The country south of Beaudesert, in Queensland's Scenic Rim, is a soft landscape of cattle paddocks, gum-lined creeks and wooded hills that rise steadily towards the volcanic ranges along the New South Wales border. Telemon Environmental Park is one of the small protected patches in these hills, near the resort village of Kooralbyn, a reminder of the open eucalypt forest that once covered the whole area.
This is a great part of south-east Queensland for riding. The Mount Lindesay Highway runs south from Beaudesert past Rathdowney and on towards the border at Mount Lindesay, a road with long sweepers, rolling crests and big views towards the ramparts of Mount Barney and the McPherson Range. Smaller roads branch off it, like the route through Kooralbyn and back towards Boonah, with tighter corners, narrow bridges and fewer cars. Surfaces are generally sealed but can be patchy, with rough edges, potholes and loose gravel on some back roads. Keep watch for kangaroos and wallabies at dawn and dusk, and for cattle wandering onto unfenced stretches. Remember to drive on the left.
The Scenic Rim takes its name from the ring of mountains formed by the remains of ancient volcanoes, including the massive Tweed Volcano further east. Mount Barney, with its craggy granite summits, is one of the most rugged peaks in the region, and Lamington and Main Range National Parks protect large areas of rainforest that are part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage site. Down in the valleys, the Logan and Albert rivers wind through farmland that has been grazed since the nineteenth century.
In the woodlands you may see koalas in the gums, kookaburras laughing from fence posts and flocks of cockatoos screeching overhead. Spring brings wattle blossom and clear, cool mornings, while summer can be hot and stormy, with dramatic afternoon thunderheads building over the ranges.
Beaudesert, about nineteen kilometres away, is the main service town for the area, with fuel, cafés, supermarkets and a pub or two. Kooralbyn has limited services, so do not count on fuel there. Rathdowney, further south, has a small general store and pub that are popular stops with riders, especially on weekends. Carry water on hot days, as shade can be scarce in the paddock country.