New Circuit Extends Link

For visitors, the agricultural lands around Nanango are a world away from the hustle and bustle of urban areas … and while local residents are used to them, it’s easy to forget they can be a rare treat for city folk looking for an escape

July 7, 2020

The Link trail that connects Yarraman to Kingaroy via Nanango is barely a year old, but it is now about 60 per cent bigger.

The growth spurt has come from a 32km course, called the East Nanango Circuit Ride, which allows visiting cyclists, walkers and horse riders to take a scenic detour around Nanango’s countryside.

The circuit extends the 55km trail that connects the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in Yarraman to the South Burnett Rail Trail in Kingaroy.

That trail – now known as The Link – was built between Yarraman and Nanango along an old stock route once used by local pastoralists to herd cattle to the Yarraman railhead.

When the railway was closed in 1993, the stock route had fallen into disuse until a group of keen locals recognised it was a way to encourage the increasing number of cyclists using the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail to venture further north.

With the co-operation of the South Burnett Regional Council and funding from Nanango’s Heritage Branch, they mapped out and signposted a route from Kingaroy to Nanango, and then Nanango to Yarraman, to cover the 55km distance and help bring the two rail trails together.

The East Nanango Circuit – like The Link – is the creation of keen local cyclists David Kenny and Mark Gaedtke.

David and Mark believe The Link has been drawing increasing numbers of cyclists into the town since it opened in 2019, and now the challenge is to encourage those visitors to stay longer in the area.

“The longer a visitor stays in Nanango, the more they’ll spend on things like food and accommodation, and that spreads real benefits into the community,” David said.

He said the South Burnett Regional Council already has plans to install some bike racks in Nanango’s CBD, and the South Burnett Rail Trail Users Association has similar plans to signpost similar “loop rides” in the near future that will extend riding options for Rail Trail users.

The Circuit follows a route from the former Nanango Railway Station platform in Pioneer Park along Mt Stanley Road into Mylett’s Lane, then on to Bullcamp Road, Grindstone School Road and East Nanango Grindstone Road, then back to Nanango along Mount Stanley Road.

David said the circuit would take a reasonably fit cyclist about two to three hours to complete, and longer for walkers or riders.

He and Mark now have plans to signpost a second circuit ride covering a different part of Nanango, which they hope to unveil later this year.

Related articles: