It's always a bit of a guess when I'm asked about the size of the town I grew up in.

Maybe 700 people or more back in the 70s when I was a kid? The last census in 2021 puts Kilkivan at 689, which, on paper, is not much of a change.

But those numbers don't tell the story of this old gold mining town, about 230 kilometres north-east of Brisbane; or the countless other small communities dotted across Australia that have seen their populations wax and wane.

Over the years, I've stayed in touch with the old farming families, whose kids filled the school we all went to while their parents laboured through tough seasons on the land. 

It's a gift, as a presenter on a show like ABC iview's Back Roads, to be able to spend extended days in a small country town. 

Kilkivan, like its neighbours Goomeri, Murgon and Wondai, used to be a bustling little town, especially on a Saturday morning when you could barely find a car park on the main street. 

But families moved away, the farming got tougher, and the regional meatworks closed — all coming as a repeated blow to these towns.

What struck me, being back here and meeting newcomers who call it home, is that this small region is a prime example of what can happen when passionate people ask: How do you give a dying town a second life?

The answer for the picturesque South Burnett area came from something old and abandoned — the railway.

Renewing historic rail line

Steam trains, with the reported power of 800 horses, started rolling through here from 1904. 

In the 1960s, part of the line was closed and, as more freight moved to road transport, the track became wild and overgrown. Then in 2010, the final branch line was closed.

The locals saw a possibility and leapt at it. They'd seen the success of 'rail trails' across Australia — where people could walk or cycle or ride horses — and they were determined not to be defeated by the lack of interest from some of the old-timers.

It’s never easy trying to be 'that' person with an idea. This one though, tossed out there at least a decade ago by civic leaders, was quickly adopted by passionate advocates like cyclist Jason Wyeth. 

The rise of rail trails

Fast forward a few years (and a few challenges) and the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail, with its grass and gravel and even smooth pavement in some places, now stretches 88 kilometres and clocks tens of thousands of visits a year.

"We've got four counters and the one at Kingaroy registered 32,000 passes," Jason said.

The path winds past old stock routes, through tiny towns with barely a resident, past reopened hotels and new cafes, and even newer businesses like the leather shop opened by new Wondai residents Tania and David Earle.

"If it wasn't for the rail trail I don't think we'd have the tourists that come here every winter because it draws people here," Tania explained.

"We've had people come here from Melbourne and Sydney, they fly up with their bikes specifically to do the rail trail."

Increasing demand from tourists

Andrea, a keen horserider, is another new resident who moved to the Kilkivan area five years ago.

"I just love rail trails. I've been on many all over the country and I just wish there were many more," she told me.

"There are no motorbikes or cars, you know you're going to be safe on a rail trail."

The old infrastructure is removed but some of the remnants of the past remain in place so users cycle or walk past old bridges, railway cuttings and original signage.

They're the first to admit it's not a new idea.

Rail trails can be found across Australia. The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail stretches 160 kilometres and grows in popularity every year.

But what this newest addition to the list has done is remind us all that the decline of these small country towns doesn't have to be a permanent trend. 

They, like so many of the newcomers themselves, can have a second life.

Stream Back Roads free on ABC iview or watch Tuesdays 8pm on ABC TV.