Advice sought on route from Beerburrum/Beerwah to Brisbane Valley Rail Trail

[sagasu]

We (2 of us) are wanting to join the Brisbane valley Rail trail by starting in either Beerburrum or Beerwah and then heading west to get onto the trail.
We'd then continue south to Wulkuraka. All up we have 3 days to do the trip and would likely start on a Sunday around midday.

Can anyone give tips or advice on whether it's best to travel from Beerburrum or Beewah, and also which roads to take? Just following google maps I see we'd end on the D'Aigular Hwy for part of the time, and wonder how good or bad that might be for cycling eg. are there wide shoulders on the hwy?

I traced a route on 'RidewithGPS' and see there is also the possibility of going through the Beerburrum State forest on unpaved roads, and other lesser roads. Don't know if this is a viable option though.

If you have some knowledge of the area then any tips would be welcome.

[RonK]

I have done quite a bit of riding in this area. The best route would be to take Beerburrum-Woodford Road to Woodford. It is sealed to about halfway then it's a good gravel road the rest of the way. It does carry regular traffic and can be be quite dusty, and there is a decent climb at Hennessy Hill.
From Woodford take Neurum Road through to Kilcoy. You will have to ride the D'Aguilar Highway through Kilcoy until you reach Esk-Kilcoy Road but traffic will be slowed here.
A few km along Esk-Kilcoy Road take Gregors Creek Road which brings you out on the Brisbane Valley Highway just north of Toogoolawah.
If you head north about 1 km you can join the BVRT where it crosses the highway. You could easily make a short side trip to visit the Yimbun Tunnel from here too.

[sagasu]

Excellent advice @Ronk and just what I needed to know. Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.
We'll follow the route you suggested and likely visit the Yimbun tunnel too.
Happy cycling.

[sagasu]

One other question if you, or someone else has time to answer - Both the bikes we will use are just regular hybrid road bikes, with no special tyres. Assuming we allow for the possibility of a puncture, or two, will they manage the route suggested without too much drama do you reckon?

[RonK]

Hybrids usually have widish tyres and should handle the route conditions ok. With hybrid gearing you may need to do a bit of pushing on Hennessy Hill and across the gullies on the BVRT.
I've also heard that the magpies are already very active.

[sagasu]

Even with the best mountain bike and gearing I'd likely have to do a bit of pushing on any serious hills!
Not a big fan of the old hills, but I'll let you know how I go.
Good to get your thoughts on the hybrids, and yes, both bikes have widish tyres.
We'll also get some cable ties ready for our helmets.
Thanks again.

[sagasu]

Followed the route suggested and had a good three day trip. Thanks.
Even managed to make it up to the top of Hennessy Hill, though I nearly flagged it.
Was a bit disappointed with the rail trail though, as it was rougher than expected.
I knew it would be off road, but it still surprised me.

For those who may be interested in taking a similar route without relying on the shuttle bus we travelled as follows:

Day 1: Train to Beerburrum from Brisbane and then cycle to Kilcoy via Woodford. Stayed in the Exchange hotel in Kilcoy which was a good country pub.

Day 2: Continued on via Gregors Creek Road to join the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, and then followed the BVRT until Coominya. We were able to book accommodation through Bellevue Homestead, staying in a house in the town, which was a more attractive option than what seemed to be available in Esk.

Day 3: Leaving from Coominya also meant a more leisurely Day 3 of cycling down to Wulkuraka station, where we boarded a train and headed back to Brisbane.

All up, it was a satisfying trip, and it was great to get the local knowledge before the journey. Cheers.

[RonK]

Good to hear it worked for you.