A new RV and caravan park near a notable Gympie landmark is expected to help lure travellers back into the town.
Operators of heritage railway, the Mary Valley Rattler, have been awarded a state government grant of $200,000 to install facilities on land adjacent to Historic Gympie Station in Tozer Street.
The Gympie RV Park project will deliver eight powered, self-contained RV and caravan bays with water, lighting and security infrastructure, which will enable visitors to stay onsite, explore Gympie’s historic station and city centre, and participate in extended tourism experiences.
A release from the Mary River Rattler group stated that it 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 set to start in mid-2026, with a proposed completion date in early 2027. It is estimated that the park will produce some $200,000 annually in expenditure for the Gympie region.
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Mary Valley Rattler general manager Sherry Lowe said that the park would be critical for regenerating the town centre, especially following the opening of a town bypass in 2024.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
The project also responds to demands identified in the Gympie RV Strategy (2022) and Gympie Regional Council Tourism Strategy (2019–2024), which highlight the need for improved, compliant RV infrastructure linked to key attractions such as the Mary Valley Rattler.
