Rattler bosses warn of train’s importance once Bruce Highway bypass of Gympie opens

A statement released by the heads of the Mary Valley Rattler and Gympie Chamber of Commerce this week warned that the train’s ability to draw visitors to the region would be crucial once the Bruce Highway Bypass of Gympie opens.

A statement released by the heads of the Mary Valley Rattler and Gympie Chamber of Commerce this week warned that the train’s ability to draw visitors to the region would be crucial once the Bruce Highway Bypass of Gympie opens later this year.

The Mary Valley Rattler welcomed 28,136 passengers on board for the 2023-24 financial year, with 87.5 per cent of them coming from outside the region.

A statement released by the Rattler this week said the “record figure” came in the Rattler’s fifth year of operation, and was well ahead of the original 10-year projection forecast in the 2016 feasibility study commissioned by the Queensland Government’s Department of State Development.

Rattler Railway Company Chair Ian McNicol said the Rattler’s ability to draw intrastate, interstate, and international travellers to the Gympie region would be crucial for the future of the area’s tourism industry, with the scheduled opening of the Gympie Bypass later this year.

“Gympie is going to need a strong collection of attractions to get travellers to deviate from the Bruce Highway and come into the Gympie town centre,” Mr McNicol said.

A statement released by the heads of the Mary Valley Rattler and Gympie Chamber of Commerce this week warned that the train’s ability to draw visitors to the region would be crucial once the Bruce Highway Bypass of Gympie opens later this year. Picture: Christine Schindler

“Our results over the past year, despite the cost-of-living crisis and an overall decline in domestic travel to Queensland this year, prove that the Rattler is a powerful asset and tourism generator for the Gympie region.

“We not only attract visitors but also support a wide range of other businesses and community groups operating in the region and generate over a million dollars of tourism publicity for Gympie.

“The brilliant efforts of our team and inspirational volunteers have been instrumental in establishing the Rattler as Gympie’s number one tourism attraction, based on Tripadvisor ratings. We’ve also received a 4.7/5 rating on Google.

“The fact that the performance in 2023-24 was well ahead of original predictions is even more commendable given we had massive impediments caused by Covid and floods over the past four years.

A statement released by the heads of the Mary Valley Rattler and Gympie Chamber of Commerce this week warned that the train’s ability to draw visitors to the region would be crucial once the Bruce Highway Bypass of Gympie opens later this year. Picture: Christine Schindler

“This has burdened the operation with significant capital required for track and infrastructure maintenance that other heritage tourism railways—such as Kuranda in Cairns, Puffing Billy in Victoria and West Coast Wilderness Railway don’t have to cover. These are the heritage railways that the Mary Valley Rattler was benchmarked against in the business plan.

“If we are going to be able to contribute fully to keeping Gympie’s tourism sector on track once the Bypass goes through, we will need comparable state government funding to ensure we can continue the performance achieved last year.

“Bypasses of this magnitude can be both positive and negative for regional communities.

“As long as there are enough incentives for travellers to deviate from the Bypass and come into the town centre, then the Bypass should not have such an adverse impact on Gympie and the Mary Valley region.

“But we have to ensure that our tourism attractions and businesses are operating at their absolute best to persuade travellers that we are worth visiting.

Rattler Railway Company chairman Ian McNicol (inset) over a picture of the Mary Valley Rattler. Mr McNichol says Gympie is going to need a strong collection of attractions to get travellers to deviate from the Bruce Highway and come into the Gympie town centre once the Bypass opens.

“The Mary Valley Rattler is an iconic attraction, and we receive outstanding comments from travellers from all over Australia and the world who have come to Gympie for the heritage experience.

“Gympie is rich in history and if we can leverage that history and bring it alive, we are confident that we can continue to entice visitors to make the detour and come to Gympie after the bypass opens.”

Gympie Chamber of Commerce president Martin Muller said tourism was an integral part of the region and one of the key economic levers.

Gympie Chamber of Commerce president Martin Muller said tourism was an integral part of the region and one of the key economic levers.

“Council advises that tourism contributes $112 million in sales output and an extra $66 million of added value to our region,” Mr Muller said.

“Leading the way in brand recognition for Gympie is the Mary Valley Rattler.

“This great not-for profit enterprise welcomed over 25,000 visitors to our region last year from around Queensland or as far afield as Iceland, and all have experienced the warmth and good cheer of our region.”

Mary Valley Rattler is a member of Visit Sunshine Coast, and VSC CEO Matt Stoeckel emphasised the importance of the Rattler in promoting the region’s attraction to potential visitors.

“The Mary Valley Rattler is a must-do experience for interstate and international travellers coming to the Sunshine Coast region,” he said “It puts Gympie on the map with a massive 87 per cent of the Rattler’s passengers coming from outside the region.

“With the scheduled opening of the Bypass later in the year, it’s attractions like the Mary Valley Rattler that will continue to support Gympie’s tourism industry by influencing visitors to turn off the highway and visit the town.”

Mary Valley Rattler is a major contributor to local charities and community groups in the Gympie region. In the past year, it has supported a wide range of regional events, including the Gympie Music Muster, GourMay Mary Valley, Shine Music Concert, Rally Queensland, Heart of Gold International Film Festival, Kilkivan Great Horse Ride, and the Gympie Show Society.