FAMILY FUN ATTRACTIONS KILKIVAN

The Bicentennial National Trial, over 5,000 kilometres from Healesville in Victoria to Cooktown in Queensland, is the longest marked route of its kind in the world; the 107-kilometre section through Gympie Regional Council mainly follows the forest ridges along the coastal ranges to the west of the highly populated plains of the Cooloola region. Here among the hills the trail, following many of the roads and tracks taken by the early pioneers, is well suited to family trips any time of the year. The country is suitable for horse riding, donkey trekking, mountain bike riding or just plain old walking. The scenery is varied, as is the vegetation through which you would pass, ranging from dry vine forest, open savannah grazing, parches of rainforest and old growth hardwoods to Forestry Department plantations of pine. A few giant ironbarks or the spectacular bunyas are to be encountered remnants of the once lush forests. Kilkivan is one of the few towns through which, the National Trail actually passes. At Pine Street the Council have provided overnight bush camping facilities, complete with toilet, shower and horse yards within easy walking distance of the town.

The Kilkivan Shire Museum contains a comprehensive display of ore and mineral samples common to the district, photographs and documents relating to mining, forestry, dairying and town, school and family histories of Goomeri, Kilkivan, Widgee and Woolooga. Research facilities - fee applies. The main building has rooms furnished in style of yesteryear, for example parlour, bedroom, general store and barber's shop. Fettler's barrack houses a school room and kitchen. Large slab shed contains buggy and wagon, mining, farm and forestry tools. A genuine stockman's hut, made from slabs laundry and containing original contents has been relocated to the museum grounds. There is an unmanned Visitor Information Centre in the front of the main building which is open everyday to visitors and tourists for approximately seven hours.

Mudlo National Park, known locally as Mudlo Gap, protects one of the area's few remaining stands of native hoop pine rainforest. Tall hoop pines once covered much of the coastal ranges. The park is near the site of Queensland's first gold discovery - at Kilkivan township in 1852. Go for the short, scenic drive to Mudlo Gap for excellent views. The Mudlo Gap track is steep with many steps, but the view from the lookout is impressive. Enjoy a picnic beside Scrubby Creek. Part of the one kilometre Scrubby Creek walking track is wheel chair accessible - through dry rainforest, past giant figs and pleasant creeks. On your walks, keep your eyes open for whiptail wallabies and listen for wonga pigeons.