Mary Valley Rattler

Calling all makers, creators and performers... but you’ll need to be quick!

Our Rattler Christmas Community Fair is back on Saturday 5 December and spaces are disappearing fast!

We’re looking for a small number of artisan-style market stalls featuring handmade, homegrown or locally created products, plus performers ready to bring our Local Talent Stage to life.

🛍️ Half of our market stall spaces are already gone
🎤 Only TWO performer spots remain

If you’d love to be part of a fantastic community day at historic Gympie Station, now’s the time to put your hand up.

🚆 And did you know? You can also book your seats on the Silver Bullet Christmas Shuttle running during the Fair!

Whether you want to join the line-up or come along and enjoy the day, 5 December is shaping up to be a big one.

Visit Gympie Region

Cameras at the ready... you’ll want to remember these views!

One of the best things about travelling aboard the Mary Valley Rattler? Watching the beautiful Mary Valley unfold outside your window.

Rolling green countryside, mountain views and those unexpected picture-perfect moments along the way... sometimes the hardest part is putting the camera down and simply taking it all in!

🚂 Our Classic Rattler Run travels every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Choose your day, book your seat and see the Mary Valley from a whole different perspective.

Just don’t forget the camera!

Thanks to Michelle Bravo for the photo.

There’s nothing quite like seeing Gympie come alive for the Muster!

The countdown is on to the Gympie Music Muster, 27 to 30 August and we’re excited to be part of the action again this year.

For us, being part of events like the Muster is about more than having a stall. It’s about supporting our region, working alongside our tourism and community partners and showcasing just how much there is to experience in Gympie.

You’ll find the Mary Valley Rattler team inside the Muster grounds, along with our little static Photo Booth Train ready for your Muster photos.

Come and say g’day, grab a photo and have a chat with the team.

Who else is heading to the Muster?

If you’ve travelled with us, there’s a good chance you’ve seen this familiar face!

Meet Tony Hallam, one of our wonderful volunteer drivers who has been part of the Mary Valley Rattler family since 2017.

Tony’s connection to rail goes back even further. His uncle Kevin worked as a guard at Gympie Station in the 1960s, while his aunt worked in the refreshment rooms.

After moving to Gympie in 2004 and recently retiring from a career teaching History and Religious Education at St Patrick’s, Tony thinks he’s found a pretty good retirement plan... volunteering at the Rattler!

For Tony, it’s the people and culture that keep him coming back, along with the opportunity to share his passion for heritage rail, mentor others and pass on his skills.

And when he’s not driving trains? You’ll likely find him reading, researching history or working on his model railway. He’s also met The Edge from U2... but that’s a story for another day!

We’re incredibly fortunate to have volunteers like Tony helping keep our railway heritage alive.

Volunteering Sunshine Coast Volunteering Queensland Volunteering Australia

We know we’re biased... but seriously, how good does C17 967 aka 'Spirit of the Mary Valley' look?

There’s something pretty special about seeing a steam locomotive coming down the tracks but for us, it’s about much more than the train itself.

The Mary Valley Rattler is about keeping railway heritage alive, connecting people with the stories, skills and experiences of a bygone era.

Behind every journey is a passionate team of staff and volunteers who give their time, knowledge and plenty of heart to make sure that heritage continues to be experienced by generations to come.

And yes... we’ll probably never get tired of seeing 967 looking this good!

Thanks to Grip-N-Rip Photography for this fantastic photo.

Good friends, bubbles and a morning aboard the Silver Bullet... sounds like a pretty good catch-up to us!

Swap the usual coffee date for our Silver Bullet High Tea Experience through the beautiful Mary Valley.

Settle in and enjoy bubbles on arrival, handcrafted sweet and savoury treats, bottomless tea and coffee and plenty of time to catch up while the scenery rolls by.

🥂 Every Thursday & Friday

Grab your favourite people, book your seats and make your next catch-up a little more memorable.

Thanks to Lorraine and friends for joining us.

One incredible evening. One sold-out train. Plenty of memories.

That’s a wrap on our Degustation Train and what a night it was!

A huge thank you to Chef Matt Golinski for creating such a memorable dining experience celebrating local flavours and produce and to our entire Mary Valley Rattler team, particularly our Rusty Rails Café kitchen team, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring it all together.

And of course, thank you to everyone who joined us onboard and made the evening so special.

📸 Were you onboard? Tag us in your photos or add your favourites to the comments below. We’d love to see them!

Missed out? The next six months are packed with themed events and if the Degustation Train is anything to go by, booking early is a very good idea.

🪄 Next up: Wizard Express | Saturday 12 September

Don’t wait for the SOLD OUT sign!

Thanks to Rebecca Jamieson for the great photos.

Slow travel never tasted so good!

What an incredible evening aboard our sold-out Degustation Train featuring Chef Matt Golinski.

With 130 guests onboard, Friday night brought together the romance of heritage rail, the beautiful Mary Valley and a menu celebrating fantastic locally produced food, accompanied by wines from the South Burnett.

As a proud Slow Food Noosa Snail of Approval recipient, experiences like this are particularly special to us. They give us the opportunity to support local producers, showcase the flavours of our region and let our guests quite literally travel with their tastebuds.

A huge thank you to Slow Food Noosa for joining us and sharing this fantastic story, to Matt Golinski for bringing the menu to life and to everyone who climbed aboard for such a memorable evening.

We'll bring you more photos of Friday night over the coming days. In the meantime have a read of their wrap-up below.

And if this has you wishing you’d been onboard... keep watching. There are plenty more special Rattler experiences coming down the tracks!

Well... this was one VERY special journey aboard the Mary Valley Rattler!

Today, a very important question was asked...
And he said YES!

We love being part of the memories our guests create onboard but moments like this are extra special and certainly made our day.

A huge congratulations to the happy couple from the entire Mary Valley Rattler team. What a wonderful way to begin your next journey together!

Tonight’s the night… and every seat is taken!

We’re excited to welcome guests aboard tonight’s SOLD OUT Degustation Train featuring renowned Matt Golinski - Official for an unforgettable evening of food, wine and heritage rail.

If you missed out, don’t make the same mistake twice! Our themed events are incredibly popular and we have a packed calendar coming down the tracks over the next six months. Many will sell out so if there’s one you have your eye on, book early.

Visiting Rusty Rails Café today? Please note our kitchen is busy preparing for tonight’s Degustation Train so display cabinet options and drinks only will be available today.

We can’t wait for tonight! If you’re joining us, see you soon.

Thanks Tony for another great photo.