KINGAROY

About Kingaroy

Kingaroy is known as the ‘Peanut Capital of Australia’. During the 1980s it was one of Australia’s best known country towns because it was the home of the late Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, long time Premier of Queensland, would-be aspirant Prime Minister in the ‘Joh for PM’ campaign, and one of the most controversial, frustrating and entertaining politicians of recent times.

Today the town is dominated by peanuts. There are big peanut signs in the street; a peanut selling point known as ‘The Peanut Van’ sells the local product around South East Queensland and as far south as Casino; the huge peanut silos dominate the town; and even the Visitors Centre has peanuts for sale. The district is now one of Australia’s major peanut producers with part of the crop being exported to New Zealand, Britain and Japan (sourced from the Aussie Towns website – click for more).

Accommodation

Stay at:Kingaroy Holiday Park (click for website)
Address:48 Walter Road, Kingaroy (click for location)Park Map (click to open)
Travel Route:Approx 341kms & 3hrs 57minsfrom Cania Gorge (click for suggested route on Google Maps)
Contact:Tel: (07) 4162 1808Email (click to send)
Arrive:Monday 12th September 2022
Stay for:3 nights
Depart:Thursday 15th September 2022
Notes:The park has a dump point
NO fire pits are allowed within the park.

Things to see and do in the area

Tourist Info

The nearest tourist info centre is the South Burnett Visitor Information Centre, located at 128 Haly St, Kingaroy - 2.2km from CP. Tel: (07) 4189 9555 Open 9am-4pm daily
TIP: Most caravan park offices have stacks of tourist information brochures and the staff are usually helpful on places to visit

The Peanut Van

There’s no better place to taste the product that is at the backbone of the local economy than at the Peanut Van. On offer are more than 20 varieties of sweet and savory peanuts, among them Kingaroy Kurry, Tangy Lime and Hickory Smoked. The van also stocks various peanut products, like peanut paste, peanut oil or unshelled peanuts.

There is a second van at 14 Kingaroy St with slightly shorter opening hours (Mon to Sat 8-3,Sun 10-2.30).

The Big Peanut & Photo Board in Lions Park

Just across the road from the Peanut Van is Lions Park and in November 2021 the “Big Peanut” was installed. The Big Peanut is a steel sculpture, manufactured out of items gathered from peanut farms across the South Burnett as well as items donated from the Committee’s major sponsors G Crumpton & Sons and Bega Cheese LTD, creating a special connection to the peanut-farming community.

Consider crossing the road from the Peanut Van to check out the Big Peanut and take a photo at the head cut-out, sign board!

Kingaroy Heritage Museum

Kingaroy’s fascinating Heritage Museum is housed in what was the town’s power house from 1925 to 1952 and is now part of the Kingaroy Information, Art and Heritage Precinct.

The history of the local peanut industry is a main focus of the collection, with exhibits of agricultural machinery showing the ingenuity and inventiveness of the local farmers and tradespeople. Machinery for farming peanuts was not available in the early 1920s, so farmers invented their own. The first being a bicycle powered thresher built in 1909, then an American-made wheat thresher was converted by a local farmer to thresh peanuts. In the late 1920s Mr Harry Young designed and built his very own dinosaur, a stationary peanut thresher.

Kingaroy Art Gallery

The Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery, housed in a wonderful art deco style building, is a gem of a place located in the heart of Kingaroy next to the Information Centre.

The gallery welcomes visitors to come experience and enjoy the visual arts of the region’s talented artists. Exhibits change regularly throughout the year, displaying a variety of styles, media and themes.

The gallery aims to foster creativity and artistic excellence as well as engage with the community on many levels, offering a variety of programs and activities throughout the year and encourages community participation and appreciation.

Mt Wooroolin Lookout & Apex Lookout

Kingaroy has two alternate views of the town landscape.

Apex Lookout is located north-east of the town centre and provides amazing views from the top. Hidden at the top of a very steep hill. Worth the trip.

Mount Wooroolin Lookout provides sweeping panoramic views over the areas to the west of Kingaroy. The former Kingaroy Shire Council – now the South Burnett Regional Council – developed the lookout in 1988 as a Bicentennial project. The lookout has a grassed area available for picnics with tables and wood barbecues, but you’ll need to bring along your own water.

Wineries

Queensland isn’t as well known for wine as NSW and Victoria, but the high altitude and fertile, pH-appropriate soils around Kingaroy create the right conditions for growing grape varieties like Verdelho, Merlot, Semillon, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Kingsley Grove Winery

Kingsley Grove Winery is the second-largest vineyard in the South Burnett and is located about 10km south-west of town on the Bunya Highway near the Stuart River. Kingsley Grove offer great wood-fired pizzas on weekends and produce some beautiful Mediterranean wines like Sangiovese (described as the ultimate pizza wine by Italian gourmets) along with more traditional reds and whites and some delicious sparkling varieties. They also have a camping area onsite.

Moffatdale Ridge Winery

“Moffatdale Ridge” draws its name from the heart of the south Burnett’s wine growing region Moffatdale. A name brought to the region by the early German settlers. They serve a really nice to enjoy with their wines lunch.

TIP: It’s a bit of a drive to this winery but the food is really nice (Neil & Merrisa have been there) and afterwards you can a drive down to the Bjelke-Petersen Dam (about 2kms down the road)

South Burnett Rail Trail

The South Burnett Rail Trail consists of two main sections – an unsealed and undulating path from Kilkivan to Kingaroy, and a sealed path from Kingaroy to Murgon.

The Kilkivan to Kingaroy railway was one of the first branch lines built in Queensland. Originally used for agriculture and commercial freight, as well as passenger transport.

In 2017 the second of the South Burnett Rail Trails was opened with Queensland’s longest sealed rail trail travelling 44kms from Kingaroy to Murgon.

This easily accessible, varied and unique rail trail offers close proximity to towns and villages through the South Burnett. Each offers their own unique experiences and places to explore, including historic landmarks and buildings, art galleries, museums, food and wine, shopping and markets.

Gordonbrook Dam

Gordonbrook Dam is located 20 kilometres north-west of Kingaroy and is the source of the town’s water supply. The Dam was built by army engineers in World War II and today it’s a popular bird-watching, bush walking and picnicking area (the Dam has a custom bird hide to allow photographers and keen bird-watchers to observe the wide range of native birds that can be found around the impoundment).

You can reach Gordonbrook Dam by travelling along the Bunya Highway north of Kingaroy through the village of Memerambi, then taking the Recreation Drive turnoff which is on the left about a kilometre north of Memerambi and following it through to its end (this road is sealed except for the last kilometre, which is good quality dirt). Fishing and boating isn’t allowed on Gordonbrook.

Memorial Park and the Kingaroy War Memorial

Kingaroy’s beautiful Memorial Park is located near the heart of town and is the town’s major formal park.

The Kingaroy War Memorial is located there and it’s a band rotunda constructed of eight classical columns which supports a frieze and a domed roof. The frieze contains the names of the areas where Australia’s armed forces fought in World War I and it was dedicated by Sir Thomas Glasgow on 29 June 1932. To the west of the rotunda is the Stone of Remembrance honouring those who served from World War I to Vietnam.

The Kingaroy RSL, Kingaroy Lions Club and the former Kingaroy Shire Council added paving and a flagpole in 1994, and all Kingaroy’s ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services are held there every April 25th and November 11th.

The Park itself covers a wide area and there are picnic facilities, coin-operated gas BBQs and disabled toilet facilities at the eastern end of the Park, immediately next to the Kingaroy Swimming Pool.

Bethany Cottages

Bethany Cottages has been the home of the Bjelke-Petersen family for more than 80 years, and it’s probably one of the most famous farms in Australia (and certainly in Queensland). John and Karyn Bjelke-Petersen moved back to Kingaroy and the family property ‘Bethany’ in the early 1990’s. Sir Joh and Lady Flo had run the property before then. At the time the property ran cattle, an avocado orchard and harvested various crops. With the interest in Joh and Flo’s lives, the family began running bus tours with John sharing the family stories from the early farming days and politics and Karyn helping Flo in the kitchen with the famous pumpkin scones.

Every year thousands of people come to Bethany to see this legendary farm for themselves and enjoy tea and pumpkin scones with the family.

Bunya Mountains Day Trip

Rising abruptly from the surrounding plains, the cool peaks of the Bunya Mountains reach more than 1100 m and offer spectacular mountain scenery, views and abundant wildlife. Bunya Mountains National Park (declared in 1908) is Queensland’s second oldest national park. It shelters the world’s largest stand of ancient bunya pines Araucaria bidwillii and more than 30 rare and threatened species.

Long revered by generations of Aboriginal people travelling long distances every few years for feasts and celebrations coinciding with mass crops of bunya ‘nuts’ the Bunya Mountains are for all a worthy destination. Picnic and camping areas and more than 35 km of walking tracks make it a wonderful place at which to escape the heat, or the hustle and bustle of modern life.

The Bunya Mountains form an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range, rising abruptly from the surrounding plains, reaching 1100m above sea level. They are home to the world’s largest stand of ancient bunya pines.

Up until the late 1800’s, local indigenous people took the Bunya harvest as an opportunity to invite distant groups to share the bounty. Young nuts were eaten raw and others fire-roasted then pounded into nut meal and formed into cakes. These meet-ups were a chance for the extended community to set laws, share stories and form cultural ties.

Consider taking a scenic drive up into and through the National Park. Take the Dalby road (Bunya Hwy). Five minutes after Kumbia turn left at the Bunya Mountains sign. Climb up the Mountain and follow the top of the mountain range for approx. 10kms. You will pass Burtons Well Camping Area; Cherry Plains, Westcott and Paradise Falls Car Park. Turn left signposted Dandabah, (56 km and an easy 1 hour drive). If you get to the TV towers you have missed the Dandabah turnoff which is Bunya Avenue.

There are many walking tracks that start from here (Paradise carpark), or you might just want to relax and sit back with a tea/coffee and Bunya nut and carrot cake or Bunya Nut scones at Poppies on the hill Café. If it’s a cool day their fire place facing, table settings are always popular. They serve lunch as well. Also nearby, The Bunya Mountains Tavern with their recently renovated restaurant, Bunyas Bistro, provides an extensive food menu and wine list.

You might return to Kingaroy via the same route, or else do a complete circuit, by continuing along Bunya Mtns Rd and turning left to go down the range to Maidenwell, turn left to Nanango and then left along the D ‘Aguilar Hwy back to Kingaroy. Be aware that about 3.8 km of the Maidenwell road is gravel, but mid week traffic is light.

Nearest Shopping, Supermarkets & Bottle Shops