The Peanut Capital of Australia and the home of one of Australia’s most colourful premiers, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Kingaroy lies on the D’Aguilar Highway, about 223km north-west of Brisbane.
The award-winning Peanut Van, which dispenses its assorted wares from alongside Lions Park in Kingaroy Street, is the perfect venue to sample the regional specialty.
While peanuts are a major crop, and their distinctive silos are a feature of the landscape, they are far from being the only crop that claims a national title. About 75 per cent of Australia’s navy beans - most of which end up in cans of baked beans - are also grown locally.
The Bicentennial Heritage Museum is worth a visit, and there’s a great lookout at Mount Wooroolin, about 3km out of town.
A few kilometres further on, the extraordinary Bunya Mountains rear up from the flats. The Bunya Mountain National Park embraces 11,700ha of rainforest, interwoven with fine walking tracks. Travellers can drive directly to the park by taking the turnoff at Kumbia, the picturesque little town on the road between Kingaroy and Dalby.
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