A 24 km train line with the trains taken out
The Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail follows the old Murwillumbah branch through cane farms, rainforest gullies and a tunnel under the Burringbar Range. Tap two stations to plan your ride.
What you'll pass, stop by stop
Distances are trail kilometres from Murwillumbah station. Six of the 24 km are sealed (through the villages), and the rest is firm, compacted gravel that's fine on our bikes.
Murwillumbah
The heritage station, with the old tracks still beside the platform. The Milk Run drops you here. Town's a short ride over the river for lunch.
Dunbible
Flat riding beside the creek and the first of the old timber-and-steel bridges. The cane's on both sides from here.
Stokers Siding
A sealed stretch through the village. Lou's nonno's cane farm was just down the road, and the cream cans went out from here.
Burringbar Range tunnel
The climb either side is the only real hill on the trail. Inside it's curved and dark, with glow worms and microbats. Lights on, voices down.
Upper Burringbar
Out of the tunnel and into rainforest gullies. Lovely and shady on a hot afternoon.
Burringbar
The village with the big carved sign. Bike racks, shade and somewhere for a coffee and a sit-down. Saturday riders get the cannoli here.
Mooball
Us. Cow-painted power poles, the bike shed, toilets, water and cold drinks. Every ride starts and finishes here.
Crabbes Creek
The end of the Tweed section. A quick 6.6 km return from our shed if you've got an hour to spare.
From cream cans to coffee stops
For a hundred-odd years, this line carried cane, cream, timber and people between the Tweed and the rest of NSW. Lou's family put their cream cans on it at Stokers Siding.
- 1894The railway reaches Murwillumbah from Lismore.
- 1930The Brisbane line opens via Kyogle, and the Murwillumbah line becomes a branch.
- 2004The last train runs in May. Lou is working on board.
- 2023The Tweed section of the rail trail opens, and so does our shed in Mooball.