The Bicentennial National Trial, over 5,000 kilometres from Healesville in Victoria to Cooktown in Queensland, is the longest marked route of its kind in the world; the 107-kilometre section through Gympie Regional Council mainly follows the forest ridges along the coastal ranges to the west of the highly populated plains of the Cooloola region. Here among the hills the trail, following many of the roads and tracks taken by the early pioneers, is well suited to family trips any time of the year. The country is suitable for horse riding, donkey trekking, mountain bike riding or just plain old walking. The scenery is varied, as is the vegetation through which you would pass, ranging from dry vine forest, open savannah grazing, parches of rainforest and old growth hardwoods to Forestry Department plantations of pine. A few giant ironbarks or the spectacular bunyas are to be encountered remnants of the once lush forests. Kilkivan is one of the few towns through which, the National Trail actually passes. At Pine Street the Council have provided overnight bush camping facilities, complete with toilet, shower and horse yards within easy walking distance of the town.
