Australia’s Northern Rivers Rail Trail: A must-do summer bike ride

The wonderful aerial view of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. Photo / Supplied

Active relaxers, rejoice - cycling Australia’s Northern Rivers Rail Trail is equal amounts invigoration and recreation, writes Angela Saurine.

Gazing out at the horizon as I pedal my e-bike through the lush Tweed Valley, the jagged peak of Wollumbin rises abruptly above the rolling hills in the distance, cutting a striking figure against the clear blue sky. The towering mountain is all that remains of an ancient shield volcano which formed the largest caldera in the Southern Hemisphere when it collapsed 23 million years ago, leading to the creation of the magnificent scene before me. An ever-present backdrop along the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, it was named Mt Warning by British explorer Captain Cook in 1770. But as a sacred place for the Bundjalung people, who have lived in the area for at least 10,000 years, the landmark is now known by its indigenous name, which means “cloud catcher”.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail with Wollumbin in the background. Photo / Supplied

The shared pathway I am riding begins at the heritage-listed Murwillumbah Railway Station in Northern NSW, and meanders through the countryside for 24km, following the path of the former train track. Services ran for more than a century from 1894 until 2004, when they were deemed no longer viable.

The soft whistle of honeyeaters drifts across the landscape as we pass old Queenslander-style homes, many of which were impacted by floods that devastated the region in early 2022. While many people who wished to see trains returned to the tracks were opposed to the development of the rail trail, the infrastructure has provided a much-needed boost to the local economy, filling cafes and B&Bs along the route and leading to a boom in visitors to attractions like the Tweed Regional Gallery — home to the Margaret Olley Art Centre, which features more than 20,000 items the still-life artist collected throughout her life in an impressive recreation of her home studio.

Cyclists pass a bridge on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. Photo / Supplied

In the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Stokers Siding, we stop for coffee and cake at the General Store & Post Office, which is housed in an old train station that was relocated a few hundred metres away to make way for a road in the 1990s. Selling everything from a colourful array of lollies, baked goods, samosas, cheese and spinach pies to tyre repair kits, the store’s opening coincided with the trail’s launch in March. Behind the counter we meet Kunti Harrison, a descendant of Māori princesses, whose dad was from Auckland.

A bit further along the track, we veer off the trail and walk our bikes along a timber plank over a creek to reach Hosanna Farmstay. On weekends, the smell of slow-smoked beef brisket burgers, pork belly burgers and soft shell tacos wafts across the farm, where kids feed lambs, goats and chickens and careen down a waterslide on the hill into the large dam. It also has a store selling products such as locally-made Billinudgel Brown Sauce, Grumpy Grandma’s olives and – my personal favourite – Bunsters S*** the Bed Hot Sauce.

Crossing the bridge at Hosanna Farmstay. Photo / Angela Saurine

We ride through gullies brimming with fern trees, over restored bridges, passing sugarcane fields, rusty old farmhouses and bright red tractors ploughing the fields. We see ducks skimming across a pond, azure kingfishers shooting along creeks, and dairy cows gathered in the shade under trees.

Shortly after riding through the Burringbar Range Tunnel, where glow-worms glisten on the roof above, we hear school bells ringing as we approach the town. There, we detour off the trail to grab a bite at Teakwood Café, located in a former petrol station on the Tweed Valley Way. Named after the carved timber housefront at its entrance, the cafe is decorated with retro furniture. The building’s co-owner, David Bennie, also sells an eclectic range of antiques at the adjoining Burringbar Gallery, including dragon carvings from Javanese fishing boats, masks from Borneo and Africa, and indigenous artwork, which he also hires out as props for movies filmed at Warner Bros Studio, just over the border on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail has transformed the lifestyle of many residents, some of whom ride it nearly every day. Photo / Angela Saurine

It’s worth doing the trail over at least two days to allow time to bask in the many experiences along the route. That way you can book a tasting at Burringbar’s Natural Wine Shop (formerly Brooklyn Tasting Room), grab a gelato or grazing platter from Tweed Valley Farmhouse Cheeses, and take a dip in the pool at Mooball’s Victory Hotel, a town that celebrates its name with black and white painted power poles.

The track comes to an abrupt end near the small town of Crabbes Creek, but one day it will continue all the way to Byron Bay, and on to inland towns like Lismore and Casino, creating a 132km rail trail that’s sure to be one of Australia’s best.

Cyclists riding the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. Photo / Angela Saurine

GETTING THERE

Air NZ, Qantas and Jetstar all fly direct from Auckland to Gold Coast Airport. Murwillumbah is around 30 minutes by car, just over the NSW border.

WHERE TO STAY

Hosanna Farmstay at Stokers Siding offers campsites and accommodation in A-Frame huts, timber cabins and a self-contained homestead. Mavis’s Kitchen and Cabins, in the nearby town of Uki, has several cabins, an Old Dairy cottage and an award-winning restaurant.

For more information, visit northernriversrailtrail.com.au