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Southern Scenic Rim
Rathdowney, Mt Barney and Mt Lindesay
THE Scenic Rim’s southern region is home to some of Queensland’s most impressive walking and climbing tracks.
Begin your journey into the south with a visit to Rathdowney, which lies about 32km out of Beaudesert. Rathdowney began life in the early 1900s as a service centre to new farming districts and was once serviced by a tramway to Beaudesert. These days there are a number of scenic roads which bring you to town.
The area’s history is well-recorded in the local museum, where you will learn about the struggles of the town’s pioneering men and women.
Rathdowney is also the gateway to a myriad of walks and climbs available in the nearby Mt Barney National Park, which was named after its highest peak.
The Park’s two majestic mountains, Mt Barney and Mt Lindesay, are distinctive markers in the Scenic Rim landscape.
On some days, they can seem so surreal, they make a breathtaking backdrop and have become famous landmarks in South East Queensland.
Mt Barney, which at 1354m high is Southern Queensland’s second-highest peak, is visible from many points throughout the Scenic Rim. It rises above surrounding farmlands in the Mt Barney National Park, which straddles the Queensland-New South Wales border. The rugged peaks are all that remain of the ancient Focal Peak Shield Volcano which erupted 24 million years ago.
Mt Barney National Park is World Heritage listed and is designated a wilderness park, which means there are very few maintained walking tracks within the park. And that’s why so many visitors love this park, they’re seeing the habitat in its true and original form, untouched by human hand. Subsequently there are many rare and restricted plant species, especially on higher peaks.
Mt Barney is surrounded by valleys, caves, rock pools and woodland forest, and a number of tourism based businesses operate in the foothills of this dramatic mountain.
Meet an alpaca breeder, learn to make authentic Italian cuisine, go bird watching, walk through a local olive grove and take some fresh-pressed oil with you. Drink wine made from Mt Barney grapes.
There’s plenty of places to stay for a night, warm, luxurious stop-overs with generous hosts who will soothe body and soul after a busy day in the Park. There are lodges that are perfect for larger gatherings and cottages for the romantics. Bring the kids and visit a farmstay where you’ll get an insight into the workings of a busy rural property.
For more information on Rathdowney area and its heritage, click here.
Our People
Doug Hardgrave
DOUG Hardgrave’s grandfather arrived in the Mt Lindesay area in 1882. Nearby Mt Ernest, pictured just to the right of Doug’s shoulder, was named after Doug’s grandfather and his great grandfather was Lord Mayor of Brisbane. In 1928 the family began dairying on 2,000 acres in the foothills of Mt Barney, and in 1969 Doug and his wife Pam bought a property and moved into beef farming. Something which began as a sideline, farm tours, has become their most successful venture. Lillydale Farmstay is an award winning attraction that has introduced thousands of visitors to Australian farm life.
Sheila Woolf
SHEILA Woolf breeds and sells alpacas from her Triple Peaks farm in the foothills of Mt Barney National Park.
She’s been breeding alpacas for 16 years and says they’re intelligent animals with very big personalities. Sheila loves educating visitors about these gentle animals. While you’re at Triple Peaks browse through The Alpaca Shack. What will you take home? A pair of alpaca fleece socks, a wool jumper, or your very own alpaca?
While you’re here
- Cuddle an alpaca, these fascinating animals can keep you amused (and warm) for hours
- Learn to cook authentic Italian cuisine and savour the results over a local drop
- Visit a working farm, get up close and personal with the animals, or explore on horseback
- Taste some Scenic Rim olives, olive oil and dukkah
- Feeling fit? The local mountain climbing and abseiling activities will test you
- Swim in a natural rockpool or take an eco/wildlife tour with qualified leaders
- Snuggle up beside a warm wood fire at night
- Try a spot of fishing at Lake Maroon
For information on all other Scenic Rim Communities, click here..
For the latest Scenic Rim tourism brochure PDF, click here. or
Phone 1300 881 164 to request a copy of the new Scenic Rim tourism brochure to be posted or
Email your brochure request with your name and mailing address to: tourism@scenicrim.qld.gov.au
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