A six-day tour on the Rail Trail
The very active Bike Leichhardt Touring Group has just completed a 6-day tour of the Northern Rivers for the second time in two years.
To encourage more Bicycle NSW friends and Members to make the trip north, Ride Leader Tim Coen has shared his notes about the scenic rides the group did on and around the Northern Rivers Rail Trail – as well as some recommendations for essential coffee and lunch stops!
Travelling with bikes to the Northern Rivers
Of course, it should be possible to reach the Northern Rivers by train for a cycling holiday. The XPT runs to Casino. But NSW TrainLink still requires partially disassembled and boxed bikes limited to a total of 20kg. There are a limited number of bike spaces on each train, and e-bikes are not allowed at all – even if the size and weight limitations didn’t rule them out. Our touring group included eight people using e-bikes, so everyone drove up from Sydney.
Regional trains could be a great enabler of cycling tourism if the rules around bike carriage were changed. There has been some recent progress in the long-running campaign by Rail Trails for NSW, Bicycle NSW and the Central West Cycle Committee to allow bikes to be rolled on to regional trains. Following a short trial in Spring 2024, a second trial roll-on bikes trial is currently underway on the Dubbo XPT.
Bike Leichhardt would really like the trial extended to the Casino line as soon as possible.
Bike riders from Brisbane, Kyogle, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Sydney, as well as the other stations along the line, would have easier access to Northern Rivers. The NSW TrainLink coach network, which services most of country NSW and provides public transport to Lismore, Byron Bay and the northern segment of the rail trail at Murwillumbah, also has the same restrictive requirements which need to change.
The Bike Leichhardt tour group at Murwillumbah Station on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (Image: Bike Leichhardt)
Casino was the base for the first two nights
The group tackled the southern Casino to Lismore section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail during the first half of the trip.
The tour started on Day Zero in the Casino Returned Services Memorial (RSM) club for a group dinner. We wanted to set the tone for a holiday centred around good food and coffee!
The weather on the first three days was great. Although the many pools and waterlogged paddocks either side of the shared path attested to much recent rain. The trail surface is well drained and it was in excellent condition for our trip.
The group gathers at the Northern Rivers Rail Trail trail head in Casino (Image: Bike Leichhardt)
Day 1 was a ride of 60km from Casino to Lismore and return on the rail trail. We set up morning tea at the picnic table atop ‘Heartbreak Hill’, the short, steep hill that bypasses the Naughtons Gap tunnel, now home to many endangered micro-bats of multiple species and therefore not open to the public.
Soon after the break, 2 riders requested a pick up one with bike issues and the other fatigue. So I swung into sweep bus mode, driving to the next rest stop to collect both riders. Luckily, the riders were back in the saddle swiftly with the help of a Lismore bike shop and a hearty lunch.
We lunched at ‘The Bank’ café in Lismore, a tip from a local. They serve good food and have lots of space for bikes (Image: Bike Leichhardt)
There were many walkers at the Casino and Lismore ends of the trial, and we also passed a horse rider near Casino. The Casino to Bentley stretch has a bridle trail along much of the route to the shire boundary at the Back Creek bridge. For the Bentley to Lismore section, Lismore City Council built a wider shared path to accommodate horses as well as the many walkers, runners and bike riders.
On Day 2, a dozen of us ventured along the rail trail to the Naughtons Gap Road. From there we ascended to the gap crest, turning right in Rambaldinis Road. This unsealed road serves local farms and descends in numerous undulations to become the sealed Gores Road, which joins Spring Grove Road ending back at the trail head in Casino.
This was a short ride of about 30 kilometres, so we had time for brunch before the 90-minute drive to Murwillumbah. Zeebras in central Casino has good food and plenty of bike parking.
On to Murwillumbah
We dispersed to Murwillumbah, some taking the scenic route via Kyogle or Nimbin or Uki and others opting for speed on the M1 motorway. We gathered for dinner at the Riverview Hotel, overlooking the Tweed River.
Day 3 took in the full length of the Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek section of the rail trail with a diversion at Stokers Siding to explore ‘Richards Deviation’, a short, unsealed road through forest adding about 8km to our ride.
We had morning tea at the new ‘Station 22‘, just after the 524m long Burringbar tunnel (don’t forget your lights!). There are lots of spots at Station 22 to relax. Most of us went on to the trail end at Crabbes Creek then returned for lunch at the Victory Hotel at Mooball.
A leisurely ride back to Murwillumbah gave us views we missed on the outward journey. Dinner that night at the Imperial Hotel in Murwillumbah included a birthday celebration for one of our riders.
Bike Leichhardt’s trip was a lot of fun with excellent company and great riding. We definitely had a positive impact on the local economy, spending plenty on accommodation, fuel, meals, drinks, bike hire and bike repair.
We can’t wait for the completion of the full 132km Northern Rivers Rail Trail. When a new section opens, we’ll be back. Feel free to join us! Our rides are advertised on Meet Up.
This blog was written in partnership with Bicycle NSW by Tim Coen, leader of The Bike Leichhardt Tour Group. Original article available on Bicycle NSW site.
