BVRT - Fernvale to Lowood Return
Fernvale Queensland - Sun 16th May 2021

Currently the longest rail trail in Australia, the 161 km Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) follows the disused Brisbane Valley rail line that commenced construction at Wulkuraka near Ipswich in 1884 and was completed at Yarraman in 1913. The BVRT winds its way up the Brisbane valley, traversing farmland, forests, picturesque rural settings and country towns.

We will be walking one section of the Rail trail - Fernvale to Lowood return. If you arrive early take a look at the Fernwood Murals in the nearby Memorial Park or perhaps drop by the Fernvale Markets as they are open every Sunday from 6am and can be found in the grounds of the Fernvale State School just a 15 min walk from our meeting spot.

The Fernvale to Vernor station is parallel to the Brisbane Valley Highway, very flat, lined with trees, but not much shade, however, the views are nice looking out towards to the mountains. Then Vernor into Lowood gets a bit more interesting with a few undulations, good birdwatching, views over the Brisbane River with some lovely views downstream, and a large colony of bats making their home in the trees. Arriving into Lowood, you'll be rewarded with the first section of actual railway for the trail; Lowood was the original terminus for the BVRT and has a pub, bakery and nice cafes for refreshments.

After a short visit to Lowood we will walk back the same way, with the option of rewarding ourselves with a pie from the famous Fernvale Bakery for lunch!

No refreshments will be provided on this walk as we recommend supporting the local businesses along the trail

Highlights

● Fernwood Murals

● Mountain Views

● Brisbane River Views

● Famous Fernvale Bakery

● Birdwatching

Includes

Adventurous Women Host®

Excludes

Lunch / Refreshments

Purchases along the way

What To Bring/Wear

- Water to suit the day

- Lunch or cash/card to purchase

- Snacks

- Good quality hiking boots or shoes