Northern Rivers Rail Trail
I rolled out of the station into the small car park nearby and was slowly turning when I noticed a woman in the car park. I turned through a full loop rather than return back into the station, slowly, and as I did so the woman came walking towards me, haltingly, seemingly not sure if she wanted to approach me. I made myself approachable by slowing to a stop and removing my sunglasses, but not deliberately waiting for her. She had that look of someone who was looking for something.
“Have you just ridden it?”
As I started to mouth my answer of yes, she continued on, excitedly.
“It seems wonderful. I haven’t ridden it yet, I mean I should have, I’m a local and I haven’t ridden it yet. Everyone is talking about it. It’s great they’ve built it isn’t it. Where did you start from? Have you ridden it before? I’m waiting for my friend, she’s already ridden it, she should’ve been here by now, we’re meant to start riding at nine”.
It was only ten to nine, her friend wasn’t yet late, at least not by normal standards, but if you’re keen to ride Australia’s newest rail trail, then not being early is close enough to being late in this lady’s eyes. And I agree with her.
The first section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRTT) opened on the 1st March and by the end of June almost 70,000 people had been on it; the local council’s estimate of usage for the year was for 27,000 people.
Riding the trail makes you realise just how few options exist for walking in most places where we live. Only in our towns are there footpaths, and then often only in the commercial districts. The River Walk in Penrith is incredibly popular – a path purposefully built for recreation rather than an adjunct to a road. Walking trails exist in our National Parks, and to our shops, but until now the countryside could only be driven through.
The lady waiting impatiently for her friend to arrive didn’t look like a cyclist, wasn’t dressed like a cyclist and if she were to ride the trail every week probably wouldn’t ever consider herself a cyclist. And that is the beauty of rail trails; the broad range of people they appeal to – us who knock out 100km or more a week, and those that don’t – and all of us enjoying the ride.
We started our ride at Crabbes Creek, at the settlement rather than the old station, and rode along a newly made track that sits beside the road that links up with the trail proper. We didn’t make that mistake on the way back, instead taking our chances with the trucks on the main road. The track purpose built for cyclists to use to avoid the road is sketchy, unless you’re a kid on a BMX looking to slide the back wheel.
There are short sections of hot mix bitumen near some of the towns, the rest of the trail being good quality gravel; however, with the trail being relatively new there is still a lot of loose gravel, especially if you move off the worn path that is developing on each side of the trail, and I suspect this may result in a few accidents as people slide out when attempting to pass others or ride 2-3 abreast.
I didn’t bother with the published Track Notes for this trail, at 25km we could easily ride the full length, out and back, and then once we started riding I didn’t think anything of the fact that everyone else had a light on their bike. Not being on the road there was not the need to be seen, so we’d left our lights behind.
Tunnel, there’s a tunnel: well of course there is, it’s an old rail line. And the Burringbar Tunnel is a long one, you need a light. The tunnel is just under half a kilometre in length, long enough to savour, and long enough to be immersed in complete darkness. Adding lights for our 2nd trip made the ride through the tunnel enjoyable.
It is common for some rail trails to share a corridor with a main road, as the best place for a train line is often the best place for a highway. The beauty of the NRTT is it avoids this noisy intrusion, with the main road linking the towns along the route rarely noticeable or even in sight.
Coffee? Plenty of options, too many to mention although we didn’t’ partake. We’d started our day at the Zentveld’s Coffee House at Newrybar, taking our coffee on the balcony overlooking the rows of coffee plants already sagging under the weight of their berries. While coffee appeals to most, gelato appeals to all, and you can ride straight from the trail to the shop; a blusterly mid-winters day meant we rode past – this time.
Being sited in Australia, there is still the matter of etiquette to work through. Yes, I’m looking at you old man, on the e-bike, with your head down, on the wrong side, riding remorselessly towards me, until our front wheels almost collided: a scene repeated every few kilometres. The NRTT is busy, don’t expect to be alone on it. Which is why walking a cattle dog off lead, as one person was doing, is neither considerate nor sociable. No need for lots of rules, just stay to the left and keep your head up.
Thinking back to the woman in the car park who approached me, her sentiments were similar to many others I stopped to talk with – how good the trail is, for young people, for old people, for tourists, for locals, for the region, but never did anyone actually say that it is good for themselves. Well I’ll say it: the Northern Rivers Rail Trail is good for me. I liked it. I was in the area for two weeks and rode it 3 times; had I been staying a little closer I would’ve ridden it more.
