A rite of passage

We retraced our route from the day before, stopping briefly at the park where we were reassured we were heading in the right direction.  We kept an eye out for horse drawn carriages but only saw a group of cyclists whiz past us on robust mountain ebikes.  

The link route became a dirt road and was classified as a stock route which joined the saleyards at Nanango to the railway yards at Yarraman. Cattle sales were held monthly in Nanango and those cattle destined for the meatworks would walk the route to be loaded on the train to Brisbane.  Even the signage was more rustic.

Curious cows watched us pass, and the smooth trail soon gave way to a rutted track.  Some of it was cyclable and Simon managed well, whilst I had to frequently get off and steer my bike through the uneven terrain.  After about 500 metres, a sign indicated that we had a rough 2kms to go.  The descent to the creek was particularly rough.  We had read that it was a dry weather route only as the creek crossing can flood and our host in Tingoora had warned us that water was currently around mid-calf level.

Fortunately it wasn’t too difficult to cross with the bikes and we took our time to dry our feet and enjoy some morning tea.

The track gradually improved and it was a manageable steady climb up to the road to Yarraman. As we entered the town we passed a wooden head positioned outside the Royal Hotel.  It seems that no one knows who carved it or why, but it is considered likely that it was carved by a group of Maori workers who were working at the Tarong Power station during the 1980s.  A second head was located outside the bakery, this one part of a group of six uniquely decorated Yarramen funded by a community grant in 2019.

It was only a short ride to the trailhead and we spent some time learning more about the rail trail’s history through the nearby Interpretive Centre and the “Bomb” fuel truck wagon.   

The frequent gates were easily navigated and we enjoyed the smooth gravel surface and valley views.  Tall grass trees dotted the hillsides and lined the track edges. 

As we approached Blackbutt we stopped to chat with a cyclist heading towards Yarraman.  He was spending a couple of days there and debating as to whether to do the link route to Nanango. His friend had recommended that he should do it once as a “rite of passage”.  We advised him of some of the challenges to help inform his decision.  

There were limited accommodation options in Blackbutt and we had opted for the Blackbutt motel, which rated as one of the most basic motels we have stayed in.  However, it was reasonably clean and the water was hot.  We didn’t linger long and headed out for a nice beef bourguignon at the nearby Hotel Radnor.

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