Rail mystery

Dressed to kill on the Mary Valley Rattler mystery express.

If you fancy yourself as Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Morse, Miss Marple, or Columbo, then you have the credentials to sleuth Mary Valley Rattler’s Murder Mystery Express on Saturday 22 July.

The fun event will provide a great opportunity to dress to the nines in 1920s glamour and glitter, and experience the romance of the rails, as passengers steam through Mary Valley with a murderer on board.

The Murder Mystery Express service will depart historic Gympie Station on board the 1920s steam engine, Spirit of Mary Valley, at the “witching hour” of 5.30pm, as dusk settles across the region.

The Rattler will travel to the hinterland village of Amamoor, and on the way, the murder mystery will unfold.

As the Spirit of the Mary Valley winds its way back through the beautiful Mary Valley towards Gympie, passengers can plot and plan their way with fellow travellers to solve the murder. There will be money available for bribery and corruption. Solving the murder will test each passenger’s imagination and keep everyone on their toes.

Mary Valley Rattler general manager Linda Barry said that the Mary Valley Rattler was the perfect venue for a murder mystery experience.

“The romance of the rails brings back all those memories of glamour and glitz, and we are looking forward to people dressing up, having fun and getting into the spirit of the occasion,” she said.

“There aren’t too many opportunities for people to dress up and get into character, and with the event being held on a Saturday, we are hoping that visitors from around south-east Queensland will come to Gympie for a really, fun and entertaining weekend.”

A drinks cart will operate on board the Rattler, and a seated dinner in Gympie Station’s Rusty Rails Café after the journey, where the murderer will be revealed. There will be prizes for the passenger who solves the murder first, and also for best dressed and richest player as a result of their wheeling and dealing with the event money.

Tickets are $195 per person at the 18 and over event, including dinner.

Bookings and further information at maryvalleyrattler.com.au