Despite a hectic schedule, Kylie Bourne has carved out a beautiful, flowering garden near Miles in Central Queensland.
Story + Photos Mandy McKeesick
On the banks of Dogwood Creek, a stone’s throw from Miles in Central Queensland, Kylie Bourne pauses from her busy life, entranced by an insect. “How beautiful is this native bee? And look at how big it is!” she says in wonder of an industrious great carpenter bee, the size of a 20c piece and the biggest bee species in Australia. “I love how its bright yellow contrasts with the magenta of this blossoming cercis.”
No matter the season, there is always a pop of colour in the garden at Sunnyview, where Kylie and her husband Steve run Angus cattle on the property bought by his parents in the 1970s. “When we moved here 25 years ago, there was only the original homestead cottage, which is 140 years old, and two jacaranda trees, which must be nearly 100,” Kylie says. “I started the garden from scratch, as soon as we started on the house.”
This story excerpt is from issue #164
Outback Magazine: Dec/Jan 2026
