{"id":204484,"date":"2025-04-23T13:39:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T03:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=204484"},"modified":"2025-04-23T13:39:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T03:39:23","slug":"boyne-burnett-inland-rail-trail-extends-tourism-season-revitalises-towns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=204484","title":{"rendered":"Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail extends tourism season, revitalises towns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tourists are discovering inland Queensland and staying longer in small rural towns as communities capitalise on the success of rail trails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tourism bodies in Queensland’s Boyne Burnett region are reporting hundreds of visitors are exploring its rail trail each month, including up to 200 people a week at its Barrimoon location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO) said its popularity has <\/strong>led to tourists staying longer to explore more parts of what the towns have to offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the state’s 26 walking, cycling and horse-riding tracks, the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail (BBIRT) in the Wide Bay region, is en route to become the longest rail trail in the southern hemisphere at 271 kilometres.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The rail corridor stretches from Taragoola, near Gladstone, to Gayndah. (ABC News)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The small town of Monto, almost 500 kilometres north of Brisbane, is the halfway point on the trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once known for its dairy industry, the town of just 1,100 people, has already seen a boost from rail trail tourism and just a quarter of the track is operational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The traditional tourism season has extended to 10 months from February to November as visitors are drawn to the region to explore the rail trail, said Melinda Jones, the North Burnett deputy mayor and BIEDO vice president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The tourism season has increased, and also the number of visitors has increased with the opening of the rail trail, with also the art trail work that’s been going on as well,” Ms Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Melinda Jones says the tourism season in Monto is running for longer. (ABC Wide Bay: Grace Whiteside)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

‘Champions along the way’<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since 2021, three sections totalling 66.5 kilometres have been opened, with a fourth currently underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once fully connected, the BBIRT will stretch from Taragoola near Gladstone, south to Gayndah, taking in the entire North Burnett and the Boyne Valley in the Gladstone region.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jennifer and Kevin Roth said the rail trail has “enormous” tourism potential. (ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ms Jones said the benefits of the rail trail will continue as more sections of the corridor are connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said they hoped the entire trail would be opened within five to 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Queensland, rail corridors are managed under a perpetual lease by the Department of Transport and Main Roads which also offers financial support for projects, trail development and annual maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Three sections of the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail have been opened. (ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

BBIRT president Desley O’Grady said completing the trail was reliant on volunteers and funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We’ve got champions along the way in each of the towns that support the trail and tell us what they need in their section,”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ms O’Grady said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking outside the box<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer and Kevin Roth put their love of cycling into opening their “retirement” business, offering tours and supported rides on the BBIRT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We haven’t had a lot of international visitors, but they are starting to hear about us and they are starting to make moves to start planning trips,” Ms Roth said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s not just about us, it’s about the entire region working together to create just an enormous tourism potential.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Roth said it would revitalise smaller communities across the length of the ride.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail, when fully connected, will be the longest rail trail in the Southern Hemisphere at 271km. (ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

“Those smaller towns probably have the most to gain, where at the moment there are a cluster of houses, but in time to come there could be a general store and a cafe and accommodation,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“There’s going to be huge openings for people to think outside the box of what they might have, and what they can bring to the trail too.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Economic opportunity <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adventure-based tourism is an area of growth and opportunity says Vikki Schaffer, a senior lecturer in School of Business and Creative Industries at the University of Sunshine Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Vikki Schaffer says tourists are looking for a meaningful adventure. (Supplied: University of Sunshine Coast)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

“A lot of adventure tourism visitors are looking for something that’s meaningful, that’s authentic, that gives them the opportunity to have self-actualisation, to be able to say, ‘I did that, I participated in that particular activity’,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Schaffer said estimated economic values of rail trails varied from $50 to $483 a day depending on what was on offer along the rail trail.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Tourism numbers and the tourism season are increasing as the rail trail becomes more popular. (ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But aside from the economic value, Dr Schaffer said there was an opportunity for regenerative tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A lot of these rail tails have adjoining areas they pass through that are key for flora and fauna,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“So here’s an opportunity to conserve and preserve unique environments that run parallel with rail trails as well.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: ABC Queensland<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adventure-based tourism is an area of growth and opportunity says Vikki Schaffer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":204485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,7468],"tags":[7465],"class_list":["post-204484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rail-news","category-rail-trail","tag-queensland"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t