Brooloo: Mary Valley Rail Trail and birdlife

If you are considering Brooloo as a travel destination, the Mary Valley Rail Trail is a clear point of interest: it runs from Imbil to Brooloo and follows part of the former Mary Valley Railway. Along the corridor, different landscape types and birdlife shape the visitor experience; the Bellbird Habitat is also located near the town. This distinction is useful for planning: the trail is a route between two places, while the habitat is a nearby nature destination with its own opportunities for wildlife watching.

Mary Valley Rail Trail: route and history

The section between Imbil and Brooloo is 4.7 km long; the round trip is listed as 9 km. This gives you two different planning options: the route between the towns and the return journey. In earlier years, Brooloo was the terminus of the Mary Valley Railway. The Rail Trail follows part of the former railway line and is now a shared recreational trail between Brooloo and Imbil.

The section between Brooloo and Imbil is currently open to walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users and horse riders; the trail is also suitable for mountain bikers. It is a shared unsealed road and includes water crossings. Check the latest trail notices before setting out.

Landscape and birdlife along the trail

The Mary Valley Rail Trail follows the old railway corridor through hilly terrain, but is relatively flat overall. Hilly terrain and a relatively flat overall route describe different scales: the first refers to the landscape, the second to the trail as a whole. Along the way, the route passes through open grassy woodland, hoop pine plantations, rainforest and farmland. For planning, the terrain and landscape types provide guidance as well as the trail’s length.

A Bellbird colony lives permanently in the middle section. About 160 bird species have been recorded along the Mary Valley Rail Trail to date; this is an approximate figure and may change over time. The colony is therefore found along a particular section of the trail, while the species count applies to the route as a whole.

The Bellbird Habitat near Brooloo

The habitat near Brooloo is officially named George Burtenshaw Feature Protection Area Bellbird Habitat. Visitors can picnic there and listen to the call of the Bell Miner. At the small creek, you can watch birds bathing in the late afternoon. Alongside the opportunities for wildlife watching on the trail, this gives you a nearby nature destination with a particular time of day to keep in mind.

Getting your bearings and local connections

One access point to the Mary Valley Rail Trail is on Sutton Street in Brooloo. A picnic shelter and table setting were installed at the trail in Brooloo in December 2021. They were set up as a rest stop and meeting place for trail users before they set off; if you plan to use the facilities, check their current condition before your visit.

Brooloo Arts & Crafts welcomes people from Brooloo and the surrounding area who are interested in art or craft. If you would like to include this in your trip, check the current arrangements for taking part in advance.

Discover more travel destinations: Abbot Point, Toll, Innisfail, Noosa North Shore, Zilzie, Tin Can Bay, South Molle Island, Gamboola

For the broader travel overview: Queensland.