gympie cooloola tourism

Gympie Tourist Information

Gympie Tourist Information

Tourist information for the Gympie region is promoted by Gympie Cooloola Tourism, an organisation funded by Gympie Regional Council. Gympie Cooloola Tourism promotes the attractions, tourism businesses, activities and events for Rainbow Beach, Tin Can Bay, Cooloola Coast, Mary Valley, Gympie and surrounding countryside including the hinterland towns of Kilkivan and Goomeri.

Gympie Cooloola Tourism operates 3 visitor information centres along the Bruce Highway in and near Gympie.

Things to do

The iconic attraction for the Gympie Region is The Valley Rattler, a faithfully restored steam train that operates from old Gympie Sation operating tours through the Mary Valley.  Relive the time when steam train travel was the order of the day. The “Valley Rattler” makes the famous 40km journey from Gympie through the Mary Valley, visiting the towns of Dagun, Amamoor and Kandanga, and then stopping in Imbil before the return journey to Gympie.

Other things to do in Gympie include visiting the The Gold and Mining Museum, complete with Andrew Fisher’s House, is set in attractive parklands which are ideal for picnics at Lake Alford.  The local Council also operates the Woodworks Forestry and Timber Museum on the highway just north of Gympie.

Gympie is the gateway to the Cooloola Region, featuring Cooloola Coast, including Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay.  Visitors can feed the wild dolphins at Tin Can Bay, bushwalk in the Cooloola National Park and visit Fraser Island.

Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay are popular beachside family holiday and destinations.  Rainbow Beach has barge access to Fraser Island from Inskip Point.

Gympie also holds some fantastic festivals. The Optus Country Music Muster is held in Amamoor Creek State Forest Park in August each year. The Gold Rush Festival celebrates the discovery of gold and Gympie’s heritage in October each year.  The Heart of Gold International Film Festival is held in March each year and the Gympie Ultimate Steam Festival is in April.

Other events include the Cooloola Seafood and Leisure Festival in June, Kilkivan Great Horse Ride in April and the Rainbow Beach Fishing Classic in July.