Historic Esk
Esk is a quaint historic town in the heart of the Somerset region, nestled under Glen Rock and Mount Esk on the Brisbane Valley Highway (100 km North west of Brisbane). Our relaxed country town is home base for the Brisbane Valley rail trail, the longest rail trail in Australia which can be hiked, biked or horse ridden. The 161 kms follows the disused Brisbane Valley rail line that commenced construction at Wulkuraka near Ipswich in 1884 and was completed at Yarraman in 1913. The BVRT winds its way up the Brisbane valley, traversing farmland, forests, picturesque rural settings and country towns.
Esk itself boasts lots of unique shops, cafes and historic sites to explore. You can take a stroll down memory lane starting with Holy Red Deer Estate's 1876 St Andrews Chapel marking the original centre of town to the butter factory, sawmill, club hotel and then finish at Lars Anderson's House, now Nash Cafe for a refreshment. A market is on saturday mornings is at pipeline and there are also many neighbouring country towns and scenic drives to explore. The population is 1,698.