Winter Day Trip to Toowoomba

Winter Day Trip to Toowoomba, Darling Downs, Queensland. Australia

It’s a novelty when the weather dips below 20 degrees in Brisbane. Days like this cause locals to whip out the winter wool and find a roaring fire to sit by with hot cocoa and marshmallows. Rather than go somewhere warm, we like to make the most of Brisbane’s short and sharp "winter" by finding somewhere even colder. While nothing beats the convenience of flying from one destination to the next, it can’t compare to the romance of hitting the open road. 125km west of Brisbane, Toowoomba and the south-west region are the hidden jewels of Queensland. To the west you’ll find rolling plains which are home to little rural townships, and hospitable bed & breakfasts. Cruise north to Crows Nest through small country towns and check out nurseries, cafés, museums and galleries. Go south into the country that was the inspiration for many great Australian stories, and enjoy the atmosphere in rustic historic pubs. In the north-west, the Bunya Mountains rise dramatically against the sky and offer spectacular mountain scenery, walking trails an abundance of local wildlife. 

We hit the top of the range and headed for breakfast at Park House Café, which is in a prime spot overlooking Toowoomba's famous Queens Park, making it very tempting coffee stop after wandering through the splendid gardens after a walk or run. The cafe has plenty of seating beneath umbrellas in the courtyard, which are dog friendly, table indoors, or along the verandah. Park House Cafe produce is sourced seasonally and locally from within the Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley region. 

We went with the Parkhouse Breakfast, made up of poached eggs with bacon, sausages, herb butter mushrooms, tomato, toast and a hash brown. We had big brown eyes staring up, waiting patiently for some bacon or sausage.  The service was outstanding and Shari got a few pats.

After breakfast we headed just around the corner to the Toowoomba Farmer Markets.  A community market with fresh produce and meat straight for the local farmers. Best known as the ‘Cobb + Co Markets’ even though it’s not organised by Cobb + Co, nor technically on their land! Highlights include microgreens from Full Circle Farm, sourdough bread from The Baker’s Duck, freshly made pasta from Angelo’s and gourmet sausages from Wilgavale Organics. Right opposite Queens Park, it’s the perfect location to make a morning of it, followed by fresh coffee and pastries. Bring your own mug and bags, as the market is trying to go plastic-free. 

https://www.facebook.com/littlemissmdesigns/

Kim picked up re-useable wipes from Little Miss M Designs. The wipes can be used for general cleaning, babies or removing makeup. One side of the cloth is a fabric pattern and the other side is microfiber or Bamboo cloth. You simply use as you would a disposable product, but instead of throwing away you wash and reuse them over and over.

Growing up amongst Brissy’s graffiti culture is the major influence we have to thank for Fintan Magee’s work. He’s been taking his talent all over the world ever since, winning himself several awards. And here you can find one of his pieces right in Toowoomba.

From the markets we headed into town for a few hours wandering around Toowoomba’s streets and lanes exploring cafes, classic architecture and one of Australia’s largest outdoor street art galleries. With over 55 masterpieces from local and international artists dotting the streets, is a veritable feast for the eyes. The mural subjects range from indigenous art, political statements, outer-space themes, photo-realistic portraits, native animals, fantasy themes, jungle scenes, and much more. There will definitely be something that everyone can appreciate. 

Being situated in public spaces, all of the murals are able to be viewed anytime. Some are a little tricky to locate, especially when Kim detours into a shop. There are laneway cafes and coffee shops scattered all throughout the city centre, so you can break your tour with a coffee or lunch break with ease. You could walk right past a small alleyway and not realise that just around the corner and out of view is a beautiful mural! A couple of what I would describe as the 'best' murals are located a little out of the CBD two streets west of the railway station, although still within walking distance at 1.4Km from the starting point at City Hall. Being in public spaces, some of the murals were partially covered by parked cars and other obstructions. If you are looking to get good photographs of some of these partially obscured murals, early morning or late afternoon might be best. In our day of touring the city, we found a few murals on a wall in carparks that were partially obscured. We don't mind this, as it means that we now have an excuse to do the tour all over again and find more next time.

 

Aussie artist Adnate has made a name for himself internationally as one of the best large-scale portrait artists, and seeing as his piece in Toowoomba literally gave me goosebumps you can see why. And yup, this fine art look is done with spray cans.

While Toowoomba & the surrounding Southern Queensland region offers endless attractions and opportunities for relaxation or exciting adventures - here's a list of some of our favourites! 

Cobb & Co Museum - Home of natural and cultural history in Toowoomba. Wander through the charming National Carriage Collection and discover how the 47 horse-drawn vehicles played an important role in Queensland's development.

Ju Raku En Japanese Garden - One of the cities most peaceful and beautiful parks. Features a mountain stream and waterfall, Dry Garden, central lake, Azalea Hill, and 230 species of Japanese and Australian native trees and plants along 3kms of peaceful pathways.

Picnic Point Park and Look out - One of the 'must see' spots in Toowoomba! Experience sweeping views over the valley, take a stroll around the landscaped gardens, pack a picnic, release your inner child on the playground facilities.

The Granite Belt - The answer to a wine country in Queensland. The region boasts a cool Alpine climate year round, perfect for a delicate verdhello and bold shiraz. Enjoy 4 & 5 star James Halliday rated wineries and award-winning restuarants - the ultimate foodies retreat.

Margaret Street Shopping - The main shopping street in Toowoomba. The precinct features Grand Central and Garden Town shopping centres, along with boutique shopping, cafes and cinemas.

Empire Theatre - This art-deco styled & heritage listed venue is Australia's largest regional performing arts complex and stages world-class shows from leading national and international performers.

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Day Trip To Kingaroy

Day Trip To Kingaroy, South Burnett. Queensland Australia

You can’t call yourself a true Queenslander until you’ve taken in some of the state’s vibrant countryside. We were in sore need of a getaway, so we loaded up the car and hit the road to see own back yard. The South Burnett is one of the most unique regions in the country, and no city encapsulates the magic of the area as well as Kingaroy. The best way to start the day is with a good breakfast and a good cup of coffee, and you will be pleased to know that on an adventure on the northern reaches of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in South Burnett a visit to the famous Bakehouse Bakery in Blackbutt is your first stop.

Bakehouse Bakery not only known for their gourmet pies, but for their vast array of muffins, slices, sweet treats and slow ferment breads made fresh on the premises daily. Blackbutt Bakery uses their own special blend of coffee beans grown on the Tablelands of North Queensland then freshly roasted by the Coffee Place at the Sunshine Coast.

Where else can you enjoy two all-beef patties with special sauce, cheese, onion and pickles, but no sesame seed bun? Blackbutt Bakery is 120km northwest of Brisbane, and has brought back the Big Mack following repeated requests over the past year. This “Big Mack” is encased in sesame seed pastry and has made a welcome return at a decorated Queensland country pie shop. 

The Big Mack won the best gourmet pie in the same year the bakery won best game pie for its Croc-a-Thai offering, containing crocodile meat in a Thai curry sauce, at the Great Aussie Pie Competition in Melbourne. The bakery also won eleven gold, four silver and one bronze medal for its fare that year. 

Breakfast sorted we moved onto the next town of Yarraman. Fringed by hoop pine plantation forests, bunya pines and picturesque grazing countryside, the timber town of Yarraman sits at the junction of the D'Aguilar and New England Highways. One of the town’s major tourist attractions is Heritage House, previously a Sacred Heart boarding convent for boys. The building is now the home of the Yarraman & District Historical Society and features a number of museums, resource facilities, wine tasting, craft shop and a Community Radio station.

Moving on we reach Tipperary Flat, situated at the southern entrance to Nanango adjacent to Lions Park and the BP Service Station, is a well equipped picnic area featuring a walking trail leading visitors around the historic displays with informative interpretive signs provided. A walking track extends to the Tarong turnoff past “Hannibal”, the first Tarong Coal Dragline Bucket, and has become a popular pastime for residents, visitors and pets.

Located 345m above sea-level and 210 km north-west of Brisbane via the Bruce and D'Aguilar Highways, is Nanango. Today the town is a typical rural centre in rich poll hereford country. None of the really early town buildings are left. The single greatest problem was that in 1940 all shops on the southern side of Drayton Street from Fitzroy to Henry Street were destroyed by fire. The solitary survivor, and one of the town's most interesting historic structures, is 'Nobby's Corner'. Located on the corner of Drayton and Henry Streets it was originally built in 1914. It is still a wonderful example of a solid, old-fashioned, country-town corner store. The Fitzroy Hotel, which is in Fitzroy Street, one block off the main street, has remained absolutely unchanged since it was first built in 1913. It is a fine example of a pre-World War I Queensland country hotel.

Moving on our next stop of the day was Pottique Lavender Farm, home to the largest lavender shop in Australia. As you drive up towards the quaint homestead the first thing you’ll notice is the spectacular fields of purple blooms that surround the farm. The second thing you’ll notice is the soothing fragrance of lavender that hits you the moment you step out of the car. This farm in Coolabunia, just outside Kingaroy, has a front shop filled with antiques, handmade treasures and toys to entice wanderers of all ages.

The back rustic shed however, is an even bigger maze, filled with dried lavender, lavender jams, oil, chutney, teddies, soaps and more antique ware, and also hosts the cellar with a selection of South Burnett wines, lavender liquer and Pottique's famous lavender syrup, useful in every situation, from the accompaniment for tea or ice-cream to relieving headaches.

Moving on we reached,  Kingaroy which is unofficially known as the peanut capitol of Australia, with thousands of tonnes of peanuts being processed and distributed around Australia and overseas. 

The Peanut Company of Australia’s silo stand proudly in the centre of town, while The Peanut Van distributes top-notch nuts to local markets and events as it has done since 1969. These peanuts are jumbo-sized, and are the highest quality nut available. Flavoured and salted varieties are hand-cooked in pure vegetable oil before being sealed in airtight bags to ensure freshness, so when you go to town on a bag of nuts you’ll have a hard time stopping. Go for original salted, curry, savoury tomato, hickory, smoked or barbecue flavoured nuts. If you’re curious to know more about the history of Kingaroy’s peanut industry, you can take a short stroll up the street to the Kingaroy Heritage Museum, and travel back in time as you wander displays of agricultural machinery built by local inventors and dating back to the early 1900s.

Once you arrive in Kingaroy, the first thing you should do is familiarise yourself with your surroundings. Kingaroy boasts a beautiful country charm, and as one of the major cities in the South Burnett region, it has a rich history that extends to the late 1800s. We wandered the streets then went up to Mt Wooroolin Lookout. 

Mt Wooroolin Lookout can be accessed by driving west on Haly Street and turning right into Mount Wooroolin Road. It is 7 km from the centre of town. Unfortunately the Kingaroy Heritage Museum showcases the history of the Kingaroy region under the themes of 'People, Power and Peanuts' was still closed.

Heading back to Brisbane we took a short detour to the town of Linville for a drink at The Linville Hotel, which is a historic Queenslander country pub located on the 161 km Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. It was a perfect rest and rehydrate stop and check out the old photos and read up on the history of the region. The hotel dates back to 1887, it’s been moved 4 times by bullock train before arriving at its final spot in the small town of Linville (rumour has it that they never stopped serving beer during any of the moves)

Our next project is discovering the 161 km Brisbane Valley Rail Trail – the longest rail trail in Australia. Queensland’s Great Adventure Rail Trail is open all year round. Not far from Brisbane, it’s all off-road and traffic free, just South East Queensland’s big skies and scenic landscapes to enjoy, with a coffee stop every 25 km or so. We are trying to find the time and experience ourselves why thousands of people love exploring the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail on bicycle, on horseback or on foot. We may get a group of our friends together and find out what country Queensland is all about.

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