Brisbane singer-songwriter JNR's heartfelt country music is influenced by an upbringing in outback Australia.
His debut single 'Down Low' (co-written with 2014 Tamworth Star Maker winner Jared Porter and Nolan Wynne) depicts JNR's ideal down-to-earth lifestyle focused on the people and nature present. "I wrote 'Down Low' with Jared Porter and Nolan Wynne out of a discussion that we were having about misconceptions around what success is," JNR says.
"We sometimes think that 'making it' means living in the penthouse suite and drinking champagne, but as you get older it feels great to just get away from it all - technology, phones, society - and get out into the middle of nowhere to get back to what's real and what's important - people, nature and the simple pleasures of life.
"The song was literally written out of that lyric: 'high on life, on the down low!'."
In the spirit of enjoying life and celebrating what SE Queensland has to offer, here are JNR's top 5 things to do and places to go to enjoy living 'high on life, on the down low'.
1: Visit the Bearded Dragon at Mount Tamborine
Get out of town for the day to grab lunch and a few drinks at the Bearded Dragon in the Scenic Rim. This was one of the locations in the ‘Down Low’ music video.
2: Take a houseboat out for the weekend
Grab a bunch of mates and family to head out on a houseboat for the weekend, or you can have some quiet time to yourself or as a couple. They are heaps of fun and great for fishing or just kicking back and having a few beers etc.
3: Picnic at Thunderbird Park
Another of the Scenic Rim’s forgotten treasures – it’s a great spot to walk the creeks and streams, and relax with a picnic basket.
4: Watch the hang gliders launch at Mount Tamborine
Get up early for breakfast and go to the markets at Mount Tamborine to watch the hang gliders take off from the side of the mountain.
5: Visit O’Reilly’s Guesthouse
There is so much history at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat – feed the birds, go for a rainforest walk, come back for lunch then sit by the fireplace. Great for a day or even a long weekend.
