Spare parts available

Another beautiful morning, and we appreciated the long bridge crossing as we headed towards Lowood. The restoration of the 130-year-old Lockyer Creek Railway Bridge included replacing all timber components with hardwood and its opening in 2019 enabled cyclists to avoid the steepest low-level crossing on the rail trail.  

 It was easy riding through open farmland, and it was reassuring to know that a range of spare parts were available if needed.   

We stopped for a coffee in the sun at Rudy and Ada’s café in Lowood. I had a quick wander through town and dropped into the Folk Art Co-operative, a busy spot with local crafts.   

The trail took us past Lowood Station and continued with lovely views across the Brisbane River.   

The Old Fernvale Bakery and Café was a popular lunch spot and we boought some rolls to enjoy in the nearby park.  The trail continued past rear of the Visitor’s Centre which was decorated with artworks, including a train mural and swooping magpies, which seemed very apt given their early activity.    

The final stretch included a Fettler’s Garden at Borallan and a gentle climb up to Pine Mountain.  The sealed Brassall Bikeway linked the final 5kms or so with the trail head at Wulkuraka where we celebrated the end of our rail trail adventure.   

It was only a short ride to Walkuraka station where we waited 10 minutes for a train into Ipswich, chatting to another passenger who was keen to walk the trail.  It was only later that we discovered that bikes were not allowed on 3-carriage trains but no one said anything as we boarded the last carriage for the 15-minute ride. 

Our accommodation in the Oaks Aspire Suites was close to the station and we were able to take our bikes into our room. Our efforts to use the spa were unsuccessful as it wouldn’t start, so we gave up and returned to our room to shower. After reporting a fault with our air conditioner, we headed out for an okay dinner at the nearby Fourth Child Cafe. Fortunately, we had cool air on our return.  

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