Southern Queensland Country

Take a short drive from Brisbane or the coast and you'll find yourself in Southern Queensland Country.

Welcome to four clearly defined seasons, clean air, a burgeoning wine industry, galleries and museums plus the freshest and tastiest produce. All this wrapped up in warm hospitality makes Southern Queensland Country an ideal holiday destination.

Take time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life…home-cooked breakfasts at quaint cottages, hidden antique shops or simply cuddle a loved one by the fire in the cooler winter months.

South Burnett www.tourism.southburnett.com.au

Drive two hours north-west of Brisbane and you’ll find yourself in lush countryside with hoop pine and eucalypt forest.

The South Burnett region is charming, with scenic drives and walking trails leading off through state forests, peppered by the historic towns of Nanango, Blackbutt and Yarraman.

Known as Queensland’s largest wine region, South Burnett has more than 20 wineries and cellar doors. It also teahouses that welcome you with freshly baked goodies, townships that entice you with craft shops, and host farms that greet you with traditional damper and billy tea.

In the south-west lies the awesome Bunya Mountains, surrounded by grazing country and the towns of Wondai, Murgon, Goomeri and Kilkivan.

Sit on the wide veranda of a bed & breakfast cottage with a drink in your hand, try panning for gold, explore the local markets for quaint gifts and forgotten treasures, or enjoy a glass of the finest local vintage amid a brilliant sunset.

Southern Downs and Granite Belt www.southerndownsholidays.info

Located about 2 hours south-west of Brisbane, the Southern Downs and Granite Belt is truly where you can escape the pressures of the city, the humidity of the coast and do as much or as little as you please.

Sample delicious stone fruits straight from the grower. Tour wineries and taste award-winning wines. Explore the region's history and heritage. Take a bushwalk in spectacular national parks or share the romance of an open log fire. Try your hand at freshwater fishing or fossicking, or go sailing on the region's dams.

The principal towns of this region are Warwick, Stanthorpe, Inglewood and Clifton.

At Warwick, magnificent sandstone buildings stand as monuments to its pioneer past. Clifton is similarly rich in pioneering history. Stanthorpe is surrounded by vineyards and orchards, while Inglewood is known for its burgeoning olive industry and primary produce.

Whether it’s wilderness you’re seeking, exhilarating bushwalking in a dramatic landscape, or a little pampering in a cosy B&B while a rare snow whitens the hills, you’ll find it somewhere in the Southern Downs.

Toowoomba and the Darling Downs www.toowoombaholidays.info

Just 90 minutes from Brisbane, the city of Toowoomba overlooks the coastal lowlands. Known as Queensland’s Garden City, it has more than 240 public parks and gardens.

In spring, the gardens are an extravaganza of colour and perfume and the city celebrates with its annual Carnival of Flowers, held each year in September.
From mid-January to mid-February the city is again ablaze with floral colour. From March to May, mellow tints of red and gold mark autumn and you can walk through Queens Park amongst the blanket of fallen oak and willow leaves.
The city also boasts beautiful heritage buildings such as the magnificently restored art deco Empire Theatre, City Hall, and Cobb & Co Museum, which houses Australia’s largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles.

Drive west to the rolling plains and there are little rural townships where you can relax by the fireplace with a bottle of wine. Cruise north to Crows Nest and check out the nurseries, cafes, museums and galleries.

Go south into the country and enjoy the atmosphere in the popular historic pubs. Or head north-west and see the Bunya Mountains rising dramatically against the sky. This unique offshoot of the Great Dividing Range has dense rainforest, waterfalls, walking tracks and the largest remaining stand of bunya pines anywhere.