Team Frawley

A special shout out to Amarjeet and Lynda who each completed more than 10% of the overall journey to Cairns with there own walking, running, biking or swimming!!

And thank you to everyone who was able to support the journey along the way. We definitely couldn't have done it without all of you!

You are AMAZING!! :)

This result really didn't seem achievable on the 31st of July, the day before we started on this journey, so thank you to everyone that participated or donated.

Can you believe we received donations of almost FOUR times the original goal!!

Hi all, WE HAVE FINISHED!! With the inclusion of some more kilometers for the last few days and ~20kms completed yesterday Team Frawley has walked, run, biked or swum their way the entire distance from Nambour to Cairns!!

Thanks to everyone who has donated we have raised over $5500 for MND Queensland to continue to provide support and services for those affected by MND.

Cairns railway station is the terminus for North Coast Line, which follows the eastern seaboard from Brisbane. Services are operated include the high-speed Diesel Tilt Train as well as Freight trains that stop at the rail yard located in Portsmith. The city itself was founded in 1876 and named after Sir William Wellington Cairns, following the discovery of gold in the Hodgkinson River.

No rail infrastructure other than the mainline remains at Edmonton which is a suburb of Cairns approx. 13kms to the south. Originally known as Hambledon, then Hambledon Junction, Edmonton began as a group of sugarcane plantations selected in 1883 by Thomas Swallow. In 1911 QR took over the Cairns-Mulgrave Tramway from the Cairns Divisional Board and renamed it Edmonton.

Gordonvale Railway Station has a platform and passing loop that is directly across from the Mulgrave Sugar Mill. Interestingly, in June 1935, the cane toad was introduced in a failed attempt at controlling the native Frenchi beetle and the greyback cane beetle. Adult beetles eat the leaves of sugarcane, but greater damage is done by their larvae hatching underground and eating the roots, which either kills or stunts the growth of the plant.

At the Aloomba rail location, there is the mainline and passing loop, though of interest is the 90 degree turn that happens on the Northern side of the town. The North Coast Line enters the town from the south and then turns to the West toward Gordonvale rather than continuing north to cross the Mulgrave River. For the section between Innisfail and Cairns the line is hemmed by mountain ranges to the east and west meaning the ocean is not visible whilst on the train.

Hi all! Tuesday saw another 35 kms completed and only 3 more stations (out of 132) remain before arriving at the final Destination - CAIRNS!

Its looking like we will complete the journey 3 days before months end :)

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

At Deeral, the North Coast Line runs beside the Bruce Highway and at this rail location has the mainline, passing loop and engineers siding. Previously, this station was known as Munros Camp railway station from 1883 to 1912.

Babinda Railway Station has a platform and passing loop which allows the Spirit of Queensland passenger service to stop here. Interestingly, the town is noted for its proximity to Queensland's two highest mountains Mount Bartle Frere - Queensland's highest peak, and Mount Bellenden Ker.

Not much remains at the Waugh rail location, with just the mainline and passing loop present. There is some farmland near the rail line, but it does travel through some forested areas.

Hi all! Monday saw another 107 kms completed with some catchup entries for the previous week. We are now definitely closing the gap on the final stretch to Cairns. 6 stations (out of 132) now remain before arriving at the final Destination!

Go Team Frawley!!

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Serving as a vital link between Brisbane and Cairns, Innisfail railway station, has a rich history dating back to its establishment as part of the North Coast line. The station has been a critical point for passenger travel, contributing to the economic and social connectivity of Innisfail with other major cities in Queensland.

Boogan is another rail location with just the mainline and passing loop remaining. Here, the North Coast Line is surrounded by Sugar Cane. There is a cane tramway to transport harvested sugarcane to the local sugar mills.

The North Coast Line runs through the middle of Silkwood which sits just off the Bruce Highway. In March 1918, many buildings in the town including the school were destroyed in a cyclone. Being only 10 metres above sea level, rebuilding of the school was delayed by disagreements over using the same site or moving to a new site. It was two and a half years before the new school opened and its was over capacity on its first day given the growth in the area.

El-Arish rail location is another location with just the mainline and a passing loop. The station building was donated to the community and relocated to be used as a museum. The town was named in 1921 after the city of Arish in Egypt where the Australian Light Horse saw action in December 1916 and which was later developed as a major base area with an allied hospital.

Tully Railway Station has a platform for the Spirit of Queensland services and a passing loop. The town of Tully was named after the river when it was surveyed during the erection of the sugar mill in 1924, although the river does not flow through the town. The Tully River, previously known as the Mackay River, was named after Surveyor-General William Alcock Tully in the 1870s.

Bilyana rail location is another location with just the mainline and a passing loop. Not much else surrounds the location other than farming infrastructure.

Kennedy is another rail location with just the mainline and passing loop remaining. Like a number of stations along the North Coast Line, it was originally known by another name, in this case, it was Mulgan railway station until it was renamed in 20 February 1926 after the explorer Edmund Kennedy. Over the years, an electoral district, national park, highway and the town were named in his honour.

Cardwell railway station has a platform for the Spirit of Queensland services and a passing loop. The station is just 200 metres from the ocean. The town itself is a long narrow strip hugging the coast with Greenwood Hill immediately to the west of the town rising to 64 metres above sea level. In 1985, it was proposed to build an integrated marina and resort called Port Hinchinbrook at Oyster Point south of the town. It was completed, but it was all but destroyed by Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

i all! Sunday saw another 56 kms completed closing the gap on the final stretch to Cairns. 14 stations (out of 132) now remain before arriving at the final Destination!

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Conn rail location also has a mainline and passing loop. It was impacted by flooding in the recent April 2025 floods across North Queensland with an estimated cost exceeding $1.2 billion (AUD) to the Queensland economy. The severe weather event was characterized by two tropical lows around north Queensland that produced rainfall totals the Bureau of Meteorology compared to cyclonic conditions, despite not officially forming into cyclones.

Hinchinbrook rail location has the mainline and a passing loop. It is surrounded by forest with the only access via the rail corridor from the north or south. The nearby Hinchinbrook lookout provides views across the Hinchinbrook Channel to Hinchinbrook Island.

othing other than the mainline remains at Bemerside. The town (and station) takes its name from the Bemerside Sugar Mill, established in 1873 and named after the town of Bermersyde (note the different spelling) in Scotland, which was associated with the Haig family who originally owned the sugar mill.

Ingham Railway Station has one platform and a passing loop. Interestingly, in the 1920s and 1930s a large influx of immigrants from Italy and Spain arrived in the town. During this period, 'The Black Hand Gang' emerged, and terrorised the town in the 1930s with bribery and corruption, forming a dark chapter in the town's history. For years, Vincenzo D’Agostino terrorised and extorted Italian migrants, but one question remains unanswered — who turned the tables, and murdered D’Agostino?

Pombel railway location has the mainline and passing loop. Like Bambaroo, it is low-lying flat land used for growing Sugar Cane. Weirdly, the imagery on Google Maps shows the majority of the district with the sugar cane well into the growing season, except for an imagery tile in the centre which is at a time when the land was on a different rotation and mostly not growing anything at the time. This usually occurs when there is a cloud obstructing the view of the earth.

Bambaroo railway location has the mainline and passing loop. The area around the small town is low-lying flat land (approx 20 metres above sea level) which drained by numerous small creeks. The area is predominately used for growing Sugar Cane.

Hi all! Thanks to everyone for the continued donations. I have updated the goal to $4 per km which absolutely blows my mind again!! Its amazing to see the support for Andrew and the Services and Support that MND Queensland provides.

Hi all! Here is a chart of the distances we have completed as a team over the month so far!

To complete the journey to Cairns in the next 6 days, we need to complete at least 35 kms a day. Lets keep walking, running, biking, or swimming to finish this one on or before the 31st!

Hi all! Saturday saw another 24 kms completed closing the gap on the final stretch to Cairns. 20 stations (out of 132) now remain before arriving at the final Destination!

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Mutarnee Railway Station was named on 23 December 1920 by QR using an Aboriginal word meaning food, as suggested by Archibald Meston, a politican, civil servant and explorer.

Hi all! Friday saw 48 kms completed meaning we are now on the final stretch to Cairns. 21 stations now remain before arriving at the final Destination!

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Rollingstone, like many other locations on the North Coast Line has just the mainline and a passing loop remaining. Interestingly, this area was previously know as Armidale also served as a post office as the mail was delivered by train. Concern over the possible confusion with Armidale in New South Wales resulted in the town and railway station being renamed 'Rollingstone' after the creek, which is believed to be named for the round shape of the rocks found in the creek bed.

Kurukan is another rail location that has the mainline and passing loop. The section from Townsville to Kurukan opened in April 1914 and then from Kurukan to Rollingstone almost exactly a year later in April 1915.

Purono rail location has a mainline and passing loop on the North Coast Line where it passes through the town.

Yabulu is approximately 25 kilometres north-west of the Townsville by road. It is the site of a major nickel and cobalt refinery, once operated by Clive Palmer. Initially a 225 kilometre branch line was constructed to Greenvale mine, including 5 tunnels through the Hervey Range. It was opened in 1974 and operated until 1992 when the mine ran out of ore. In mid-2000 the tracks were removed but other infrastructure such as tunnels and easements remain.

Deeragun railway location has the mainline and passing loop. It is a relatively new suburb that was developed in the 1990s. The suburb is laid out around the old school and Nightjar Railway Station with much of the original residential development built by the Housing Commission.

Hi all! Thursday saw 49 kms completed arriving in Townsville. 26 stations now remain before arriving in Cairns!

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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Garbutt railway station has a some industrial sidings as well as the mainline. It was originally known as Garbutts Siding and renamed Garbutt by the QR in 1940. The siding served the butchering firm established by Charles Overend Garbutt, a Queensland pastoralist. The RAAF relocated a squadron from Amberley in 1940 to establish RAAF Base Townsville just to the east of the railway.

Townsville Railway Station has a single platform and is serviced by the Spirit of Queensland and the Inlander. It was relocated from the old Flinders St site in May 2003.

Stuart railway station has sidings on two different lines, with a some on the on the Mount Isa Line and others around the corner on North Coast Line. Interestingly, the station, was originally called Ayr Junction in 1902, then Stewarts Creek in 1938 and then its current name in 1939. It is thought that Stewart was just a temporary misspelling of Stuart and that the intention was to name the area after the first district surveyor appointed in 1865, Clarendon Stuart.

The Nome rail location is the beginning of the duplication through Townsville. The station name is believed to be a corruption of NQME (North Queensland Meat Export) Siding which used to serve Alligator Creek meatworks at Oolbun. The Meat works closed in 1966.

The Storth rail location has a mainline and passing loop, and not much else! It is similar to Cromarty having national parks on either side of the track.

The Cromarty rail location has a mainline and passing loop. Most of the area is protected with the Bowling Green Bay National Park to the east and the Wongaloo Conservation Park to the west.

Hi all! Wednesday saw 34 kms completed on the way to Townsville. We are getting there with just 32 more stations to go through before arriving in Cairns!

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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The name 'Giru' was derived from "goru", a type name for a species of sugarcane grown in the area. Interestingly, the sugar mill located here was originally located on the Richmond River in New South Wales. In 1906, it was relocated to Bucca near the Kolan River in the Bundaberg district. In 1919, it was moved north to the Haughton River, where in commenced crushing in 1921 and the township of Giru grew around it.

The Barratta rail location has the mainline and passing loop. Interestingly, in 1885, the Queensland Government surveyed a town site called Noondoo and offered over 100 town lots for sale. However, in 1897, the town's name was changed to Baratta and then to Barratta (two "r"s) in 1902. In February 1918, extensive flooding in the region affected Barratta Creek with over 2 feet of water flowing over the railway bridge crossing the creek.

Pioneer rail location is in the middle of sugar cane country and has a balloon loop branching off to the Pioneer Mill that is now owned by Wilmar Sugar - a Singaporean food company. The mill originated in 1883 when a partnership was formed to acquire 5,064 acres to cultivate sugar. A turning point in business operations came in 1886 with the arrival of John Drysdale, an experienced engineer who discovered vast underground aquifers that opened up the industry to more operators.

Hi all! Tuesday saw 27 kms completed on the way to Townsville. We are getting there with just 35 more stations to go through before arriving in Cairns!

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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Ayr railway station has one platform on the mainline track and opposite the platform lies a passing loop. Ayr and Home Hill are the two closest stations on the North Coast line, being only 11 kilometres apart.

The North Coast railway line from Bobawaba to Townsville opened in 1913 and Home Hill railway station opened as part of it, for passengers and the sale of produce. In 2003 the station and its goods shed was closed. However, the trains continue to stop at the station for passengers to board and disembark, under the supervision of the train crew rather than station staff.

Inkerman rail location has the mainline and passing loop remaining. Across the Bruce Highway the town has a store, a service station and a caravan park. The school closed in 1974. Interestingly, Mount Inkerman, a short distance north of the village, offers a good view of the cane lands and the Inkerman sugar mill between Home Hill and the Burdekin River.

Bobawaba was a historical railway location in Queensland, on the Bowen Railway line, which was completed in 1891 and later became part of the North Coast line. Today this location has the mainline and passing loop.

QR named the Gumlu railway station on 15 January 1912, and is believed to be a corruption of an Aboriginal word gunyaloo, meaning rock wallaby. It is a region known for growing winter vegetables and mangoes in the summer. To celebrate their horticultural focus, a "Big Pumpkin" and a "Big Watermelon" were constructed in the town.

Guthalungra rail location has the mainline, loop and engineers siding remaining. The area is predominantly an agricultural area, mostly grazing with some crop production. Interestingly, Pacific Reef Fisheries operate the Guthalungra Prawn Farm near the mouth of the Elliot River which passes just to the south of the town.

Wilmington is a rail location in the 'middle of nowhere' with just the mainline and passing loop remaining. An old quarry nearby seems to be the only thing of interest nearby.

Merinda is not a passenger railway station but a location with infrastructure for freight handling, including the Toll and Linfox freight yards, and associated double-track sections of the North Coast line near the town of Bowen. Containers transiting to and from Brisbane are loaded and unloaded here using Gantry cranes.

Proserpine railway station has one platform and a passing loop. In 1908, a petition was signed by 306 ratepayers pushing for the construction of a ‘tramway’ or ‘light railway’ to help open up the district for settlement. The tramway ‘officially’ opened on 11 July 1910 and later purchased by QR in 1917 to become part of the North Coast Line which was under construction at the time. The opening through to Proserpine occurred in December 1923, linking Brisbane and Townsville.

Hi all! 33 kms completed on Monday as we continue heading passing the Whitsundays. It would be great to divert to Airlie Beach for a few days to relax, but we still have over 400kms to travel to make it to Cairns!

Gunyarra railway station is an abandoned railway station in the south of the locality on the railway line. No rail infrastructure remains other than the mainline.

Thoopara railway station serves the locality and is the location of a passing loop. The land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation with some crop growing (mostly sugarcane).

Bloomsbury Railway station was named alongside the town which was itself named after the cattle station founded by W. Macartney. In 1923, a large steel-and-concrete railway bridge was erected over the Andromache River as part of the construction of the North Coast railway line.

Hi all! Another ~30 kms completed on Sunday as we continue heading north to Bowen. Collectively, we have now walked over 700kms as a team :)

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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The town takes its name from the Yalboroo railway station, which was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 7 August 1920. It is an Aboriginal word meaning happy. Following on from my previous post, it turns out there was also a school called the 'Rise and Shine State School' opened on 3 February 1936 and closed in 1962. The mainline and passing loop is all that remains today.

Nothing other than the mainline remains at the Wagoora rail location. It does have a road on the southern side of the Bruce Highway, called the 'Rise and Shine Rd' - might be a morning reminder for the locals!!

The Calen railway station was named on 8 February 1924, reportedly being an Aboriginal name meaning cloud. It has the mainline and passing loop remaining as well as Australia's latest big thing, a pair of Big Thongs, which were unveiled in January 2021.

The Kolijo railway station was named on 9 March 1923, reportedly an Aboriginal word meaning possum. Interestingly, there are two towns, just 1.5 kms apart. Calen and Kolijo are separated by St Helens Creek which might explain the development of two towns so close together.

Hi all! Another 26 kms completed on Saturday as we continue heading north to Bowen. We have now travelled over 900kms completed from Nambour in South East Queensland - yes, railway kilometres which may or may not be 1000m!! As the railway changes over time the physical distance on the network can change resulting in what is known as Long or Short kilometres :)

The Mount Ossa railway station was named after the nearby mountain. The mountain's name was assigned by surveyor William Charles Borlase Wilson, using a name from Greek mythology. The Mainline and Loop are all that remains, though imagery does seem to show a 2nd loop being constructed to the North of the current location.

30 km west of Mackay the Kuttabul Railway Station was in a small town originally known as Hampden, and then later known as Mount Jukes, the current name came about in 1927 upon the opening of the railway station. The name is an Aboriginal word meaning "wonderful". The mainline, loop and an engineers siding remain.

All that remains at the Aminungo Rail location is the Mainline and Loop. The mid point of the loop is approx. at Tweedies Rd.

Hi all! We completed almost 55 kms on Friday and are now heading north to Bowen. We now have over 880kms completed, 644 walking, 193 biking, 32 combo, 10 running and 1 swimming.

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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The Farleigh railway station is located beside the Farleigh sugar mill which has an associated sugarcane tramway network. The mill was constructed in 1883 by Sir John Bennett Laws. For the first years, the mill had an associated sugar plantation. After a number of ownership changes over the years it merged with other Mackay district mills to create the Mackay Sugar Co-operative Association Ltd in 1987.

At the location of the former Erakala railway station there is an angle that provides access to Mackay Harbour. The area was named after the Railway station on 12 January 1927 by the same J. Strachan, a railway traffic manager at QR in Mackay. It is an Aboriginal word meaning "flat". The Harbour at Mackay primarily deals with Fuel, Sugar, Grain, Magnetite, Fertiliser and Scrap Metal.

Mackay Railway Station has been at a number of different locations over the years. The original Mackay station opened in 1885 in Tennyson Street. In 1924, it was relocated to Boddington Street. In the 1990s, the rail bridge over the Pioneer River needed to be replaced, which presented an opportunity for re-alignment of the railway line to bypass the Mackay CBD and in 1994, the new alignment opened with the new Mackay railway station in the outer suburb of Paget.

Rosella is another Rail location where all that remains is the Mainline and Crossing Loop.

All that remains at the Balberra Rail location is the Mainline and Loop. The town appears to take its name from the Balberra railway station, which in turn was named in 1913 by J. Strachan, the Mackay railway traffic manager in QR, and takes its name from an Aboriginal word meaning creek.

Sarina was originally named Plane Creek, after the pastoral run of the same name that was developed in 1865. At this time all sugar activity was at nearby Homebush, until the mill opened here in 1896. The name change occurred in 1908, five years before Sarina was reached by rail from Mackay in 1913. The Plane Creek Mill is one of the survivors of what was over 20 mills in the Mackay region alone. The mill has shipped sugar and ethanol to and from the plant to Mackay Harbour.

Hi all! We completed ~30 kms on Thursday and continued on our travels to Mackay, with over 817kms completed! and just 40kms to go to arrive at Mackay.

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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Yukan is a location that has rail infrastructure for North Coast Line and Goonyella systems. This includes some sidings in between to allow for the movement of trains between each system. At times rollingstock from the Goonyella system can be moved over to the NCL allowing relocation further north or to the south depending on requirements. There is also a Maintenance Facility used by Aurizon Network track teams.

The town name Koumala originally derives from the name of its railway station, which was named in 1914 after a sugar property used by Alfred H. Burbank, a sugar grower and surveyor, using a Fijian word meaning sweet potato. The Railway Line was extended from Mackay to Sarina in 1913 and extended to Koumala in 1920 (north to south). The next year the line was connected to Carmila in 1921 meaning rail travel was possible between Brisbane and Mackay.

The Ilbilbie Railway station passes through the town very close to the highway. The town takes its name from a pastoral property named in 1909, being an Aboriginal word meaning plain land, clear of timber. In the early days, the Ilbilbie Provisional School opened for just 11 days and on the 25 February 1922 it closed later due to low student numbers.

Hi all! We completed ~32 kms on Wednesday and continued on our travels to Mackay, with over 770kms completed! and just 80kms to go to arrive at Mackay. In this section, both Elalie and Orkabie stations had no information available so I wasn't able to post an update for them.

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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The Carmila Railway Station is located on the North Coast Line serving the town of Carmila. Opposite the single platform there is a crossing loop and siding.

Hi all! Here is a chart of the distances we have completed as a team over the last 13 days!

Can you believe we are over halfway through the journey to Cairns and have a few days up our sleeve to complete the last half!!

The aim is to complete ~45kms a day, so if you can take the stairs instead of the lift, park a little further away from the shops, or walk to get the morning coffee all those little extras certainly add up!

Thanks again for continuing to support MND Queensland.

Hi all! We completed ~47 kms on Tuesday and continued on our journey north, with over 740kms completed! We have officially crossed the halfway mark!!!

I really appreciate everyone's efforts in supporting MND Queensland and updating the kilometers walked, run, biked or swum! Thank You :)

As always, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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The old Clairview Railway Station is one of two places on the North Coast Line that the ocean can actually be seen. Despite the views of the ocean, the station facilities at Clairview would be best described as rather basic. Interestingly, it was at Clairview that railheads creeping towards each other from Mackay and Rockhampton finally met, in September 1921.

Kalarka Railway Station once had a well maintained garden and was part of a town at this remote location. The name was derived from an aboriginal northern dialect with the meaning believed to be 'wild turkey'. This standard skillion roofed building with it’s small ticket office was the only remains of this settlement. It was one of the last to stand between Rockhampton and Sarina.

The St Lawrence Railway Station has the mainline, passing loop, third road and angle that is adjacent to the old livestock yards. It became the railhead during construction of the line between Rockhampton and Mackay in June 1921. Once the line was connected between the two major centres in September of that year, an opening ceremony was performed by the Railways Minister in St Lawrence. The station is still used by the Sunlander and Diesel Tilt train services today.

Hi all! We completed ~31 kms on Monday and continued on our journey north, with over 690kms completed! Almost half way!!

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Wumalgi Railway Station has the mainline and passing loop remaining. No other information is available about this location other than the current Google GPS coordinates being ~115m off the current North Coast Line.

The Styx railway station was named on 4 January 1918, presumably after the nearby river of the same name. Where the railway crossed the Styx River on a low level bridge that meant steep ascents and descents either side. This was not replaced with a all weather high level structure until the end of the 1980’s.

Ogmore was originally known as Harley, taking its name from its railway station. However, to avoid confusion with Hartley in New South Wales, on 20 January 1933 it was renamed Ogmore after the coal-mining town and river in Glamorganshire, Wales. In April 1954, a goods train derailed near Ogmore. A bulldozer travelling on a flat bed carriage was believed to have shifted on the carriage, overturning the carriage.

Kooltandra Railway Station has the mainline and passing loop remaining. No other information is available about this location, other than it being located in the Livingstone Shire and is 620km north-northwest of Brisbane.

Hi all! We completed ~29 kms yesterday and continued on our journey north. I have updated the goal to $3 per km which absolutely blows my mind. Thank you for donating to support MND!

Please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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The Marlborough Railway Station has a passing loop and angle that is adjacent to the old livestock yards. Interestingly, to the south west of Marlborough the Candala Chrysoprase mine produces some of the highest quality Chrysoprase in the world. It is a semi-precious gem once coveted by Alexander the Great and Cleopatra.

Princhester siding is a crossing loop to break up the long section from Kunwarara to Marlborough. Princhester itself is an abandoned town and takes its name from the former pastoral station established in 1857 by Dan Connor.

Hi all! We completed ~55 kms Saturday and continued on our journey north. The next major location is Mackay which is just on 245 kms away!

Thanks again to everyone that has been able to donate. We are so close to $3 per kilometre - amazing!

Please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
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The line from Rockhampton to Kunwarara was opened in August 1915. The next section of the North Coast Line from Kunwarara to Marlborough was officially opened on Saturday 31 March 1917. In 1994 the station building was relocated to the Australian Workers Heritage Centre in Barcaldine.

The small wooden station building at Glen Geddes was one of the last survivors on the North Coast Line. Once, military trains disembarked soldiers and equipment for the Shoalwater Bay warfare practice area. Many decades ago it is also where the Bruce Highway deteriorated into a rutted goat track. Travellers used to leave their cars parked at Glen Geddes for sometime, while taking the passenger services further north to avoid the horrors of the road.

Nothing remains at the Yaamba Railway station with just the mainline and loop present. Previously, it was a quaint rural station, complete with steam era water tank. Interestingly, the town supplied the city of Rockhampton with water up to 1971 when a barrage across the Fitzroy River was completed and the Glenmore Pumping Station was commissioned.

Hi all! We completed ~27 kms yesterday and went past Rockhampton and The Caves. We have travelled a massive 560kms so far and are over 1/3 of the way to Cairns!

Thanks again to everyone that has been able to donate. We are almost at $3 per kilometre - amazing!

Please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

The Caves Railway Station was originally called Etna railway station but was renamed by QR on 23 July 1914, because of the limestone caves in the area. The Mount Etna Caves National Park protects the limestone caves (Cammoo, Johansens and Mount Etna Caves) and its colonies of ghost bats.

Rockhampton Railway Station is the at the end of the electrified line from Brisbane. Interestingly, the development of the Central Western railway line between Rockhampton and Westwood began in 1867. The line was then built towards what is now the town of Emerald and opened to that point in 1879. It then further extended to Longreach by 1892. The Central Railway remained an isolated railway system, with no connection to the southern railway until 1903.

Rocklands Railway location is the intersection of the North Coast Line and Blackwater system heading west to the mines. It has an angle that allows entry from both the north and south to travel west. Interestingly, just a few kilometres from Rocklands the Gracemere Tilt Train Maintenance Facility exists, where the Tilt Trains undergo Maintenance before returning to service on the North Coast Line.

Midgee Railway Station is another closed location with only the Up and Down Main lines for the North Coast Line and Blackwater system remaining. It also has a quarry which supplies both DTMR and Aurizon with a range of construction material.

Hi all! We completed ~41 kms yesterday Bajool and Archer. Lets keep up the momentum and record those kilometers so we can see how far we have travelled, a massive 510kms so far!!

Apologies if the form hasn't been working for you. It is due to my mailbox being full :(

Please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Archer is another station where not much remains other than the Up and Down Main, and a bad order siding. It is also part of the Blackwater System and North Coast Line supporting bi-directional train operations for passenger, bulk and coal services. The Rockhampton Kart Club has its track and facilities on the western side of the railway line.

Bajool railway station was named by Queensland Railways in 1903 using the Aboriginal name for the lagoon a nearby property. The name of the lagoon has also been written as Padgole and Badul, with the suggested meaning being 'Big Fella water hole' or 'stop here'. Bajool is also the site of one of four Queensland Government explosives reserves (also known as "magazines") which are large areas of land for the safe storage, distribution and disposal of explosives.

Marmor is another station where not much remains other than the Up and Down Main. It is also part of the Blackwater System and North Coast Line Interestingly, it has a limestone quarry adjacent to the rail line that is operated as Marmor Quarry and supplies a range of construction products across Central Queensland.

Raglan is another station where not much remains other than the Up and Down Main, and a goods siding. It is also part of the Blackwater System and North Coast Line supporting bi-directional train operations for passenger, bulk and coal services. Interestingly, in August 1867 a nugget of gold was found. Described as "a monster", it was 41cm long and 10 cm wide, weighing 14kg and worth £1,400. Today, that amount of gold would be worth over $1.5m !!

Not much remains at the station of Epala, which is part of the Blackwater System and North Coast Line. The duplicated track supports bi-directional train operations for passenger, bulk and coal services.

Mount Larcom railway station serves the town of Mount Larcom. It features a single platform with a wooden structure. In addition to the Up Main and Down Main, two passing loops exist north of the station.

Hi all! We completed ~21 kms yesterday and made it past Yarwun and are sooo close to Mt Larcom. Lets keep up the momentum and record those kilometers so we can see how far we have travelled, a massive 460kms so far!!

Hoping you have another great day of Walking, Running, Biking or Swimming :)

Also, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

The Yarwun rail location sits adjacent to Gladstone Quarry serving the North Coast Line and Blackwater System. Interestingly, the school was relocated to the centre of town in the late 1990s in a land swap with Queensland Rail as part of the straightening and duplication of the North Coast Line. In June 2003, the station buildings were relocated to the Calliope River Historical Village as its ticket office and kiosk.

Just to the North of Callemondah, Mount Miller features a goods yard and junction to the Fisherman's Landing branch line serving two large industrial plants. The yard was mainly built to serve the needs of the Orica chemical plant and the Cement Australia plant that ship their products by container.

Evening all! A late post today as I have been catching up on the station details. We completed 51 kms yesterday and made it past Callemondah - officially in the Aurizon managed Central Queensland Coal Network now.

Hoping you have another great day of Walking, Running, Biking or Swimming :)

Also, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

The Callemondah railway station and its associated marshalling yards service the North Coast line, Moura system, Blackwater system and a number private rail lines in the area servicing various industrial facilities. It includes Gladstone Powerhouse and multiple port facilities operated by Gladstone Port Corporation. Aurizon has a large presence in Gladstone with around 30 consists operating to bring coal from the mines to the ports.

Parana Railway Station is located just before the entry into Gladstone with two track options, one continuing north going into Gladstone, whilst the bypass head west through to Callemondah. There is the mainline and passing loop. It has a very unusual track configuration a little to the north where the 'angle' has the traditional style on the western side, however the eastern side has a flyover the track heading north and it re joins on the opposite side of the track at the QAL entry.

Benaraby Railway Station another closed station in the Gladstone Region. There is the mainline, passing loop and engineers siding. Google Imagery shows a container train in transit at this location.

Iveragh Railway Station is located in the Gladstone Region. There is the mainline and passing loop with all the other railway infrastructure now removed.

Bororen Railway Station is located in the Gladstone Region. There is the mainline, passing loop and additional sidings still in use at Bororen, including an angle allowing trains to be 'turned around'.

Morning all! Apologies for not posting our results on the 4th August. We completed 59.24kms and made it past Miram Vale station.

With the late inclusions for previous days we have almost completed 360kms!

Hoping you have another great day of Walking, Running, Biking or Swimming :)

Also, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Miriam Vale railway station is located on the North Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It features a single platform with a wooden structure. Opposite lies a passing loop and disused siding. It is served by long-distance Traveltrain services; The Spirit of Queensland as a scheduled stop. The Spirit of the Outback and Rockhamption Tilt Train stops here only if reservations has been pre-booked.

Berajondo railway station is a closed station, with a passing loop and engineers siding remaining. North of Berajondo, a diesel tilt train derailed on 15 November 2004 where the train was travelling at 112 km/h through a curve with a speed limit of 60 km/h. Despite the seriousness of the incident, there were no fatalities.

Littabella is a closed railway station on the North Coast Line. No railway infrastructure remains other than the mainline.

Avondale railway station is another station in the Bundaberg Region. Most of the buildings of the station remain including the station platform and goods sheds. A little further east between the station and the river is Avondale Road, with a bridge over the train line where it is possible to get a good view of the trains crossing the river.

Meadowvale is located in the Bundaberg Region. There is the mainline, passing loop and additional sidings still in use at Meadowvale, including an angle allowing trains to be 'turned around'. A little to the south at Booloongie railway siding a collision occurred between a train and a truck at the level crossing in October 1931. The siding is no longer in use.

Gooburrum is a suburb of Bundaberg where the North Coast Line travels along the western side and out to the Burnett River on the eastern side. No station or other rail sidings are noted for this location.

North Bundaberg station was constructed in 1881, and it was to be used as the last stop of transporting raw materials such as copper from the mines to the coast for shipping. Very soon after the railway was completed, the production of the copper mines declined drastically. The station was still used for sugar, timber, and other agricultural goods until the Mt. Perry line began closing in 1960, officially closing in 1964. The station buildings are used by the Bundaberg Railway Museum.

Bundaberg railway station serves the city of Bundaberg with long-distance Traveltrain services; the Spirit of Queensland, Spirit of the Outback and the Tilt Train. The station has one side platform and a south facing bay platform. A yard also exists opposite the station.

Bundaberg's first railway station, on the Mount Perry railway line, was built in 1881 as a transfer station to the Bundaberg docks for shipping coal from nearby mines.[1] It is now in use as a museum.

Thabeban is a closed railway station located on the outskirts of Bundaberg. When the North Coast railway line reached Bundaberg in 1889, the racecourse was modified so that the grandstand opened directly onto the Racecourse railway station. In 1893, the name of the station was changed to Thabeban railway station, which has been suggested was an Aboriginal name meaning sports ground.

Elliott (or Elliot) is another closed railway station on the North Coast line. All that remains today is access to rail corridor via Elliott Siding Road along with the mainline and passing loop.

Goodwood is a closed railway station on the North Coast line. It does share its name with another railway station in South Australia. The Goodwood station building was donated to Hervey Bay museum after the station itself closed. Prior to 27 June 1893 the station was named Gregory.

The Isis Junction railway station was the junction for the former Isis railway line that served Childers. Interestingly, the town of Isistown was surveyed by Fred. J. Charlton around the Isis Junction railway station and to the north of the Isis River with the first land sale of town allotments held in 1886. Today there is no evidence that any town was established in the area.

Cherwell is a rural area in the Fraser Coast region and is served by the Wokka railway station. Only the mainline and a passing loop remain.

Howard railway station is located in the Fraser Coast Region and opened in 1883 to service the nearby colliery. The station has a wooden waiting shelter and a passing loop opposite the platform. Today, Howard is served by long-distance Traveltrain services including the Tilt Train to Rockhampton and Spirit of Queensland services to Cairns.

Torbanlea railway station was built in 1883 after coal was discovered at the small town. It served the town of Torbanlea and its coal mine. The station was closed in 1900 along with the mine after an explosion killed 5 people.

Colton railway station was the junction for the (now closed) Urangan railway line that extended from Colton to Urangan Pier in Hervey Bay. Much of the Urangan line has now been removed, as has Colton station itself. All that remains today is the mainline and a passing loop.

Morning all! Yesterday we completed 52.1kms and made it past Maryborough West station and are just 2kms off Colton station.

With the late inclusions for previous days we have now completed over 170kms!

Hoping you have another great day of Walking, Running, Biking or Swimming :)

Also, please remember to record your kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Maryborough West was opened in 1989 as a replacement for Maryborough and Baddow stations, when the latter was bypassed by a new seven kilometre alignment that was built as part of the electrification of the North Coast line.

South of the station, the old line to Maryborough station branches off. This remains in use to serve the Downer Rail railway workshops.

In 2022, Queensland Rail announced plans to complete a station upgrade as a part of the Regional station upgrades project.

Mungar railway station (also known as Mungar Junction railway station) is a closed railway station on the North Coast line. It was the station at which the now closed Mungar Junction to Monto railway line branched from the North Coast line, giving it the name Mungar Junction.

The station was built in 1877, two years before the line from Gympie to Maryborough was completed. It consisted of a station building and a platform, and two sidings running parallel to the main North Coast line.

After the station closed, the building was moved to Mayne Street and restored as a tourist information centre.

Gundiah is another closed Railway station on the North Coast Line. Interestingly, on 24 November 1922, a train carrying goods derailed while shunting at Gundiah. The brake van fell across the North Coast line, making Gundiah impassable for many days. Several wagons of goods were also derailed.

The derailment was reported in the Brisbane Courier on the 27th November 1922.

Morning team - you might notice today that I have updated the donation goal to $2 per km. This is because you are all amazing people and smashed the previous goal on DAY ONE!!

Hoping the team can achieve the new goal as we continue our journey to Cairns :)

Hi team - Please remember to record you kilometres using this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=header

Morning all! Yesterday we completed 45.5kms and made it past Theebine station and are approaching at Gundiah.

With the late inclusions for the 1st August we have now completed over 100kms! Those on a bike definitely make the kilometres disappear!

Hoping you have another great day of Walking, Running, Biking or Swimming :)

Theebine railway station (formerly Kilkivan Junction) is a closed railway station on the North Coast Line. Slightly south of the railway station is the junction between the main North Coast line and the Kingaroy branch, which continues into west Queensland.

The Kingaroy to Theebine railway, opened in December 1904, was used for agriculture, commercial freight as well as transporting passengers and was one of the first branch lines built in Queensland but was officially closed in early 2010.

Gympie North was opened on 4 February 1989 as a replacement for Gympie station, when the latter was bypassed by a new eight kilometre alignment that was built as part of the electrification of the North Coast line. The station consists of one platform.

It is the northern boundary of the Translink network and is serviced by two daily Citytrain network services towards Brisbane Roma Street and is also served by long-distance Traveltrain services.

Glanmire isn't a train station but is where the NCL bypasses Gympie on its journey north. It is an Industrial Estate that is 6 kilometres (4 mi) south-east of Gympie's central business district via Bruce Highway. It is bounded by the North Coast railway line to the northeast, Six Mile Creek to the east and southeast, Mary River to the south-west and Hall Road to the north-west.

Morning all! Yesterday we completed 54.6kms and made it past Cooroy station and are nearly at Glanmire. Also, Thank You to all those that have donated!!

Hoping you have another great day of Walking, Running, Biking or Swimming :)

The timber railway station building at Cooroy is one of only nine nineteenth century timber country station buildings that remain on the North Coast Line. It is located between Maple Street and Elm Street, is clad in hardwood weatherboards, and has a gabled roof that extends to form an awning over the platform, supported by curved timber brackets. This particular style of station building was built in Queensland from around 1884 to 1906.

Thank you to everyone that has donated to get us to the goal of $1 per km for the distance of the North Coast Line (~1400km).

Absolutely amazing to get there on day one of the challenge!

Hi team - I hope you had a great day walking, running, biking or swimming to help complete the daily goal of ~45km.

If you could please aim to complete the Distance Recording form each day that is available here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd06x80qXBiOeHpalUkVF7-0P1JAfWBSjlKIOMCk9U2NtcwAw/viewform?usp=dialog

This allows me to update how far along the North Coast Line we are :)

Tomorrow we start on the journey to complete the North Coast Line starting at Nambour.

The railway connection from Brisbane to Nambour opened in January 1891. At that time, the town, then known as Petrie's Creek was renamed Nambour after the Nambour cattle station. On 16 December 1963, the present station building was opened by Minister for Transport Gordon Chalk. In 2016 a major upgrade to the station commenced.