BBIRT
Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail (BBIRT) is aiming to facilitate a proposed development of the disused rail corridor from Taragoola, through the Boyne Valley, on to Monto, Eidsvold, Mundubbera and south through Gayndah.
The whole closed corridor from Targoola to Gayndah is 270km long, so potentially could be Australia’s longest rail trail.
There are currently 3 sections of this rail trail that have been opened up to recreational users
- BBIRT - Nagoorin to the Ten Mile (Ridler Ck) in the Boyne Valley
- BBIRT - Barrimoon to Builyan, Dawes Range Tunnels Section
- BBIRT - Reids Ck to Mundubbera, Burnett River Bridges Section
Information and maps of the trails are available here on BBIRT
The Railway
The Gayndah-Monto-Gladstone branch railway scribes a massive 270km arc away from the main coastal railway line through the North Burnett region. The loop railway line starts Mungar Junction, about 10km south of Maryborough, and rejoined at Byellee, just outside of Gladstone.
The section from Monto down into the Boyne Valley was the last section built, in the 1920 and 30s. Close to the top of the Dawes Range are the six tunnels that make this such a spectacular ride.
The Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail is a fascinating mix of Queensland history and current day interpretations of that history.
Dawes Range Tunnels
Barrimoon Tunnels to Builyan is the first section of the BBIRT to be open. It covers about 27-28 km. The best way to ride is down the Dawes Range, starting from Kalpowar. A short section of gravel road links Kalpowar to Barrimoon Siding.
This section contains 6 tunnels between Barrimoon Siding and Golembil Siding. Tunnel Six ( the upper most tunnel) is the only place 100 year old rail hogback sleepers are on any of the disused rail corridors in Queensland. Hogback sleepers have a round top . They are hand hewn from the hard dense iron bark trees growing adjacent to the track.