Friday 9 June 2023 – Lowood to Wulkuraka
https://www.brisbanevalleyrailtrail.com.au/
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/BVRT/Trail-map#onPageHeaderIdentifier2
Today was a big day, so up early and
away! The trail from Lowood to Fernvale is an older more established trail,
with the planted trees large enough to provide shade. The trail surface was very good underfoot and
the trail was beside the main road most of the way, with minimal elevation
change. There were no cattle grids on this section.
In Fernvale there is a large park between the railway line and main road with toilet facilities. The toilets are locked from 6pm to 7am, and there is unfortunately no camping allowed here. After a quick trip across the road to the Old Fernvale Bakery and Café, we continued on.
https://www.facebook.com/OldFernvaleBakery/
The section between Fernvale and Wulkaraka involved some very rocky patches of trail. After crossing the Brisbane Valley Highway there was a large section of trail that was being redone with decomposed granite. The trail has a mixture of open exposed paddocks and lightly shaded woodland. The last 5km of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail are on a concrete bikeway so very easy walking in an urban setting. The trail finishes at the new trailhead carpark which is about 1.2km from Wulkaraka station, and as such the last track marker you see is the 2km marker. If you wish to complete the full 161km, as we did, you need to continue on the bike path to Wulkaraka Station and then return to the car.
We gratefully put down our packs, after our longest day so far of pack hiking. Next stop was the Browns Plains Hotel where we had prebooked a room for a well deserved shower and a sleep in a bed. Renewed appreciation for the day to day joys of modern life.
