Kynuna Roadhouse and Caravan Park Matilda Highway, Kyununa, Queensland 4823 Phone (07) 4746 8683 Fax (07) 4746 8871 Fuel, licensed restaurant, powered van sites, bread and milk

Kynuna is second home to brolgas

BROLGAS are known for their amazing dance ritual. They leap, they bow, they strut around and open their wings during their strangely elegant gyrations.

It was originally thought that the movements were a courtship dance, but it’s now accepted that brolgas dance simply because it feels good.

Meet some at Kynuna. Even if they’re not dancing, they’re often there just to take a break from whatever brolgas do all day to grab a snack at the Kynuna Roadhouse. In fact, brolgas have been seen there so often the locals have nicknamed them Kynuna budgies! And pretty big budgies they are too. Brolgas stand about 1.5m tall.

Brolgas don’t actually migrate but they generally have two homes - a flocking area and a breeding area, usually well within 20km of each other. They mate for life and generally live near wetlands, shallow lakes or even salt marshes.

They are an elegant grey colour, with a touch of red around the back of the neck. The only other bird a brolga can really be mistaken for is the Sarus crane, which lives further north. If you’re going all the way up the Matilda Highway, you might see one of those in the Normanton region. There is an easy way to tell them apart. Brolgas have grey legs and the Sarus crane has pinkish-red coloured legs as well as having much more red colouring around the head.

Even if the brolgas are at their “other residence” when you’re in Kynuna, it’s a good idea to stop at the Kynuna Roadhouse. A popular truckstop, it offers good country meals in its air-conditioned restaurant. Tuck into steak and vegetables, fish and salad, sausages, chicken schnitzel, steak and salad. And to make it a relaxed, enjoyable experience, have a beer with your meal. Of course, if you’re in a rush to get back on the road you can order a takeaway meal.

As well as the fuel facilities and licensed restaurant, the Kynuna Roadhouse has maps and souvenirs ranging from tea towels to hat badges. There are EFTPOS facilities at the roadhouse, and if you’re towing a van you might like to book a site in their caravan park section.
.