June 18, 2018
Tourist numbers on the South Burnett Rail Trail are already matching traffic flows on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail between Blackbutt and Moore, according to new data released by the South Burnett Regional Council.
Last week’s Council meeting was told that automatic counters installed on the Rail Trail at Crawford and Wondai had shown a steady increase in trail usage over the past few months.
Wondai’s counter recorded 6380 people using the Trail between mid-February and May, while Crawford’s counter – which didn’t come into commission until mid-March – recorded 3539.
The most recent month’s numbers suggested an average of 1350 people were now using the Rail Trail each month, or around 16,000 per year, just nine months after the trail opened to the public.
Last May, the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) reported similar counters installed at Linville and Blackbutt showed that portion of the BVRT – which opened in 2006 – was now being used by an average 14,000 people per year.
The South Burnett Rail Trail’s usage patterns also appear to be supported by camping figures at Wooroolin.
On Saturday, South Burnett Mountain Bike Club secretary Jason Wyeth reported on the South Burnett Rail Trail’s Facebook page that Wooroolin’s free short-stay parking area hosted 177 caravanners in March; 316 in April; 333 in May; and 218 from June 1-16.
Jason told southburnett.com.au he cycles past the short-stay area each day, and has been counting the number of caravans parked there.
He’s been recording the numbers in a spreadsheet as a hobby.
While not all caravans are unique – some caravanners stay for several days, so are counted multiple times – a workshop held by the Australian Caravan Club in Kingaroy last September reported the average spend by caravanners was $100 per day.
These figures suggest Wooroolin’s short-stay park – and similar trail parking areas at Wondai and Murgon – are now generating many thousands of dollars of extra trade each month for businesses in those towns.
The South Burnett’s peak tourism season runs from late March to early October, when the region plays host to large numbers of “grey nomads”.
- External link: South Burnett Rail Trail (Facebook)
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