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Kilkivan – Kingaroy Rail Trail

Queensland - South East

3.4 based on 13 reviews
Location: SE Qld, 225 km northwest of Brisbane
Length: 89 km
Surface: Coarse gravel, Fine gravel, Sealed
Start / End: Kilkivan to Kingaroy
Public Transport: Coach
Suitable for:
  • Cycling – Mountain BikesCycling – Mountain Bikes
  • Cycling – Touring and Hybrid BikesCycling – Touring and Hybrid Bikes
  • Horse RidingHorse Riding
  • WalkingWalking

  • Rail Trail
  • On Road
  • Potential RT
  • Other Trail
  • Former Railway
View Map
  • Traverses undulating farmland and bushland, with several towns along the route and points of interest
  • The Kilkivan to Murgon section is built to a basic standard; the Murgon to Kingaroy section, branded as the South Burnett Rail Trail, has a sealed surface.
  • The standard of the trail surface varies greatly between sections; refer to description for more detail
  • Suitable for multi-day tours
  • Options for fully supported tours and shuttle

South Burnett Regional Council advises that completion of the reseal works on the Kingaroy to Kilkivan Rail Trail that was scheduled to be completed by 22 December 2023 has been delayed due to an RPQ machinery breakdown. RPQ have apologized for the unforeseen delay and have advised they will return to commence the final section of the trail between Wondai and Murgon on Wednesday 10 January 2024 with a predicted finish date of Friday 12 January 2024. The Trail will remain open to the public until this time

 

Nearby Attractions

  • Scenic rural countryside
  • Good climate most of the year
  • Railway history and heritage
  • Food and accommodation options at the many towns along the trail

Last updated: 9 January 2024

  • Ample car parking at the former station sites at each town
  • Drinking water and toilets only available at towns listed in the descriptions
  • Most of the rail trail has mobile phone reception, as do all towns
  • Kilkivan to Murgon is an unsealed shared path for walkers, cyclists and equestrians
  • Murgon to Kingaroy is an asphalt trail for walkers and cyclists only
  • Dogs on leash are permitted on all sections of the trail

Section Guides

Kilkivan to Goomeri  (27.7 km)

  • No water available on this section
  • The trail surface from Kilkivan to Goomeri has a gravel and dirt surface that, mostly, is in good firm condition.
  • There are some rough gully crossings under existing old railway bridges that require care.
  • Many gates to open

Kilkivan facilities

  • Toilets and drinking water
  • Shops, cafe, hotel, petrol station and hotel/motel, B&B
  • Visitor information centre
  • Free camping behind kindergarten

Goomeri facilities

  • Toilets and drinking water
  • Bakery, hotel, cafes, motels, petrol station
  • Visitor information centre
  • Camping available at showgrounds

Goomeri to Murgon (17.2 km)

  • The unsealed trail surface is variable. Much of this section is good, firm gravel. There is exposed rock ballast from underneath the (removed) old sleepers and tracks in sections and there are sandy sections that can be challenging to cycle.
  • Some steep gully crossings which may may have water in them at times
  • Many gates to open

Murgon facilities

  • Toilets and drinking water
  • Bakery hotel, cafes, motels, petrol station
  • Visitor information centre
  • Camping available on outskirts
  • Dairy museum

Murgon to Wondai (13.9 km)

The Murgon to Kingaroy section has a sealed surface and several bridges have been restored, so it is suitable for a variety of users.

Wondai facilities

  • Toilets and drinking water
  • Hotels, cafe, motels, fuel
  • Visitor information centre
  • Free camping in town
  • McEuen State Forest Mountain Bike Park accessed from the rail trail with a signposted entry one kilometre from the old Wondai Rail Station heading towards Kingaroy.

Wondai to Kingaroy  (30 km)

Tingoora facilities

  • Toilets and drinking water
  • Hotel (closed July 2020 – Bottle shop open)
  • Free camping

Wooroolin

  • Toilets and drinking water
  • Hotel, cafe
  • Free camping beside the trail

Memerambi has toilets

Crawford has emergency drinking water at State school in Siefert St

Kingaroy is a major regional centre with all visitor facilities:

  • Accommodation and food
  • Toilets and drinking water
  • Visitor information centre
  • Peanut van
  • Bicycle spares at PSM ProBike in Haly St

Additional Loop Cycling Circuits 

The South Burnett Mountain Bike Club, in conjunction with the South Burnett Rail Trail Users Association, has established clear signposted cycling routes that loop out from the rail trail into the surrounding countryside. These loop rides extend the experience of rail trail users by including short quiet country road routes that highlight the rich agricultural diversity and scenic panoramas of the South Burnett.

East Memerambi Loop

Distance 9.8km, 149m elevation gain, mixture of asphalt and gravel country roads, panoramic views of the countryside.

Memerambi Gordonbrook Dam Route

Distance 13.7km, 99m elevation gain, mixture of asphalt and gravel country roads leading to the scenic Gordonbrook Dam. A basic amenity  block is available at the dam. An out-and-back route. There are single track mountain bike trails at the dam.

Wooroolin West Loop 

Distance 12.6km, 85m elevation gain, mixture of asphalt and gravel country roads, scenic views and an attractive long forested avenue of native trees with an interlocking canopy over the road.

East Wooroolin Loop

Distance 15km, 173m elevation gain, easy gradients leading to a panoramic lookout over the South Burnett, mixture of asphalt, gravel road and dirt road.

West Tingoora Loop

Distance 16.6km, 194m elevation gain, easy gradient to a high vantage point, on an all asphalt road.

East Tingoora Loop

Distance 11.5km, elevation gain 158m, mixture of asphalt and gravel roads with one short steep climb and a longer easier gradient climb providing a scenic view.

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14 reviews of “Kilkivan – Kingaroy Rail Trail”

I cycled Kilkivan to Goomeri on Sunday 5 November on a gravel bike. It is quite rough for that type of bike but doable. Key feedback is to watch out for a dog between the 14 and 15km markers. It was persistent and had quite a bit of speed such that it chased me for some time and was too close for comfort to my leg. I have reported it. Take care

We rode Murgon to Kingaroy return. A decent length of trail for a day trip as its sealed. Easy to get supplies in the towns along the way and lots of toilets and water points.
Once we got to Kingaroy it ends on a main road with no signage or info. We made our way into town for lunch along what looked like the rail continuation path though undeveloped. Would love to see the town erect some signage of the best route into town and information at this point.

This is a fantastic trail suitable for all including the typical grey nomad with all their aches and pains. We parked the van at Wondai and on day 1 we cycled north to Murgon and back and on day 2 we cycled to Mooroolin and back. I was riding a folding bike and hubby rides a mountain bike. We have batteries that we turn on when feeling lazy or with a head wind, but try not to use them because we want the exercise. The track is well maintained and the route is interesting. This track has inspired us to put rail trails on our holiday destinations.

I completed this Trail on the 29th June, 2023, starting at Kilkivan and riding to Kingaroy.
The above information is very accurate and you must visit the Goomeri Bakery.
I booked "Out There Cycling" for a pickup from Kingaroy and a drop off at Kilkivan. They were on time and great.
The first half of this trail (from Kilkivan to Murgon) is a similar surface to the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail through paddocks etc with a fair few easy gates.
The 2nd half (from Murgon to Kingaroy) has a sealed surface.
Remember that starting at Kilkivan and riding to Kingaroy is a gradual climb to Wooroolin.
Overall, a great ride but pick your time of year and the temperatures.
Have fun

Thank you Marty for your 3 star review, glad to hear that you had a great ride from Kilkivan to Kingaroy. As we had only recently taken over the Out There Cycling business it is fantastic to hear that we are doing a great job!

Tried to ride KKRT last May 2022, unfortunately it was around the time of all the rain and flooding. The trail was "closed' due to council unable to access to maintain. We did ride a short section and the surface was blue metal and if you did not have decent tyres a bit of a drag. We ended up doing lots of backroads from Kilkivan to Murgon. The section Murgon to Kingaroy fully paved and quite easy.

Starting from Kilkivan, gravel trail, but ok for mountain bike. Disappointed the old bridges were blocked off in that council area. Very good bitumen trail from Murgon.

Quite an interesting ride. We stayed in Murgon at the Motor City Inn – which was very good – and then rode north to Goomeri on the first day and south to Kingaroy on the second day. The section to Kingaroy was excellent: the surface was a type of bitumen/gravel, all the way which made for fairly easy going. The section between Kingaroy and Wondai was the best as it rolled through fairly ‘remote’ countryside and made for a relaxed and pretty setting. If you’re only going one way I would recommend Kingaroy to Murgon – going north as there is about twice as much descent as ascent. All gullies were bridged and the only two that weren’t had a concrete / well curated surface. Road crossings were clearly marked with signs used as chicanes ensuring no collisions with cars. The trail north between Murgon and Goomeri was completely different with a range of different surfaces that could only be described as ‘rough’. There was grass, gravel/railway ballast with sand ‘traps’ of varying sizes – one section was just railway ballast: very shaky indeed. Nearing Goomeri there was a type of curated red gravel which as quite good. There were no bridges across watercourses; I played it safe by walking and there were no mishaps. While a mountain bike would have made the going easier I did it on a touring/adventure bike with 42mm wide tyres. Don’t be put off, just take it easy

Regardless of hit and miss reviews we had read, our party of seven set out from Kingaroy on Saturday morning with enthusiasm… or maybe we were pedalling fast to out pace the magpies!?

We split our ride over two days: Day one easy going with the bitumen trail the entire way, providing a fun warm up with little effort. With beer and bakery stops along the way, we rolled into Murgon late afternoon to locate our camp. Plenty of photo stops were included throughout the day, taking in local historic features and quaint country structures, a spur of the moment detour at Wooroolin rewarded us with a waterside bird hide and delightful bird sightings.

Day two was were the real fun was at! Distinctly different to the paved track and tidy bridges on the first leg, the section from Murgon to Kilkivan was a real mixed bag. Different surfaces and textures, dirt and gravel interspersed with sandpits and patches of the original blue metal railway bed made the riding much more interesting.

For lunch we gorged ourselves on the delicious food found at a Goomeri cafe, and chatted to some friendly and hospitable locals.

The ever changing scenery was delightful, despite being tinder dry. The bridge crossings from day one were replaced with deep but graded ravines requiring careful navigation to make it up the other side. A wet creek crossing made for a comical and refreshing interlude toward the end. This section was the highlight of the ride!

The only frustration on day two the number of stock gates to be negotiated which slowed us down considerably, regardless this did not sway our spirit. KKRT is a fun ride! I’d do it again.

We stayed at Murgon for 3 nights and rode from there to Kingaroy and back on day one, and Kilkivan and back on day two. The trail between Murgon and Kingaroy is great, with a good wide sealed surface all the way. A few missing bridges along the way, but a good sealed ramp and causeway didn’t cause any problems at these points. Large chicanes have been installed at the road crossings, but you can negotiate these by slowing down, no need to get off your bike. Plenty of small villages at regular intervals to keep you fuelled up and points of interest along the way. The wetlands at Wooroolin are a bonus, as well as a train carriage stuck out in the middle of the paddock near Memerambi.
The next day we rode to Kilkivan and back. This part of the trail is not very well developed, with a rather rough surface most of the time. However it was the creek crossings with the missing bridges that were the real concern. The second large crossing out of Murgon was so steep that my wife slipped and fell while trying to push her bike up a very steep and slippery incline. Some sections of the trail are covered in the original chunky blue metal ballast. Very dangerous and hard going. The deep creek crossing about 6km out of Kilkivan is just unacceptable. and a real disgrace to the owners and managers of this trail. It is possible to climb a fence onto private property and use a shallow crossing point about 100 metres upstream. You also have to be very careful at the many badly designed and placed spring loaded gates at the missing bridges and road crossings. They have often been installed next to a very steep and slippery part of the trail, and great care needs to be taken to ensure that you don’t go over the edge while trying to get your bike and yourself through to the other side. It is a real pity because this section of trail has some wonderful scenery, particularly north of Goomeri. Goomeri is a great little town with a wonderful bakery and hotel. The old railway station precinct has been well looked after, and has some great interpretive signage.
We have ridden on most of the rail trails in Victoria and SA, and this would easily be the roughest we have encountered.
Our original intention was to ride back to Murgon on the rail trail, but we decided it was much safer to take a chance with the traffic on the highway.
I rate the Murgon to Kingaroy section with five stars, but the other section only gets one.

We rode from Gomeri to Cinnabar siding yesterday, we planned to go to Kilkivan but didn’t. want to get wet at the crossing a little further on. The trail was mostly ok with mowing done and spring gates, care needed with some steep gullies, walking up advised. Trail was very rough and stony for the first 2.5 k from Gomeri. Grading and rolling maintenance would be good. One could by-pass the water by going left into Cinnabar Rd, take the hwy to Thomas Rd., where the trail is. I estimate hwy riding would be about 4k. Kilkivan- Tansey hwy. Mountain bike only recommended.

We have just ridden Kilkivan to Goomeri return and there has obviously been some maintenance since April. The gates are sprung loaded so while it is a little annoying because of the number it is easy to navigate them. The trail has been mowed and grass was not an issue. Wide Bay Creek was an adventure and involved carrying our bikes through mid thigh water, Some of the surface is a little rough. I would recommend riding a mountain bike as the suspension and bigger tyres will make the experience more enjoyable. The local Council is proposing to improve the surface and creek crossings. If you have a mountain bike and are looking for a different ride I have no hesitation in recommending that you give this a go.

Just a warning to those folks who have decided to ride from Kilkivan to Murgon section of the KKRT
This section is terrible and should never have been opened until it had the funds to do it properly,it it over grown with long grass [keep snakes in mind ] then there is a creek to wade through carrying bike with water up to the thighs ,then there is the many gates to open and close ,this can be over looked as I realise stock is involved. If your bike is not fitted with good mountain bike tyres there is a fair chance you will get a puncture on some rough rocks. My suggestion is to start the KKRT from Kingaroy as it is sealed and a delight to ride [well done South Burnett council ]

Just want to let you know the this trail is now open from Kingaroy to Murgon and is a fantastic and well used section. Beautiful views and a wonderful bitumen surface. Come and visit us in the wonderful South Burnett.

Background Information

Traditional Owners

We acknowledge the Waka Waka people, the traditional custodians of the land and waterways on which the rail trail is built.

Development and future of the rail trail

The rail trail was developed by the Gympie Regional Council and the South Burnett Regional Council, and opened in September 2017 by the Hon Jeff Seeney, Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.

The Theebine to Kingaroy corridor is 131 km long. There are no immediate plans to extend the trail further east, but the Kingaroy to Theebine trail has the potential to connect with the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail and the Bicentennial National Trail. Developing this corridor into a rail trail would deliver a continuous recreation trail more than 350 km long and connect Ipswich to the Sunshine Coast, traversing the regional and rural communities of Gympie, South Burnett, Somerset and Ipswich.

Railway history

The early 1900s was a significant time for rail development in Queensland. The Kingaroy railway was officially opened in 1904, followed by Nanango in 1911.

The Theebine to Nanango line was one of the first branch lines in Queensland. It was used for passenger transport and for agriculture and commercial freight; It was used by the Kingaroy Peanut Marketing Board and by Murgon abattoir.

The Kingaroy to Nanango line closed in July 1964, while Theebine to Kingaroy was officially closed in 2010. Kingaroy did not exist prior to the railway being built but has become a major centre in the South Burnett region because of it.  Having served its purpose, the line is now all but abandoned.

Restored locomotive is new attraction to Kilkivan Kingaroy Rail Trail

Posted: 05/10/23

The Murgon Men's Shed has recently unveiled a restored locomotive at its display area beside ...

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Rail Trail Relay Biggest Yet!

Posted: 03/05/23

The third South Burnett Express Rail Trail Relay, run from Kingaroy to Wondai (on the ...

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New bridge at water crossing on Kilkivan to Kingaroy

Posted: 16/10/21

Gympie Regional Council has advised that the low level bridge over a perennial water crossing ...

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South Burnett Rail Trail User Association AGM

Posted: 18/01/20

Come along to the first South Burnett Rail Trail Users Association (SBRTUA) AGM on the 10 ...

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South Burnett Regional Council abandons Bike hire Idea.

Posted: 28/10/19

At last week’s Council meeting, Councillors heard a six-week trial of free bicycle hire ...

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Gympie Council to spend $230K on rail trail resurfacing

Posted: 15/10/19

Gympie Council are going to spend $230K to fix the rough surface of their section ...

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Community Consultation Session – Murgon to Proston Rail Trail (Qld) Feasibility Study

Posted: 28/09/19

Following on from the success of the Murgon to Kingaroy Rail Trail, South Burnett Regional ...

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Join the opening celebrations of “THE LINK cycle Path” opening Nanango (QLD)

Posted: 15/08/19

The LINK CYCLE PATH connects the South Burnett/Killkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail to the ...

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Murgon Rail Trail Festival Sunday 21st July 2019

Posted: 17/07/19

The Murgon Rail Trail Festival is on again in 2019 bigger and better than  than last ...

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Want to ride the KKRT? Don’t have a bike ? Hire bikes are comming.

Posted: 23/03/19

People who would like to cycle the South Burnett Rail Trail but don’t own ...

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South Burnett Rail Trail Users Association Meeting (SBRTUA)

Posted: 29/01/19

Come along and chat about what we, as an association can do to “value add” ...

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MURGON RAIL TRAIL FESTIVAL & MARATHON ( South Burnett Rail Trail)

Posted: 17/09/18

Come and enjoy the MURGON RAIL TRAIL FESTIVAL & MARATHON Events include, RAIL TRAIL FUN ...

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Wondai Country Festival (on the South Burnett Rail Trail) 23-24 June 2018

Posted: 18/06/18

The Wondai Country Festival will commence at 7am on 23 June with the Wondai Country Market ...

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Grand Opening of the South Burnett Rail Trail Sunday October 1st 2017

Posted: 23/09/17

Big celebrations are being held along the entire 44km of the South Burnett Rail Trail. ...

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Construction resumes on the Kingaroy to Kilkivan Rail Trail

Posted: 25/04/17

The South Burnett Regional Council has resumed work on stage one of the Kingaroy to ...

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Work starts on the Kingaroy- Kilkivan Rail Trail (SE Qld)

Posted: 06/02/16

Construction has commenced on the rail trail with eight  rail bridges to be re-installed  for ...

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Queensland Government funds Newest Rail Trail

Posted: 01/08/14

The Queensland Government has provided  $2 million  from the "Royalties for Regions " for the South Burnett ...

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