Less than an hour’s drive inland from the beaches of the Sunshine Coast is the Mary Valley, QLD. A nature lover’s paradise, filled with lush rainforests, rolling hills and mighty rivers. Here is our list of the top 10 things to do in the Mary Valley, QLD if you’re on a budget!
An introduction to the Mary Valley, QLD
The Mary Valley forms part of the Gympie Region, which is at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. This region is well known for its farming and fresh produce, lakes and rivers and beautiful forests and national parks. The valley is dotted with a number of small towns and villages. The main towns in the area are Amamoor, Kadanga, Imbil, Kenilworth and Connondale.
The region is about two hours north of Brisbane by car and around half an hour from Noosa or Gympie. Having a car is the easiest way to get around, as the sites, attractions and towns are spread out around the region.
Things to do in the Mary Valley, QLD
We were looking for a weekend getaway from our home in Noosa, and we felt like a big dose of outdoor time. We had heard the Mary Valley is well known among locals as an outdoor paradise, with heaps of camping, fishing, hiking, bike riding and four-wheel driving. So this sounded like the perfect spot for us for a weekend of camping. And of course, we wanted it to be as cheap as possible. And where there is nature, generally there are affordable (or free!) things to do! So without further adieu, here is our list of 10 cheap things to do in the Mary Valley, QLD!
1. Go camping at one of the many campgrounds
The best way to experience the best of what the Mary Valley has to offer is in a tent. (Or a caravan, camper trailer or camper van). The Mary Valley is full of camping spots. From Queensland Parks operated grounds in the Imbil and Amamoor State Forests. To privately run caravan parks, like Borumba Deer Park and Bluff Creek Campgrounds. We organised the trip at the last minute (typical), right before Easter (possibly the biggest camping weekend on the calendar). So we didn’t have the pick of all the campgrounds, but luckily Imbil Camping Retreat had an unpowered site available. I think we ended up staying at the best option of all!
It was a great campground, right on Yabba Creek. The camp kitchen was well equipped, the toilets and hot showers were clean and well maintained. And their unpowered sites weren’t allocated, so we were able to just drive in and choose a spot we liked. The campground is even doggy friendly! We left Stan at home this time around, but we will be back here for sure with the dog in tow! We stayed for two nights on an unpowered site, which came to $84 total – bargain!
2. Kayaking on the river
This is one of the best things to do in the Mary Valley! The namesake Mary River runs through the valley, but its offshoot Yabba Creek is also a great option to dip your paddle in. As soon as we had our tent pitched, we hit the water! Imbil Camping Retreat rent out single and double kayaks, for a super affordable price. It is $10 for the first hour and $5 every hour after that. We rented a double kayak for two hours, which was plenty of time to explore Yabba Creek. If you head right from the launch point at the campground, you will soon hit the Imbil Weir. You’ll need to park your kayak on the shore (I’m sure there is a more technical term for this?). And you can have a splash around in the mini falls and rapids.
If you want to really get paddling, head left from the launch point. The river is quite full of reeds and water lilies which made for a bit of a workout at times, but it was possible to get through. We were the only people on the river, and it was so serene and relaxing. The river was so still and glassy, the reflections were just beautiful. We passed under two bridges and turned around when we reached a big bend in the creek where it split off in two directions. I’m not sure exactly how far we went, but we were gone for roughly two hours. $15 for a two-hour activity in a beautiful place? Yes please!
3. Look out over the valley from Imbil Lookout
A short drive up the hill outside of the town of Imbil is the Imbil Lookout. It was a rainy day when we visited, so the views were a little hazy. But on a clear day, you are supposed to be able to see all the way out to the coast. There are 360° mountain views all around, and a handy sign that tells you which ones you are looking at. A beautiful way to see the Mary Valley from above. And best of all? It’s free.
4. See the Mary Valley Rattler
One of the most famous things to do in the Mary Valley, QLD is to ride on the Mary Valley Rattler. This historic steam train travels on a portion of the original Mary Valley rail line from Gympie to Amamoor and back. The train itself has been restored, and looks like it belongs at Hogwarts Station! Tickets to ride the train are $60 per person. We would have loved to take the trip, but unfortunately, it wasn’t in the budget. And the train only runs from Gympie to Amamoor return, so we would have had to drive up north out of the Mary Valley and into Gympie to board the train. But… the next best thing, we were able to see the train arriving and departing again at Amamoor Station! The train runs on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and it arrives in Amamoor at about 11 am. The passengers disembark for about an hour while the train turns around and gets ready to depart back to Gympie at around 12 pm.
It was so cool seeing the steam flying out as the train got ready to go, and the conductor even gave us a few toots! There is a little cafe at the Amamoor Station, Click Clack Cafe, which is a good spot to grab a coffee or some lunch. The pies were delicious, but beware it does get a bit chaotic when the passengers get off the train! Although we didn’t get on the train, we still felt like we had experienced a little taste of the infamous Rattler, and it didn’t cost us anything.
5. Do the Rainforest Walk in the Amamoor State Forest
Head deep into the Amamoor State Forest, to the Cedar Grove camping area. The drive there is a dirt road for part of the way, but nothing our little Mazda 3 couldn’t handle! The area was full of campers for the long weekend, but you can park in a day-use area right near the start of the Rainforest Walk. This 1km circuit is not a strenuous hike by any means, but it is well worth doing! You will start the walk at a dreamy tropical swimming hole, where you could have a pre-walk dip, or save it for afterwards.
Head into the rainforest, and within moments you will be swallowed into lush foliage and palms everywhere you look. We have visited a lot of rainforests around the world (Borneo being a pretty epic example), but this small track compared! As soon as we started walking, it started pouring rain so we got the true rainforest experience. We came out soaked, but it was so cool to listen to the sounds of the forest with the rain pouring down. And of course, being a state forest there is no cost to do the walk!
6. Check out Borumba Dam
Yabba Creek flows into the Borumba Dam, which is actually a water catchment area. The dam is a popular spot for boating, water skiing, jet skiing and fishing. There were heaps of families heading out on boats with gazebos, eskies and chairs to set up for a day by the water on the shores of the dam. Probably best visited with a boat (we felt a bit sad and left out we didn’t have one!), but a cool sight to see nonetheless, that costs nothing and the drive there is beautiful!
7. Explore the pine forests in the area
The road to Borumba Dam, Yabba Creek Road, is lined with towering pine forests. There’s something mystical about these tree-giants, planted in tight rows creating dark and hidden pathways. Wandering through the forest, smelling the pine and listening to the trees swaying in the wind had us feeling like we were in a fairytale! There are heaps of different forests to choose from, and although most are working plantations, there were no trucks around being the weekend. If you visit, please be mindful of this and don’t interfere with the logging. Cost? Free.
8. Pat the animals at Borumba Deer Park
In the same area as the Borumba Dam is the Borumba Deer Park. Known primarily as a campground, this park is also home to (as the name suggests!), deer. There are also other farm animals like goats, pigs and donkeys wandering the paddocks that are up for a scritch scrotch or a feed. There is a day-use fee of $7 per adult to come into the park. A couple of bucks will get you some feed to entice the animals to give you all the love! If you want to make a day of it, the Yabba Creek also runs through this park and you can rent kayaks from here too.
9. Cycle the Mary Valley Rail Trail
A remnant of the old rattler days, the Mary Valley Rail Trail is a walking and cycling path that has been converted from the old railway line. Running from Imbil to Brooloo, the trail is 4.7kms each way, for a 9.2km journey total. We rented bikes from Imbil Camping Retreat, again for the same cost of $10 for the first hour and $5 each hour after that. For $30, we got two bikes for two hours. We were able to ride to the starting point from the campground, which is on William Street in Imbil.
Because we stayed in Imbil and got our bikes from there, we did Imbil to Brooloo first. This is definitely the harder route! The trail seems flat the entire way, but there is definitely a slight incline on the way to Brooloo. I can’t even remember the last time we rode bikes, but boy were we feeling it! We rode past a couple of families, with younger kids not even breaking a sweat and it definitely made us feel old and unfit haha! The first kilometre was fine, the middle two and a half were the hardest, and the final kilometre into Brooloo eased up. Our quads were happy for the rest!
There isn’t much at the Brooloo end (admittedly it was Good Friday so it could be different on another day). I would recommend packing a drink and a few snacks so you can sit and have a rest at the picnic tables before heading back. The journey back to Imbil was much easier, and we were cruising downhill most of the way. It took us around an hour and a half from the time we left the campground to getting back.
10. Drive the Mary Valley Scenic Drive
If you just want to soak up the rolling hills, cow-filled paddocks and the beautiful mountains of the Mary Valley, it’s easy to do so from the car! You will inadvertently end up driving along the Mary Valley tourist drive as you hop around to the different attractions and activities. There are brown signs for tourist route 42, that will take you all over the valley.
Other things to do in the Mary Valley, QLD
The weather wasn’t on our side, and we didn’t plan some of our timings properly which meant we missed out on a few things we would have loved to do in the Mary Valley! On our hit list for next time is:
- A meal at the Kadanga Farm Store
- Spotting platypus on the Amama Walk in the Amamoor State Forest
- Trying one of the drool worthy donuts at Kenilworth Country Bakery
- The Fig Tree Circuit walk in the Imbil State Forest
- A tasting and meal at the Kenilworth Dairies
Things to do in the Mary Valley, QLD: Complete
The Mary Valley was such a lovely spot for a weekend getaway. We were surrounded by nature the entire time, and it was so restorative and relaxing. There’s nothing like getting active and moving your body in a beautiful place! From walking, swimming, biking and kayaking we weren’t short on things to do in the Mary Valley. And we were able to keep all the costs for the weekend to a minimum. We spent $150 on these activities, and of course camping was our accommodation too! A very budget-friendly weekend. We can’t wait to get back there and hit all the things we missed, with our pup Stanley too!
Have you visited the Mary Valley, QLD before? Did you do any of these activities? If you haven’t been yet, which would be at the top of your bucket list? Let us know in the comments below!
