Transport, e-bikes and expert guidance through tunnels, rainforest and heritage countryside on Australia's most scenic new rail trail — the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, Northern NSW.
Depart Brisbane in comfort and journey south into Northern NSW for a fully guided cycling adventure along one of Australia's most exciting new rail trails. The Northern Rivers Rail Trail — opened in 2023 and already attracting nearly 80,000 riders in its first six months — threads 24 kilometres through the lush Tweed Valley along the historic Murwillumbah–Casino railway corridor, decommissioned in 2004 and now reborn as a world-class recreational trail.
This all-inclusive, expert-guided day tour from Brisbane is perfectly designed for adventure travellers, couples, groups, and active seniors. Our e-bikes make every gradient effortless, allowing you to focus completely on the extraordinary scenery — rainforest canopy, rolling farmland, the dramatic cone of Wollumbin (Mt Warning) dominating the horizon, heritage railway bridges, and the atmospheric highlight of the journey: the 524-metre Burringbar Range Tunnel, home to glow-worms and microbats.
In February 2026, Byron Council voted to complete the Northern Rivers Rail Trail — dropping their policy to consider reinstating rail services and committing to the full 132km car-free cycling corridor from Murwillumbah to Casino. When complete, this will be one of the longest dedicated rail trails in Australia. Our tour currently covers the flagship Tweed section: Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek.
All logistics organised so you can simply show up and enjoy.
Comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle pickup and return from Brisbane CBD. Approximately 2.5-hour drive to Murwillumbah trailhead — the Tweed Valley scenery starts before you even get on a bike.
Quality pedal-assist e-bikes fitted to your height before departure. Battery-assisted cycling means the gentle undulations of the Tweed Valley are effortless — even for complete beginners. Helmet included.
Your guide knows every story along the corridor — the railway history, the villages, the glow-worm ecology of the Burringbar Tunnel, local Aboriginal connections to Wollumbin, and the best spots for wildlife.
A relaxed lunch stop at one of the charming local venues along the trail — The Platform Café in Murwillumbah, the Pour Café in Burringbar, or the Hosanna Farm Stay. Locally sourced where possible.
Everything needed for the Burringbar Range Tunnel — lights for your bike and personal torch. A full safety and gear briefing is given before departure to ensure confidence on trail.
Maximum small-group size ensures a personal, relaxed pace. Dogs welcome on-lead on the trail — let us know at booking if you're bringing your four-legged adventure companion.
The Northern Rivers Rail Trail packs an extraordinary range of experiences into a single 24km corridor.
The undisputed highlight of the trail — a 524-metre former railway tunnel that is home to glow-worms and microbats. Cool (a welcome contrast to Queensland heat), atmospheric, and completely unique. Your guide will explain the tunnel's ecology and you'll ride (or walk) through in hushed wonder. Bring a torch — the tunnel is kept deliberately dark to protect the glow-worm colony.
The Tweed section features 26 bridges — 16 restored heritage railway structures and 10 modern bypasses — crossing the Tweed River and its tributaries through lush valley farmland. Each bridge offers a different perspective of the landscape: river reflections, rainforest canopy, or open views to the volcanic hills beyond.
The distinctive volcanic cone of Wollumbin (Mt Warning) — the first place to receive sunlight each morning in mainland Australia — dominates the horizon along long stretches of the trail. This World Heritage landscape of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia is the backdrop to your entire ride through the Tweed Valley.
Your journey begins at the heritage-listed Murwillumbah Railway Station — a beautifully restored 1920s station with a distinctive concave platform. Adjacent to the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre, the station is a destination in its own right before the trail even begins. The Platform Café is here for your pre-ride coffee.
Ride with your eyes open — the Tweed Valley is a wildlife sanctuary. Expect curious wallabies grazing trail-side, kingfishers darting between river trees, occasional koalas high in the eucalyptus canopy, and the constant soundtrack of bellbirds and whipbirds. Your guide will know exactly where to look and when to stop.
The trail threads through four beautiful villages: Stokers Siding, Burringbar, Mooball, and Crabbes Creek. Each has its own character. Burringbar's Pour Café (a local legend, hidden behind the wine shop) and Hosanna Farm Stay are beloved stops. The Teakwood Café in Murwillumbah is famous for its coffee and mind-blowing chocolate brownies.
A seamlessly organised day from Brisbane departure to return — every detail handled.
Comfortable pickup from a central Brisbane location in our air-conditioned vehicle. The 2.5-hour drive south via the M1 Pacific Motorway crosses the NSW border at Tweed Heads and winds into the lush Northern Rivers hinterland — already a scenic journey worth the early start.
Arrive at the heritage-listed Murwillumbah Railway Station — your trailhead. E-bike fitting and safety briefing followed by a pre-ride coffee at The Platform Café. Visit the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre if time allows — both are exceptional.
Begin your ride north-west from Murwillumbah. The first section is sealed path through town before opening into compacted gravel trail through farmland and rainforest. Cross the first of 26 heritage bridges, with Wollumbin (Mt Warning) watching over your progress. Wallabies graze trail-side. Bellbirds call from the trees. Kingfishers dart across the river crossings.
The climax of the trail. Switch on your lights as you enter the 524-metre Burringbar Range Tunnel — a perfectly dark, cool passage through the range. Your eyes adjust and the glow-worms begin to appear on the ceiling — tiny constellations of bioluminescent light. Microbats rustle above. Your guide shares the ecology and history of this extraordinary habitat. No experience can quite prepare you for this moment.
Emerge from the tunnel into the village of Burringbar. The legendary Pour Café — hidden behind the wine shop with a toilet entrance that must be seen to be believed — serves exceptional coffee. The Hosanna Farm Stay nearby is popular for animal interactions and a farm-fresh break. Both are worth the pause.
A relaxed café or pub lunch at a local venue, included in your tour. The Tweed Valley has some surprisingly excellent dining — locally sourced produce, craft beverages, and the kind of hospitality only small communities deliver. Your guide will share recommendations based on the day's group.
The final section through Mooball to Crabbes Creek passes two more bridges and the Hulls Road Tunnel before reaching the current end of the Tweed section. Optional return ride to Murwillumbah for those who want more kilometres, or regroup with the vehicle for the journey back north.
Comfortable return journey to Brisbane CBD, arriving early evening. The drive north through the Gold Coast hinterland provides a different perspective on the afternoon light. You'll return with extraordinary memories, a completed world-class rail trail, and a very good appetite for dinner.
The Northern Rivers Rail Trail is already one of the most talked-about new cycling experiences in Australia — and our guided tour from Brisbane makes it completely accessible.
Transport, e-bikes, guide, lunch, tunnel equipment — everything is organised. Show up, get on, and enjoy.
No cycling experience or fitness required. The pedal-assist e-bikes flatten any gradient and turn a 24km ride into a relaxed, achievable adventure for all ages and abilities.
A 524m glow-worm tunnel, 26 heritage railway bridges, World Heritage landscape views, and rainforest cycling — you simply cannot do this anywhere else in Australia.
Just 140km from Brisbane, this is an ideal full-day escape — far enough to feel like a genuine adventure, close enough to return comfortably the same evening.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail on-lead. Let us know when booking and we'll accommodate your four-legged adventurer.
Wollumbin silhouettes, tunnel glow-worm constellations, heritage bridge reflections, and rainforest light — every kilometre delivers a photograph worth sharing.
All transport, e-bikes, guide and lunch included. Limited spots per departure — book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Reserve Your Spot TodayBasic repair kit if you are riding independently: the trail is remote in places and phone coverage is patchy through the middle sections. Gloves make a difference on the rougher gravel. Closed shoes rather than sandals.
Water is the main one — the towns have taps and cafes but the stretches between them do not, and Queensland sun on an exposed rail corridor is more taxing than the gradient. Sun protection, a hat under the helmet and sunscreen matter year-round.
Popular day sections include Fernvale to Lowood, Esk to Toogoolawah, and Moore to Blackbutt. Each runs 15 to 30 kilometres, which for most riders is two to four hours with stops. Coming with a guided group removes the logistics problem the trail otherwise presents: it is a linear route, so you either ride out and back, or you need a vehicle at the far end.
Very few people ride all 161 kilometres. Most take a section as a day out, and the trail is designed to work that way — the towns are spaced closely enough to make natural start and end points.
Between them the trail runs through farmland, open eucalypt country and river flats, crossing old rail bridges and passing the remains of platforms and sidings.
The trail links a string of small Queensland towns that the railway originally served, and they are much of the appeal. Fernvale sits at the southern end with a well-known bakery and a weekend market. Esk is the largest of the towns along the route, with pubs, cafes and accommodation. Toogoolawah has an aerodrome and a reputation for skydiving. Blackbutt at the northern end is known for its bakery and its timber-town history.
The surface varies. Some sections are compacted gravel, some are grass, and a few are rougher after rain. It is a trail for a hybrid or gravel bike rather than a road bike, and mountain bikes are comfortable throughout.
Because it follows an old rail corridor, the gradients are gentle by design — trains could not climb steeply, so neither do you. That is what makes it approachable for riders who would not attempt a hilly route, and why it suits mixed-ability groups better than most rail trails.
The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail runs about 161 kilometres between Wulkuraka near Ipswich and Yarraman, following the route of a railway line that closed in the 1990s. It is the longest trail of its kind in Australia.
After heavy rain some sections become soft or hold water, and creek crossings on the unformed stretches can be impassable for a day or two.
Winter mornings inland can start below ten degrees and reach the low twenties by midday, so layers matter. Spring brings wildflowers along the corridor and comfortable temperatures.
Autumn and winter are comfortably the best seasons. The corridor is largely open and exposed, so summer riding means heat, humidity and afternoon storms — the trail offers little shade for long stretches, and Queensland sun on gravel is more punishing than the gradient.
The etiquette is standard shared-path practice: cyclists give way to horses and pass wide and slow, and everyone gives way to whoever is going uphill.
Walkers generally take shorter sections between towns rather than attempting distance — Fernvale to Lowood, or the stretch out of Esk, both work as half-day walks. Horse riders use the trail extensively, and several sections have yards and water points designed for them.
The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail is not only for cyclists. It is a shared-use corridor open to walkers and horse riders along its full length, and the gentle gradients that make it approachable on a bike make it equally so on foot.
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