When I was studying overseas I was often asked whether I had kangaroos in my backyard. I live in a major city, so sadly I don’t. If I lived in the Bunya Mountains, in Southern Queensland Country, I could have fulfilled my foreign friend’s cliched imaginings of what it is like to be Australian. Well, almost. They still would not have helped me with my homework or provided a free lift to school.

I was staying at a house in the Bunya Mountains for a friend’s birthday, a property dotted with Redneck Wallabies. Wallabies are smaller than kangaroos, and could be described as their cousins. They’re also the team name of the Australian Rugby Team. They hop, look almost the same and carry their babies in little pouches. The benefits of wallabies rather than kangaroos are simple: When I approached them, I didn’t have the sh** beaten out of me.

Kangaroos are wild animals, and as beautiful as they are they can be pretty dangerous. They’re huge, especially when they stand on their powerful hind legs. They’re boxers by nature and their hind legs could kick through a car’s windscreen if they wanted to. I once met a red kangaroo, which was behind a fence. The owner of the property warned that it would cuddle up to the fence and sniff at us, looking cute and friendly until we stuck our hands near it to pet it, at which point it would try and bite them off. Like any large, strong animal, they’re territorial. You’d only ride one to school if you fancied dancing with death on a daily basis. Also, they’re wild, so you’d have about as much luck riding an ostrich, whale, shark or grizzly bear to school as you would a kangaroo. Back to the wallabies. Although they are still wild animals, wallabies are much smaller and from what I saw, they are much less aggressive. There was one male which looked like he might be a bit unhappy if I got any closer, but most of them would hop away after we got within about a metre – when I was stealthy, that was

.

Walking towards them, they hop away pretty quickly but there were a few we managed to get pretty close to. I felt like a massive tourist in my own proverbial backyard, Southern Queensland Country. We had a house in the Bunya Mountains which we rented, one of a few houses dotted along a lush green hillside. There were  no fences between the houses, so the wallabies hopped freely across the hill which also made it perfect for following them.  

I was expecting a rustic cabin, but instead was greeted by an architectural two-storey house with floor to ceiling windows with gorgeous views, polished wooden floors ( my favourite), a modern fire place, and modern bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, a wide deck and a raised pool table. Four bedrooms slept ten people, two of the rooms had balconies. It was one of the best weekends away I have ever had!  I imagined no power and cold showers, but it was like being at home but instead with view of the mountains and lots of peace and quiet. There were lots of houses, but we didn’t see anyone else during our stay except the property managers, who lived down the road.

It was around a three-hour drive from Brisbane, but all up it took maybe four or five hours. We drove through Toowoomba, which I honestly didn’t fancy at all, then Dalby which is cuter, more rural and much more quaint and finally along a big dirt track to get to the mountains. We got lost looking for a place to eat in Toowoomba and then unnecessarily stopped in Dalby, and hit a little bit of roadworks on the way so it took a bit longer than we expected. We left at 12:30 and arrived as it was getting dark a bit after 5pm, so I’m glad we didn’t leave any later. The mountain roads are narrow, dark and windy so it would be a scary drive at night. I couldn’t believe how relaxing it was and I am already scheming ways to get back there for a few nights again soon. It was really fun with a big group of friends, but I know lots of people who go with their families and lots of the other houses are set up with romantic weekends away for couples in mind. Something for everyone!

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