It’s 10.30 am and I’m on the road to Killarney. The sun already blazing, the sky a vibrant azure blue, the air dry, the road beginning to shimmer, and the farming landscape stretches for miles and miles to the rolling foothills in the distance. Parched and dry, many of the trees lining the road have lost their bark and look like twisted old bones with a tinge of ash.
It feels like there is no end to this land. And I feel like a tiny speck …which makes me think that when times get tough how important are any of our concerns on our journey when it comes to the grand scheme of things.
Journeys suggest stories and stories suggest journeys
Killarney, in the Darling Downs, about 8kms from the Queensland/New South Wales Border, an old timber and dairy farming town which still has agriculture as its primary industry today, looks like a dot on the map, yet there’s so much more to it. Its a community. The people look out for each other and care about preserving their way of life. The Co-op is a community based business; the Aged Care Centre is not for profit and community owned.
Journeys suggest stories and stories suggest journeys… and in Killarney the people share their story through murals offering us a picture of how the people themselves see life that history perhaps does not always present.
Street art
It started with the Little Rascals Childcare Centre which wanted to portray a happy and inviting place, and slowly other shop owners and the art gallery followed suit. The Killarney Heritage Centre, run by the Historical Society, had their mural painted in 2018/9 and is a fascinating place in itself to visit, sharing memorabilia of life in the times of the early settlers, loggers and agricultural families. There’s also the public loo that has been transformed into public art!
The Falls
For nature lovers, not far from Killarney is the Falls Drive which takes you to Brown Falls and Daggs Falls before arriving at Queen Mary Falls where Spring Creek plunges 40 m down to the floor of the valley. Part of the World Heritage listed Main Range National Park, there are two trails – an easy 20-minute cliff circuit or a 40-minute walk that takes you down to the base of the waterfall and back.
I did both, the 40 minute walk is not difficult, the advice is to walk clockwise to avoid lots of steps on the way back up. It’s worth driving further on to Carrs Lookout, another 8 kms, the road as it climbs opening up to more lush, green vegetation, the trees standing taller and proudly majestic. Here there are stunning views of the Condamine River and the head of the Murray Darling basin
Delighting at the rainbows created by the mist of this beautiful waterfall, once again you can’t help but feel a sense of awe for the wonder for creation.
Getting there: Killarney is just over 2 hours’ drive from Brisbane
Where to stay: Killarney Hotel/Motel offers, while Airbnb have number of holiday homes and farm stays
Eating out: Killarney Bowling Club offers evening meals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Café 27, a small family owned business, serves fabulous breakfasts, lunches and has a great takeaway service.