The Road to Kynuna
The road to Kynuna travels southwest from Julia Creek it feels both empty and immense. Riding through this part of western Queensland is strangely comforting. The sky is a deep blue, the ground a sandy brown, and small scrubs cling stubbornly to dry creek banks.
In places the land appears harsh and lifeless. Cracked earth stretches across the plains, kangaroo carcasses lie beside the road, and dry creek beds remind travellers how long it can be between rains. Yet the occasional dam or waterhole brings life back to the landscape. Cattle wander lazily across the road, somehow well-fed despite the sparse gras
A rest stop for travellers
Kynuna itself sits at the junction of five roads and has long been a practical stop for travellers. In the past it served as a teamster camp, a Cobb and Co staging post, and a welcome refuge for shearers, miners and swagmen moving through the region.
The town’s historic pub still sits beside the highway, its veranda looking out over the long ribbon of bitumen known as the Matilda Way. Inside, generations of travellers have left their mark. Rumour has it that the famous song Waltzing Matilda was first performed here, written in the 1890s by Banjo Paterson and Christina Macpherson.
Waltzing Matilda
A short ride west of town lies Combo Waterhole, believed to be the inspiration for the song. The waterhole sits quietly beneath old coolabah trees. Birds fill the air with song, and the still water reflects the vast sky above.
Standing there, it is easy to imagine the story of the defiant swaggie who, rather than surrender to the police, leapt into the billabong. The song says “The ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong” Today there are no ghosts—just the hum of insects and the persistent presence of flies.
The Channel Country
The rivers of this region form part of the vast Channel Country, eventually flowing toward Lake Eyre. When the rains arrive, water spreads slowly across the plains like a giant wave, feeding the dry earth and bringing the outback briefly to life.
Leaving Kynuna, the road stretches west toward Winton. Dust devils twist across the paddocks and road trains thunder along the highway. Somewhere behind me the legend of the old swaggie still lingers beside the billabong, but the outback road is calling.
Getting there
Depending on where you’re coming from, Kynuna is about 350 kilometres south of Cloncury, 112 kilometres south west of Julia Creek or 165 kilometres north of Winton. These roads are tar sealed.
This story is part of my ongoing Sense of Place series, exploring regional Australia through travel, history, and lived experience. If you enjoy these stories, you’ll find expanded versions — with photography and deeper context — in my book Gun Fights, Ghosts and Goannas. Click the following link to read more about my books: Gun Fights, Ghosts and Goannas.
For information on Kynuna checkout the council website ate: McKinlay Shire Council
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