May 5, 2017
Last weekend’s R&R Rail Trail Duathlon was a winner for businesses in Blackbutt and Moore, according to the latest monthly report from the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) ambassadors.
The annual duathlon – a series of running and cycling contests along the rail trail organised by adventure tourism company G’onya Adventures – attracted 125 participants to its fourth outing.
The Moore Hall Association donated Devonshire Tea prizes for some of the events, and winners who dropped into the hall to claim them purchased a piece of artwork and several items from the Shabby Chic boutique as well.
Other Moore storekeepers also reported one of their busiest Saturdays in many months as cyclists dropped their bikes off in preparation for Sunday’s competition.
And in Blackbutt on Sunday night, many of the duathlon participants dropped into the Bunya Nut Cafe’s new bistro for an evening meal.
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Rail trail visitor counters at Blackbutt and Linville show the upper end of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail continues to attract good visitor numbers.
In the 28 days between April 5 and May 3, the Blackbutt counter registered 1164 visitors, or an average of 41 rail trail users per day.
In the same period, the Linville counter registered 1066 visitors (38 per day).
The BVRT note that these numbers may be affected by wildlife or cattle on the trail, and do not distinguish between locals using the trail for exercise and tourists.
All the same, these usage numbers have been consistent for the past three years.
This suggests the Blackbutt-Linville section of the rail trail now caters for close to 14,000 users each year, which is more than 10 times the population of Blackbutt, and more than 30 times the population of Linville.
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During May, the BVRT ambassadors will be undertaking a weed control program along the Blackbutt-Linville rail trail.
They will be using a motorised spray unit trailer towed by a four wheel drive.
The spray they’ll be using contains glyphosate, and rail trail users should be careful to stay clear of sprayed areas.
[Photos: G’Onya Adventures]
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2017 R&R Duathlon Results
| 8km Fun Run 1st Male, Rod Thornbury 2nd Ian Quaile 3rd Ben Bulfin 1st Female Wendy Smith 2nd Sally Quunlan 3rd Giselle Marr Duathlon |
Teams 1st The Pjs 2nd Young Guns 3rd The Yorkys Linville Loop |
