Mary Valley Rattler wins Queensland Government grant to establish boutique RV/caravan park in the heart of historic Gympie

Mary Valley Rattler

Gympie’s award-winning heritage railway, the Mary Valley Rattler, has been awarded a grant of $200,000 from the Queensland Government’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) to establish facilities for RVs (recreational vehicles) on land adjacent to Historic Gympie Station in Tozer Street.

The project will deliver eight powered, self-contained RV and caravan bays with water, lighting, and security infrastructure — enabling visitors to stay onsite, explore Gympie’s historic station and city centre, and participate in extended tourism experiences.

The activation will transform an under-utilised area into a vibrant, multi-use tourism asset that strengthens Gympie’s position within the Sunshine Coast Hinterland drive network.

Construction of the RV and caravan facilities is scheduled to begin in mid-2026, with a proposed completion date in early 2027. The construction will generate six full-time positions, and once operational, it is estimated that the RV Park will produce some $200,000 annually in expenditure for the Gympie region.

The Mary Valley Rattler, operated by Rattler Railway Company Ltd, is a not-for-profit, community-based heritage rail operator located in Gympie, Queensland. Established to preserve and operate the historic Gympie to Amamoor railway line, the Rattler provides one of Queensland’s most authentic and immersive tourism experiences — celebrating the state’s rail heritage and delivering economic, social and educational benefits for the region.

Driving Demand and Tourism Growth

The aim of the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund is to promote sustainable tourism growth and regional economic development.

The Gympie RV Park project is strategically aligned with Queensland Government priorities for sustainable tourism growth and regional economic development. It directly supports the objectives of Destination 2045: Delivering Queensland’s Tourism Future, the Queensland Drive Tourism Strategy, and local government planning frameworks that prioritise tourism infrastructure, accessibility, and community benefit.

It also responds directly to demand identified in the Gympie RV Strategy (2022) and Gympie Regional Council Tourism Strategy (2019–2024), both of which highlight the need for improved, compliant RV infrastructure linked to key attractions such as the Mary Valley Rattler.

The establishment of the RV Park aims to:

• Convert day visitors into overnight guests, capturing a greater share of the $7 billion Australian caravanning and camping economy.
• Position Gympie as a key stopover within Queensland’s drive network, connecting the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with the Fraser Coast and Wide Bay–Burnett.
• Strengthen the Mary Valley Rattler’s role as a flagship regional attraction, increasing the length of stay in Gympie, and boosting spending on local hospitality, retail, and events.

Welcoming the Government grant, Mary Valley Rattler General Manager, Sherry Lowe, said that the Gympie RV Park would be critical for regenerating the Gympie city centre, especially following the opening of the highway bypass in 2024.

Gympie’s historic station

“We need to provide every incentive possible to attract visitors off the highway and into Gympie, and the establishment of a quality RV Park in the middle of Gympie’s heritage area will be an enormous boost to the local tourism economy,” said Ms Lowe.

“The goal of the Queensland Government’s Destination 2045 strategy is to enhance tourism infrastructure that drives regional dispersal, accessibility and legacy outcomes and that’s precisely what the Gympie RV Park will achieve.

“Quality RV facilities have been identified as essential for growing the drive market, which fuels regional tourism. We want people not just to visit Gympie but to stay and deliver sustained flow-on benefits to local businesses and residents.

“We particularly want to thank Tourism Minister Andrew Powell for the support of the region and tourism operations such as Mary Valley Rattler.”