Hiking and Cycling in Brisbane Valley & Scenic Rim Trails

Welcome to Brisbane! After collection from Brisbane airport, you'll arrive at your accommodation in Brisbane. You'll then have the rest of the day to relax after your flight or head out to explore Brisbane. This evening, you'll enjoy your first meal of the trip, where you will meet your guide and ask as many questions as you like. You will sample some local wines with your meal which is included in your tour.

50-Kilometre Downhill Ride from Brisbane to Yarraman. After breakfast, you'll transfer to the start of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT). You'll collect your bikes and begin cycling in Brisbane on this wonderful trail. Today, you'll start from Yarraman which means you'll enjoy a downhill roll and expansive views. You'll make a stop for lunch at the gorgeous Old Church Gallery café which also houses a stunning art gallery, a lovely surprise. You'll then continue your ride enjoying the BVRT for approximately 50 kilometres with highlights including the Harlin tunnel and crossing the restored heritage-listed Lockyer Creek bridge. Later, you'll arrive at your accommodation in Esk, a real outback Queensland. In the evening, a pub visit or local Thai is in order for dinner.

40-Kilometre Flat Ride from Esk to Ipswitch. This morning, you'll jump back on the BVRT after your café breakfast to experience a different section of the trail, heading toward Ipswitch in a southerly direction. Keep an eye out for wildlife including koala, echidna, emus and more. The trail is pretty much flat today and provides a new outlook. The incredibly well-restored rail stations on route make great photo opportunities. Some of the outback scenery is memorable. You'll transfer at the end of your cycling route to luxurious Hidden Vale Resort complete with beautiful natural surrounds in the Lockyer Valley.

After an early breakfast, you'll commence your day with a gentle five-kilometre uphill hike. Along the way, your guides will identify the local plant and animal species and share stories from the rich local history of this region. You'll reach Millarvale Creek where you'll enjoy a brief stop for afternoon tea and listen to the soft flowing and soothing sounds of the water running over the rocks. Keeping your eyes peeled for wallabies, you will cross the open woodland forest to your lodge at 4pm. Enjoy a warm welcome from your Camp Host and onsite Chef awaits you along with freshly made afternoon tea and cold beverages. There is now time to unwind, relax in a bean bag, take a dip in the hot tub and have a hot shower before meeting back in the main lodge for your chef-prepared and locally sourced evening meal. After dinner, enjoy an outdoor fire as you gaze up to the night sky and discover the constellations, learning the ways the early settlers used the stars to navigate their way through this region.

Your path today has only been travelled by a select few and on this journey, you'll make lasting discoveries and connections with the natural world and those around you. After breakfast, you will begin a gentle meander along Oakey Creek, where you’ll have the opportunity to look for goannas, wedge-tail eagles and wallabies. From here, you'll turn east and begin your ascent to Spicers Peak, keeping your eyes peeled for the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo and by mid-morning, you'll take a break and boil the billy. From here, you will continue climbing, but it is worth the effort as you break above the tree line and are rewarded with panoramic views of the Great Dividing Range and Mt Mitchell. There is one final push before lunch, using a support rope to climb up to where the trail leads from a drier grass tree plateau, through to the dense rainforest of Spicers Peak, complete with giant ferns, grass trees and awe-inspiring three-hundred-year-old hoop pines. After a lovely relaxed walk through the cool temperate forest, you'll take a seat at the designated stop and enjoy a well-deserved lunch before pushing on for the last two hours of the hike. A stretch of downhill leads you across a saddle and onto the final ascent up Cedar Mountain where you will find the luxurious Spicers Peak Lodge, where refreshing towels and beverages will be waiting for you. Cheers to finishing the walk, before you are all transferred back down to Spicers Canopy to enjoy your final night and celebratory dinner on the Scenic Rim Trail.

You'll take the chance to relax your legs today and reward yourself with some gourmet treats. Your transfer back to Brisbane is via a stunning lunch at the popular Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton south-east of Brisbane. Enjoy the highly regarded food and wine and the memorable views at this acclaimed winery where you can enjoy a ‘Behind the Scenes’ winery tour and tasting followed by lunch on the Tuscan Terrace. Sirromet is a family-owned and -run winery situated at picturesque Mount Cotton, just a short drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Sirromet’s state of the art facilities offers food and wine lovers the ultimate winery experience. Their story began when Terry Morris, Queensland entrepreneur and businessman, was in Victoria attending a dinner party with friends. Terry mentioned that he had tried a great wine from Queensland’s Granite Belt, to which his Victorian friends laughed and said: “There’s no such thing as a great wine from Queensland.” This was the spark that Terry needed to create his vision for Sirromet. Terry chose land in the Granite Belt Region renowned for its unique combination of rich soil, high altitude and cool climate, providing the perfect location for growing grapes. Utilising traditional methods and new technology, Sirromet produces exquisite quality wines recognised on the world stage. Today, Sirromet Wines has over 900 prestigious national and international wine awards to date. You'll arrive in Brisbane around 4pm.