How a rail trail revived the historic gold mining town Lisa Millar grew up in

It's always a bit of a guess when I'm asked about the size of the town I grew up in. But those numbers don't tell the story of this old gold mining town, about 230 kilometres north-west of Brisbane; or the countless other small communities dotted across Australia that have seen their populations wax and wane. 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. 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.