Southern Queensland County

Queensland

Southern Queensland CountyEscape to the countryside, slow down, breathe in that fresh country air and start exploring some of Queensland's best food trails.

Just 90 minutes drive from Brisbane, our unique region is the only Queensland destination to offer truly seasonal experiences. From Stanthorpe in the south to Kingaroy in the north, and from Toowoomba as far west as St George, you can savour crisp country air, award-winning wines, and fresh seasonal produce. It's somewhere you can appreciate the spectacular natural wonders, the stories behind historic sandstone buildings, that cheeky shiraz from the winery up the road or just spending time with loved ones. Toowoomba offers a cosmopolitan-country vibe and all the amenities you’d expect of a regional city. You’ll also find a network of sizeable towns and service centres such as Warwick, Goondiwindi, St George, Dalby, and Stanthorpe; as well as peaceful townships and quaint hamlets. You’ll find a diverse range of experiences: from exploring the cultural capital of Toowoomba to hiking the serene Scenic Rim Trail; from freshwater fishing in wild rivers to chatting to friendly locals in country pubs; and from tasting local produce and award-winning wines in the Granite Belt to sitting on the fence at a thrill-a-minute country cattle sale – it’s all uniquely Southern Queensland Country and it’s all within easy reach.

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Things to do

Bunya Mountains Getaway

Escape to the picturesque Bunya Mountains National Park, where pristine rainforest and ancient bunya pines await. Relax in your cosy, self-contained chalet, breathe in stunning views and explore the many rainforest walks. Hand-feed King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas and delight in close encounters with native wildlife. Follow scenic country drives to heritage-listed Jimbour House and the Woolshed at Jondaryan as you journey back to Brisbane.

Try your luck aboard a fishing charter

Australian Freshwater Fishing Charters provide fishing charters targeting freshwater fish and provide customers with the best Freshwater Experience. Their goal is to help you better understand how to locate, observe and catch fish. They operate half and full-day Freshwater Charters on some of the best impoundments and rivers in Queensland. They target Australian Bass, Yellowbelly, Saratoga and Murray Cod and pride themselves on teaching you as much as they can about these species and how to catch them. Freshwater fishing charters will also cater a fishing experience to suit your needs, whether it's a one day guided charter on your favourite dam fishing for your favourite fish or multiple days fishing a location for a number of different species, they can cater a fishing charter for your specific needs. Matthew Langford will be guiding you on your freshwater adventures. Matthew has been fishing freshwater since he was a child and has a wealth of knowledge on all freshwater fish species, what they do, where to find them and how to catch them. Matt will endeavour to teach you anything you want to know about freshwater fishing, all you have to do is ask.

Enjoy fresh beer on tap at Granite Belt Brewery

At Granite Belt Brewery you can experience fresh beer on tap, straight from the brewery. See how the brewery works from the viewing lounge. Feel and smell the ingredients and have the brewing process explained by friendly staff or by the brewer. In our Brew Bar, try a tasting paddle or simply work your way through the six beers on offer. Great food is available in our restaurant for lunch and dinner. Match your meals with our locally crafted beers and extensive local wine offering. There's no need for you to eat, drink and leave either. Choose to stay in one of our private cedar timber cabins, relax and enjoy our beautiful Australian bushland setting.

Jump aboard a Wine Discovery Tour

Welcome to the Granite Belt and Stanthorpe's luxury wine tour. Wine Discovery Tours provides a personalised tour of the unique Granite Belt wine region for couples and small groups, with a focus on customer service, luxury, and comfort. Enjoy tasting the distinctive wines of the Granite Belt, while taking in the beautiful landscape and learning a little about what makes this region unique. Relax, unwind and leave the driving to them, with pick-up and drop-off to your accommodation and a delicious lunch (with wine) included.

High Country Tours With Taste

Atop of The Great Dividing Range, the very beautiful High Country Hamlets Micro Region, is yours to discover on our luxury small group half-day and full-day tours. Your Tour Smiths, Brad and Kara, take you on a farm, food, wine, photography, and artisan journey through the region. Visit local farmers who grow amazing seasonal produce. Indulge in the wonderful eateries with impassioned local chefs, who creatively prepare your food. Relax among the fig trees, vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards, gardens, forests, and National Parks. Discover artisan wineries, craft breweries, distilleries, chocolate, coffee and cheesemakers. Meet and learn from artistic creatives, who paint, draw, weave, sculpt and craft unique pieces of art. Breathe the air up here, high among the clouds and let the serenity and wonder of the region take you away. Play among whimsical locations, historic towns, fabulous venues and boutique shops. Stay in unique country accommodation, see the breathtaking scenery of the High Country and let them safe keep a piece of your heart... until next time.

Gleneden Family Farm and Bullock Team

Owned and run by 4th & 5th generation farmers Rohan, Fiona, Eden and Jethro Morris, Gleneden Family Farm is your local, organic, regenerative, picturesque, welcoming, family-friendly connection to the countryside. Located just 90 minutes from Brisbane in the eastern Darling Downs, Gleneden produces traditional, organic pastured pork, pasture-fed lamb and beef, and offers fun and educational farm tours, workshops, bush camping sites and interactive Australian pioneer heritage displays. Bus tours, groups, schools, campers and day visitors can experience one of the last working bullockies and his bullock team hauling logs and loading wagons, learn bush blacksmithing, leatherwork and timberwork skills, or join the team on a walk into the bush to haul timber. On a farm tour, visitors see how an organic, regenerative farm is run, meet the happy pigs, cows, sheep, chickens and goats out in the paddocks and have the opportunity to support a local regenerative farm by purchasing delicious, organically produced pastured pork, beef and lamb from the farm shop. Campers are welcome to join in the farm jobs, relax by the waterfall and explore the beautiful landscape. All tour/heritage activities are interactive and designed to suit each group’s interests and abilities. Bookings are essential.

Indulge in the food and wine of the Granite Belt

Filippos Wine Tours is Stanthorpe's wine and food tour specialists and are perfect for people who are looking to enjoy some great wine, great food and a great time on the Granite Belt. Less than three hours drive from Brisbane the Granite Belt, South East Queensland, a Filippo’s Tour is the best way to see what is on offer. There are so many fun things to do in this wine and produce region and Filippos Tours can help you discover everything great about Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt wine country, whilst enjoying award-winning wines with friends. They are courteous and knowledgeable about this area ensuring your tour is both enjoyable and educational. Filippo's Tours are based in an area central to several national parks including Girraween and Sundown, over 100 specialist accommodation services, over 50 wineries with 38 cellar doors, and many fresh fruit and vegetable producers, and all less than three hours from Brisbane. Traveling with a Filippos Tour, you can be sure to see the best of what’s on offer using their local knowledge and contacts.

Carnarvon Gorge, Carnarvon National Park

You’ll need at least a week to fully appreciate the beauty and diversity of Carnarvon Gorge, in Carnarvon National Park, set deep in the Central Highlands. Walk, drive, hike and camp in the park's four sections and be captivated by the diverse landscapes and rich wildlife of the Sandstone Wilderness. Spend days immersing yourself in Carnarvon Gorge. Marvel at the vastness of the Amphitheatre, the cool quiet of Mickey Creek Gorge, and the prehistoric life in Ward’s Canyon. Let the world-renowned Art Gallery whisper stories of ancient cultural connections. Climb the gorge walls and watch the pastel-pink dawn tones dance across the creamy sandstone cliffs on the Boolimba Bluff walk. If adventure is more your style, pack your gear and head out on the 87 kilometres Carnarvon Great Walk—an experience not to be missed if you love a challenge. Towering multi-hued cliffs, basalt-crested tablelands, sandstone escarpments and plateaus, cool streams, and a colourful mosaic of plant life are waiting to be explored.

Granite Belt Bicycle Tours and Hire

Granite Belt Bicycle Tours are the only bicycle tour company in Queensland's premier wine region. They provide you with top quality bicycles and all the accessories you need to ensure an enjoyable, relaxing day or two of cycling. They aim to offer you great, value-for-money leisure cycling through the beautiful Granite Belt region of Queensland. They will guide you around while you discover boutique wines, gourmet local produce, fruit orchards and ever-changing scenery with four distinct seasons. Guided tours from a few hours to two days. For the more independent traveler they can hire you bikes and provide maps and a pickup service at the end of your day. They believe its the only way to appreciate this beautiful region. Day hires available seven days. Experience the coolest bike tours in Queensland. Come and bike the belt! Due to current health advice on social distancing, please contact the business for the most up to date information regarding opening times and services.

Take to the walking trails of Bunya Mountains

The South Burnett offers easy access to the majestic Bunya Mountains, which, at an elevation of over 1,100 metres above sea level, are the region’s high point. Less than an hour from either Maidenwell or Kingaroy, via Kumbia, this natural wonderland is an offshoot of the Great Dividing Range formed about 30 million years ago and shelters the largest ancient bunya pine forest in the world today. Traditionally, Aboriginal tribes used the Mountains as a meeting place. They feasted seasonally on roasted bunya nuts collected from the pines. Each protein-rich egg-shaped nut can be up to 30 centimetres long and weigh 10 kilograms. Be sure to sample some of the local bunya nut dishes on offer. Declared a national park in 1908, it is the second oldest in Queensland. You’ll discover a mix of moist, dense subtropical and dry sclerophyll rainforest, waterfalls, grasslands, open forests and woodlands. Take to the walking trails to see native wildlife, wallabies and pademelons as well as 121 species of birds including brilliantly coloured king parrots, satin bowerbirds and crimson rosellas. The area offers the quiet allure of a retreat environment for families, groups and couples. You’ll feel the seasons change in the mountains. Summer days are pleasantly warm, wildflowers and new growth signal spring, the trees change hue during autumn and in winter a mountain chalet is just the place to relax in front of a cozy crackling fire. You’ll find everything you need for a day trip or an extended stay – coffee shops, restaurants, general store, campsites, cabins and holiday houses. The Bunya Mountain Markets are held on the last Sunday of the month from 9 am to 2 pm.

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