Bikepacking Australia: Kilkivan to Kingaroy
The Kilkivan to Kingaroy rail trail is a 90 km mixed-surface trail in the Gympie region. About an hour from Gympie, QLD, this trail can be completed as a weekender or over a couple of days if you fancy.
We’d been eyeing off the Brisbane Valley Rail trail for a little while, but for us, it was just a bit too complicated logistically for a weekender - so we decided to give the Kilkivan to Kingaroy a crack!
A dream from Murgon to Kingaroy, you’ll be needing a hearty snack at Goomeri if you decide to tackle the whole route.
Our route
We cycled 90km per day (180km there-and-back over two days).
We parked at Kilkivan after driving 1.5 hours from Noosa.
Kilkivan to Goomeri is hard!! Even with our 2.6-inch tires (mountain bike tires), the route is challenging. It’s a slow ride through cow paddocks, gates and river crossings.
It took us 3 hours to get to Goomeri, even though it’s 30 km - so you get the idea of the speed we were going.
The Kilkivan to Kingaroy rail trail map (credit: Gympie Regional Council website)
You definitely need gravel bike tires or larger (like us) as the terrain is definitely pretty rocky and more suited to horses than bikes.
The sealed surface, once you make it to Murgon, is a dream. You pick up speed and fly through the cute small towns. It’s only 40km, and this part was really enjoyable. It’s lush and green.
An alternative route that you might decide to do, like we did, is to skip the Goomeri to Kilkivan section and ride on the road.
We’ve ridden on busy roads in the past, so this wasn’t an issue for us, but beware! No matter where you go, there are always some drivers who come a tiny bit too close!
Our bikes
We have Kona Unit X touring bikes with no suspension and 2.6 inch tires. A mountain bike is recommended for the natural surface, but for Murgon to Kingaroy, a road bike is fine.
Cars
Take care if you’re riding on the road! Otherwise, if you’re not confident or experienced, definitely stick to the trails.
Great places to eat & drink
There are so many cute country pubs and bakeries on the trail! The highlights for us were:
Accommodation
We stayed at a budget motel in Kingaroy, which was perfect for us! Check when there are events on, as places can get booked out fast!
The wrap up
We enjoyed this trail, even though it had some challenging parts! It was a great out-and-back weekend trail for us to explore :) I would definitely recommend cycling from Murgon to Kingaroy as a first step, and then from Kilikivan to Murgon if you’ve got the setup and the tenacity!
