors kick into action meaning the train was now about to leave without us. Which it did. As it was a 60 minute wait until the next train we decided to take the scenic route to Wulkuraka via the old Ipswich Railway Workshops and the Brassall Bikeway. 

After all the sight seeing from Ipswich and the multiple start photos at Wulkuraka railway station and where the Brisbane Valley Railway Line spurred off the Western Line it was time to start the epic adventure. Day 01 we had planned to ride the 68km to our first night stop at Esk. With the scenic detour from Ipswich that ended up being a nice even 80km. Recent rains had made some sections quite green and lush while other areas were still quite dusty and dry. By the time we arrived at Fernvale for lunch we were already running quite a bit behind schedule which wasn’t helped by a long lunch at the Fernvale Bakery and 3D Tinder at the local pub.

  

  

After we departed Fernvale we passed through Lowood and later on came across the newly refurbished and opened Lockyer Creek Railway Bridge. Despite the bridge being constructed in 1885 and the line now part of the rail trail prior to its refurbishment in 2018-2019 it was closed off to pedestrian access. Previously to cross the Lockyer Creek one would have to zig zag their way down, cross the stepping stones (or as Luke would yell “SPEED.. SEND IT! POWER!!! SHIT WRONG GEAR”) and zig zag up the other side to rejoin and continue along the rail trail. Coming into Cominya which is the start of the long climb up to Mount Hallen the winter sun was already getting quite low in the sky (even less light was available as we rode through the bushland) and by the time we got to the top of Mount Hallen it was starting set on us so the race was on to get to Esk before night fall. As we descended into Esk dusk had well and truly started. It was a good thing that we weren’t camping the first night as we were avoiding having to set up the tent after such a short ride. As we had a motel room we had a shower (which had a footrest in the shower much to the amazement of Bronwyn) and then headed off to the pub for a good feed. The good thing about country pubs is that you always get bang for buck compared to in Brisbane.

 

Day 2 saw us doing Esk-Yarraman which was 101km with 1061m of elevation gain. Since Esk is behind a mountain the sun doesn’t hit the town until about 8am in winter so its always very chilly. As a result we waited a little longer in our warm motel room before we set off. Once we did we only got moving for a couple hundred meters as we stopped at the bakery, got some sandwiches and had a light breaky ie sausage rolls before tackling the hardest section of the entire rail trail. The ballast section of Esk to Toogoolawah. It didn’t take too long before we had our first problem. Bronwyn stopped at the driveway for Mount View just outside of Esk to remove her jacket only to have the bike fall over as I just stood there taking photos and smiling 🙂 While the Esk-Toogoolawah section doesn’t that many major elevation gains, creek crossings or gates the sections that have ballast really takes a toll on your upper body/wrists/hands. So to avoid the bumps and sharp jolts you have to go faster which is easier said then done on a fully loaded gravel bike. Along the way we came across lots and lots of cows that graze along the trail. When we first did the rail trail they’d always run away from you. Now they just look at you or not bother at all. We arrived at Toogoolawah where we had a proper breakfast and recovered a bit after the ballast section. Not long later we departed for Moore. A year earlier the Toogoolawah to Moore section was constructed and had a good road base applied to the trail which is now starting to show signs of its age instead of its previous smoothness which you could ride a road bike on without a problem. This section of trail includes many creek crossings and the original 100m long Yimbun Railway Tunnel constructed in 1910 which is one of the very few tunnels left that can be traversed by foot in Queensland.

A few kilometers south of Moore was when we saw the first signs of the storm developing behind us but everything was still looking good ahead of us and on the radar. We arrived at Moore for lunch and to top up on liquids and food as the next stop was going to be either Blackbutt or if we were running late for time – Yarraman. The whole route from Moore to Blackbutt was just green grass and green trees as far as you could see. A nice reminder of how good the area is to ride when there’s been a constant amount of rain fall in the area. This would be a far cry different in the following months as very large bushfires ravaged the landscape around Lineville and all the way up the range to Benarkin on and around the rail trail. In fact the only way in to fight the fires in the valley was via the rail trail. As we started the climb from Linville to Blackbutt the temperature was slowly dropping from around 19 degrees to the 15 degrees when we arrived at Blackbutt as the sun slowly went down.

 We arrived at Benarkin and discussed about not stopping at Blackbutt and continuing onto Yarraman due to the time. This is when we notice how dark the sky to the south was as the rail trail makes its way through the Benarkin State Forest. Shortly after departing Blackbutt the temperature started to rapidly drop to approx 10 degrees and the wind started to really pick up giving us a good tail/cross wind run into Yarraman as the storm approached. On the radar it was red/yellow just south of us tracking in a north-west direction. About 7km out the wind died and the drizzle was here as we were slowly getting wet from the fringe of the storm. To make matters worse the sun had set and we arrived at Yarraman in the dark with our tent in bags on our bikes. We headed straight to the caravan park to set up our tent and camped in our favourite area. The caravan park is on the top of the hill overlooking Yarraman and as we were setting up our tent in the dark it was just a light show to the south and southwest. We got the tent set up very quickly, had a shower to warm up and then it was on the shuttle bus to the pub for dinner in Yarraman.

Day 03 we had planned to stay in Yarraman for an extra day so we could ride around and explore the state forests in the area. After a cold night where it got down to 2 degrees we woke up to a foggy view around us which dissipated quite quickly to show Yarraman below but there were still light showers around. Because of the rain the night before and the light showers we put on hold our riding aspirations with a chance of it clearing up and being able to have a quick ride in the afternoon. So we headed down to Yarraman for breakfast, got some more food for the day and spent most of the day hanging out in the laundry room waiting for our clothes to dry and recharge accessories as we watched rain cell after cell go past. Effectively the day was a washout in more ways than one. Come 4.30pm and the fog started to roll in. By 5pm it was useless to try and take photos and it only got thicker as the night went on. It was still quite foggy come dinner time as we got the shuttle bus to the Yarraman Pub and had dinner not far from the fire place.

Day 04 was Yarraman to Wondai with a planned ride of 87km and 820m of elevation gain. And right from the start it was thick fog, drizzle and more cold temperatures. After packing up all our gear we departed just after 9am in the fog and headed to the Yarraman State Forest that the caravan sits beside. As we knew there was going to be a lot of red dirt and red clay we took the most direct route through the forests and back roads. 

Halfway between Yarraman and Kingaroy the sun finally came out and super heated everything up very quickly. It also had the extra effect of providing a very picturesque landscape as the fog lifted in the distance and revealed the vibrant blue sky above. By the time we arrived at Kingaroy our bikes were creaking, they were squeaking and they were completely covered in red mud. So we stopped in at the car wash on the outside of town for a quick clean. Unknown to us at the time the riding in the red clay did quite a significant amount of damage to Bronwyn’s front and rear brake pads. After the wash and lube at the car wash we rode into town for lunch but not before stopping at the famous Kingaroy Peanut Van to get 3kg worth of peanuts.

After having lunch we departed Kingaroy heading north along the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail to Wondai for our next camping spot in the railway sidings at the old Wondai Railway Station. While riding along we got text messages about a large storm in the north that had large hail and strong winds which we could see to the north slowly brewing. We also came across lots of local animals on and off the trail. Especially this one echidna who had dug hole after hole after hole next to the rail trail. When we stopped to get a photo it quickly curled up into a spiky ball. Once we got to Wondai we set up camp before the sun had set for once. We showered and went across the road to the pub for dinner. The storm we got warnings about was never going to come near us but Gympie did get hit by it. 

 

Day 05 was to be the shortest day with 70km of riding and 400m of elevation gain between Wondai to Kilkivan. We woke up to a warmer morning however there was still fog around which had all dissipated after we had packed up leaving not a cloud in the blue sky. We had breakfast at the Wondai bakery and stocked up on supplies for the short ride to Kilkivan. Along the way we came across many old former bridges and other railway infrastructure that once used to make up the railway line. Just prior to riding into Murgon we had caught up to the morning fog and when we rode into town we rode into the bubble of being surrounded by blue sky above and fog all around. The Wondai-Murgon section was a very quick run on the sealed pathway but once we got onto the northern side of Murgon it was all dirt and ballast to Kilkivan. This section too was littered with old railway bridge pylons, embankments, earthworks and cuttings throughout the scenic country side. We arrived at Gomeri with good time and had an extended lunch break there before departing to our final destination of Kilkivan. The Gomeri-Kilkivan section is the most secluded section of the rail trail as it makes its way down the range with nothing but scenic views on both sides as we sped through lots of cuttings, farm land, the tall grass and under bridges all with a winter tailwind behind us. While riding past Cinnabar we observed once again another storm developing to the east near Gympie. We arrived at Kilkivan and stopped at the General Store to grab an early…..3.30pm early…. dinner. After consuming 2 massive works hotdogs and bronwyn had her sandwich now and another one for later we departed for the Kilkivan Camp Grounds which was still about 8km out of town. We arrived there shortly later after riding in the shadows of Mt Boo Boo and Mt Kilkivan with the Oakview State Forest Mountains lit up by the golden sun set and had our tent set up by 5.30pm. At 6.30 it was pitch black outside and we were in our tent already falling asleep.

  

Day 06 was scheduled to be taken in a single day with a estimated ride length of 140km and 1900m of elevation gain. However the ride to Kenilworth ended up consisting of 2 days with a total combined ride length of 142km and 3800m of elevation gain. The first part of the trip to Kenilworth ended up being Kilkivan-Gallangowan with a ride distance of 65km and 1800m of elevation gain while the second half was made up of Gallangowan-Kenilworth with a ride distance of 78.5km and 2000m of elevation gain.

After a quick trek through some 2 metre tall grass and breakfast at Kilkivan with a top up on coke and powerade we started the ride to Kenilworth heading via Black Snake Road. The route along Black Snake Road is a long slow gravel road climb averaging around 2% through predominately farmland before it kicks up to 10-23% for the final push up the range to the ridge line which becomes a sealed road at this point. On the top of the ridge line is a quick blast through 900m of the Wrattens Resources Reserve before we turned off onto Shamrock Road with a brief stop to look at the tailings dam. After a quick food break further on we started the ride through what was Wrattens Territory (Wrattens Resources Reserves, Wrattens Conservation Park, Wrattens National Park and Wrattens State Forest) travelling along Shamrock Road and A Flat Road (total bunch of missleading BS by whoever decided to name it that). Much of the route along Shamrock Road was compact sand, dirt and gravel with a few nasty little hidden pinches of 11%+ along the route – which isn’t difficult in itself but with fully loaded gravel bikes its a little bit difficult. I spent much of the time riding ahead, walking back down the steeper sections to push Bronwyn up, walk back down to collect my bike and ride back past her to repeat the process (shame the extra walking and elevation wasn’t counted – because if its not on strava it never happened). We had another rest stop when we came to the junction with A Flat Road. It was at this point in time that we started doing the maths with how long the ride was taking with how much daylight was left and how much distance we still had to cover. But despite all this both Garmin headunits were displaying an estimated 7pm arrival into Kenilworth. We brought up the idea that we might even have to stop somewhere and camp for the night but we would see how we going so we pressed on keeping an eye on the time. 

A Flat Road was compacted hard dirt/gravel but recent regrading had turned a lot of it into soft power like dirt which the gravel bikes did not enjoy in the slightest as they just dug in and slowed right down either going up hill or down the 20% grades. The soft powder surface really slowed down our time taking 90 minutes to cover 11km. Once we came out of the Wrattens Territory and onto a sealed tarmac road we again mentioned the possibility of having to camp somewhere as the Garmin ETA had updated to 8.30pm and we didn’t have our normal bright lights on the ride. As we turned onto Brimms Road we were now in discussions not about the possibility but where to camp for the night. When we entered Gallangowan State Forest we were actively looking for secluded locations to set up camp next to the main road while not being visible from it. At 3.30pm with the light already starting to fade we ended up finding an old cutting that was once used for bee hives and decided to set up camp there for the night. Traffic was quite busy in the afternoon peak hour with 3 cars going past. After that we didn’t hear or see a car all night long.

Running a day behind schedule day 07 consisted of Gallangowan-Kenilworth with a ride distance of 78.5km and 2000m of elevation gain. The previous evening ended with 3 cars going past and the morning started very much the same with those very same 3 cars going past in the other direction. Knowing it was still a long day ahead we were on the bikes heading to Kenilworth at 7.30am. The gravel and dirt roads were still wet from water trucks, early morning showers (which missed us thankfully) and the early morning fog around the pine forests. 75km of the 78.5km route was all through state and national forests (Gallangowan State Forest, Upper Kandanga State Forest, Yabba State Forest, Jimna State Forest, Conondale National Park, Conondale Forest Reserve 2, Kenilworth Forest Reserve) which meant there was plenty of shelter from the sun. As it had been raining in the lead up to us doing this trip in June the area was all very lush and green. This was in a very stark contrast to what would happen to the area 4-5 months later. 

Having expected to be in Kenilworth by now our water supplies were quite low between the both of us. I still had a full 800ml water bottle and 300ml left in another water bottle. Bronwyn was down to pretty much the dregs of her water bottles so I gave her the full amount of my spare water bottle knowing she’d need it more than myself. That lasted her all about an hour before she had drunk it all and as a result I gave her the rest of my water. About 40 minutes after that we came across roadworks and the traffic controller was nice enough to refill one of her water bottles. From there the elevation was up and down up and down as we travelled along Kilcoy-Murgon Road to Jimna. Nothing really flat and nothing to climb. Just long casual rises and long 1-2% descents.

 As we were travelling along dirt roads through multiple state forests we lost all track of time and where we were in relation to Jimna as there was no landmarks to gauge references because of the to the thick forest scrub. Jimna always seemed to be “Just around the corner”. But once the gravel road turned to tarmac that’s when we knew Jimna was actually just around the corner…. which we passed very quickly as we made our way down the hill to Sunday Creek road. This section of road was where all the elevation, steep climbs and steep descents were hiding. And that was confirmed a couple hundred meters after the turn off when we came to a 20% wall that wasn’t the ideal for our loaded gravel bikes.

 

After a short walk to the top of the hill the tarmac road became gravel again with farm land on either side of the road before it was back into the thick forest of the Conondale National Park. When there wasn’t steep pinches it was quite nice riding around the rain forest with 30m tall trees – in some places trees were nearly double that height – lining both sides of the road – . But just like the road to Jimna we kept saying “Kenilworth is just around the corner”. By now Bronwyn was getting quite thirsty and had run out of water. As we crested one of the hills there were 2 SEQ Water workers having a break. I waved and hit the descent to get a photo of Bronwyn coming down. I waited. And waited…. and then she finally appeared before smashing it up the other side of the next steep pinch. We regrouped at the top and it turned out that she had got more water from the two blokes having a break. And that’s when we saw a cliff face appear on our Garmins as we approached an intersection. Was this the end of Sunday Creek Road and the descent into Kenilworth???

No was the answer as a sign at the intersection indicated that we were nearly halfway inbetween the two towns. With 21km from Jimna and 22km to Kenilworth displayed we knew there was only 8km of riding left before the start of the steep descent on Sunday Creek Road. Surprisingly those 8km to the start of the steep descent went by in a flash which was aided by the descent actually starting a couple kilometres earlier – although at times it didn’t feel like it. As we arrived at the start of the steep descent Bronwyn mentioned that her brakes had just started to sound weird. I had a look and they seemed like that they could handle the descent and that we’d check it out at the bottom. After a few photographs overlooking the many valleys below we started the 5km descent with an elevation loss of 370m on our fully loaded gravel bikes. I went first to help direct Bronwyn on what lines she should be taking along with stopping at a few key points to help Bronwyn’s wrists recover because of the long braking. During the descent Bronwyn’s brakes progressively and quite dramatically got louder and louder. Towards the bottom as I came into the campsite grounds there are signs advising drivers to slow down because of children present with some speed jumps installed for their entertainment. As I got some sweet airtime on my fully loaded gravel bike on the first speed jump I couldn’t help but notice that there were no kids present. I thought they must have been waiting at the second speed bump jump so I made sure I properly sent it. But still no children present. Then it hits me. The water crossing up ahead. That’s where they would be so I made sure it was a spectacular entrance. And didn’t I what. Straight away all I could hear were screams from what sounded like a crowd that has gone to see The Who. I look back and then it dawns on me. What I could hear was actually Bronwyn’s brakes echoing as they were squealing and grinding in protest. 

Upon inspection there was nothing left of both the front and rear brake pads. This shouldn’t have been an issue as the pads were quite new but what caused it was due to what happened a few days earlier when we rode from Yarraman to Kingaroy. The red mud and fine rocks. It was a repeat of a two different rides previously when Bronwyn rode on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trai in the wet. Due to the fork design on the Specialized Sequoia combined with the Specialized Sawtooth tires it channelled the mud, water and loose debris down the fork and into the caliper which ate away at the brake pads. The only fix was to push the pads back out and have no front or rear brakes for the entire remaining 10km into Kenilworth. The only brake device would be me riding alongside, holding Bronwyn on the shoulder and slow down using my braking force. A couple test runs and everything seemed good. The first proper test came on the downhill run at the end of Sunday Creek Road which went smoothly. The major test came on Maleny-Kenilworth Road when we came to the downhill switchbacks but that too was uneventful as there was no traffic and we had the entire road to ourselves. The only proper issue with the lack of brakes was when we were coming into Kenilworth and Bronwyn got a bit of a gap on the downhill run as she nudged 50kph approaching a flashing 40kph school sign with a police car parked facing us 75m further away. I managed to catch up to slow her down and thankfully there was no one in the car at the time (although we did see where the cop was in town as we passed the Kenilworth Bakery). When we got to town we were both hungry so we grabbed some food before enjoying a nice evening nap once again at the Kenilworth Boutique Accommodation.

  

Day 08 had originally consisted of riding around the state forests and national parks surrounding Kenilworth but after the damage sustained (ie no brake pads left on Bronwyn’s bike) it make it a little difficult to further explore these forests and national parks. Thus much of the day was spent at Kenilworth looking at a small 1kg doughnut and eating large containers of Kenilworth Dairy’s finest chocolate mousse. There was also some early morning fog and I got my usual Stockmans Breakfast too aswell.

Day 09 was to be the last and final day of riding from Kenilworth to Landsborough via Maleny with a ride distance of 49km and 750m of elevation gain. But this leg had to be skipped due to Bronwyn’s lack of brakes – which you might need approaching the roundabout at the bottom of the Maleny to Landsborough descent and thus alternative transport back to Brisbane was arranged.