Kilcoy's own timber fella

Waiting atop his little patch of heaven was property owner, banana farmer, timber cutter, and all round character Larry Prior.

Having built the stunning timber cabin on his Kilcoy property from scratch, sitting atop a stump, Larry proudly described a love for his work, the region, and his soul mate, Rhonda.

“I love to wake up here, hear the birds and watch the natural wildlife,” Larry said.

“We always said we would be buried on this place.”

Larry said living in Kilcoy was a joy, with the town full of beautiful people, all willing to give each other a hand.

While being shown around an elaborate barbecue, bar, and games room Larry built from the ground up, he explained that the venue was quite a drawcard for his friends.

“They’ll call in for a drink and if we aren’t here they’ll pull up a stool, have a few beers, look over the mountains, and wait until we return.

“But we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Larry said he rarely ventured to the big smoke, and never felt like he belonged there.

“I love the peace and quiet,” he said.

Having been on property all this life, upon reaching adulthood, it was a natural progression for Larry to stay on the land.

“One side of my family were dairy farmers and the other banana farmers,” Larry said.

“But I fell in love with growing bananas.”

From cutting down bunches, carting them to the truck, and sorting them in the shed – all by hand - banana growing is no easy feat.

Traversing the mountainous region surrounding him daily, along with a lot of maintenance on his 4000-plus banana trees – trimming them, keeping the grass down, battling wallabies and wild deer – Larry is a picture of fitness and health.

“I just love roaming the mountains and being out here and active.

“I think it just comes from having grown up on the land my whole life.

“I love this lifestyle and could never sit at a desk.”

A tough break in the banana industry means that Larry’s bananas are now entirely supplied to local stores.

“It’s just too hard to sell to the market now,” he said.

“There is too much competition, and you just can’t get the money for them any more.

“Unfortunately, large companies come in and change everything.”

Despite economic hardship and being wiped out numerous times by floods, Larry’s positivity and determination have kept his business alive.

In an effort to supplement his banana income, Larry sustainably manages the natural timber on his property – predominantly stringy, ironbark and blackbutt – selling it locally for fence posts, as well as to the sawmill.

“I’ve got all of Mt Mary Smokes,” Larry said.

“I cut all the timber with the chainsaws and then snig it out with dozers.

“Again, it’s more hard work, but I love it.”

Despite the tough wrap timber cutters can get, Larry ensures he co-exists with his natural environment.

“I never go in there and just stick rake everything,” he said.

“I cut only the biggest trees, and ensure enough are growing back.”

Keeping both his banana and timber sales local, Larry and Rhonda are able to cut out the middle-man and keep up a steady income.

“The local people in this area have such great community spirit,” Larry said.

“They are supportive and they also get their food at a much lower price. This way we can do it ourselves and sell it cheaper without the added expenses marketing to large companies.”

Born in Kilcoy and raised in Woodfood, Larry’s love for the area led him to marry local girl Rhonda, and go on to have two sons, Ross and Toby.

Larry met Rhonda – also born and raised on a local cattle farm – at a local dance, despite his hot date for the night being one of Rhonda’s workmates.

However, 33 years later and still going strong, Larry insists this is all water under the bridge.

Like growing bananas, Larry said the secret to a good marriage was hard work.

“If we are apart more, we argue more.

“But if we are together we are all good.”

One thing that Larry and Rhonda can agree on – wild horses couldn’t drag them from their paradise.