Dularcha National Park Rail Trail

Trail

Type:	Rail trail
Location:	North of Brisbane, 77km from Brisbane
Start/end:	Landsborough to Mooloolah
Status:	Open
Length open:	3.2km
Surface:	Compacted earth
Terrain:	Mountainous
Best seasons:	Dry
Public transport:	Train
Features:	wineries, tourist
Contact Region:	S.E. Queensland

Landsborough Dularcha just south of tunnel.

Landsborough Dularcha - south portal.

Details

Description

This short rail trail actually follows the main Brisbane-Cairns railway line between Landsborough and Mooloolah in what is sort of a “railway” national park, the Dularcha National Park.

It incorporates some of the original alignment of the railway line that was abandoned in 1931 when a flatter route was opened. This original alignment incorporates a 100m tunnel constructed in 1890.

Most of the section of the track adjacent to the current railway line is fenced securely. The old railway alignment and the tunnel are used by at least two utility providers, for Telstra fibre optics and a Caloundra City Council sewerage main.

There are no toilets or water along this trail

This route is well suited to use of the train to travel from one end to the other before undertaking the walk back to the station of your choice.(Landsborough or Mooloolah Stations) Schedules for the Citytrain and Railbus services can be obtained from TRANSLINK, phone 131230 or website www.tranlink.com.au

At the northern end, access by car is via King Rd and Dorson St because an old timber bridge on Paget St has been closed to vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists can take the more direct route via Jones St then Paget St.

There are

The following is a trail report from June 2006 by Andrew Graham.

"No bats were observed in the tunnel at the time of inspection. This may be due to the relatively high levels of use of the tunnel by vehicles of utility providers and walkers. Because the tunnel is now used regularly by the vehicles of the utility providers the floor is relatively smooth. There is actually no need to take a torch if visiting in the middle of the day and once your eyes are accustomed to the dark there are no problems in seeing your way inside the tunnel.

Remnants of the uprights of the old railway trestle crossing the creek on the original alignment just south of Mooloolah can still be seen on the western side of the road near the road bridge that has been closed to motor vehicle use.

While the forests along the route have been very heavily logged in the past, the park still preserves the species sets that are typical of the sandstone landscapes of this area.

Finally, the tunnel has a beautiful natural low reverberation pitch!"