How to spend 48 hours in Ipswich

Dial up your journey west by joining Pterodactyl Helicopters for an Ipswich wine tour, which covers three wineries before lunch at Homage, the hatted wonder-restaurant at Spicers Hidden Vale.

This vineyard-hop by helicopter departs Brisbane and transfers to Ipswich covering Ironbark Ridge Vineyard, Paradine Estate Wines and Bunjurgen Estate Vineyard or Flinders Peak Winery – and all the territory in between.

Say g’day to your Captain, Mike, your designated driver (pilot) for the morning, leaving with you with more time to drink blends of reds and whites that flourish in this fertile, volcanic Ippy soil. You’ll find it hard to go back to normal wine tasting after this. Finish your trip right in the heart of Ipswich – the helipad is right next to Queens Park.

PM: Take a step back in time at the Ipswich Antiques Centre   

Ipswich is a mixing pot of both old and new. It wears the title of the second-oldest local government in Queensland and is the state’s most historic holiday destination. 48 hours in Ipswich is enough to show you that the city’s story runs deep, and its antique offering is strong.

Enjoy your very own bargain-hunt style adventure inside the Ipswich Antiques Centre, which covers wares from Edwardian era to 1960s retro. Set inside an 1895 heritage building, the first antique you’ll spy this trip is the home to the Centre itself. Score yourself a set of vintage Japanese ceramics, mod glassware or antique tea cups. Everything old is new again.

Check in to multi-level Mediterranean-style luxury

Named after the owner’s Sicilian home town, the Villa Modica is an incredible place to call home a few nights in Ipswich. Known affectionately as ‘House on the Hill’, this multi-level Mediterranean-style retreat features sweeping views across the city and all the way to the distant mountain ranges.

There are five bedrooms and four bathrooms plus two powder rooms, and modern living areas throughout, including decks, private balconies and a rooftop entertainment area, and a backyard pool. Elegant tiling and décor throughout complete the picture. This beautiful ‘digs’ gives your 48 hours in Ipswich a pedigree-style design hit, thoughtfully reimagining a local long-weekend.

7PM: Dinner at Dovetails

Head back to Limestone Street in the city-centre for the epicentre of Ippy’s foodie scene. Amidst the exposed brick you’ll find Dovetails, home to 4Hearts Brewing and bringing a date-night vibe to Ipswich. Here, you can tuck into the likes of slow-cooked lamb shoulder and crispy skin pork belly, washed down with an almost all-Australian wine list.

It’s not just the food that gives this place a fancy feel. The decor channels an interior designer’s dream of exposed bricks, wire racks, and dovetail joinery in a nod to the building’s former use as the woodwork room in the Old Technical College.

Sunday

8AM: Wake up with Rafter & Rose 

Set your day’s intentions over breakfast at Rafter and Rose, a delightful indoor and laneway café in the character-filled Top of Town precinct of Ipswich. The café’s offerings are delicious, ethically sourced and keep your tourism footprint in check.

Head through the laneway entrance via the nineteenth century French cast iron gates and enjoy some Uncle Joe’s coffee. Tea lovers will be happy to know they’re treated well too, with a selection from quality Brisbane range, Tour de Tea.

Everything at Rafter and Rose is made freshly on the premises including mouth-watering croissants and the ever-popular brownies. Try the in-house bacon jam with your eggs from the all-day breakfast menu. The jam contains bacon, maple syrup and coffee and is a must-try if you’re stopping by.

The café is dog-friendly, with a bowl of water left out for your canine family member, and on weekends you can sometimes catch musicians entertaining diners.

10AM: Explore nature’s playground

Surprisingly you don’t have to get out of town to get back to nature in Ipswich. In fact, you’ll need to drive through a housing estate to find the entrance to White Rock Conservation Park, it’s that close to the city. Inside the park, you’ll find a bushwalker’s haven with walking trails that range from 200m strolls to full-blown hikes of 19km through the Aussie bushland. It’s important to note that this park has Aboriginal significance and the Traditional Owners ask that you don’t climb Big White Rock.  

3PM: A picnic in Queens Park

Every city worth its status has a park, so it only makes sense to set some time aside to soak it in during your 48 hours in Ipswich. Established in 1864, Queens Park is almost as old as the city itself and takes up prime real estate in Ipswich’s CBD.

Along with the usual suspects you expect from a city’s botanic gardens – rolling green hills, Japanese garden, rose garden – this park has a Nature Centre to boot.

What’s more, you can keep your wallet firmly fastened for this day out – the wildlife centre is completely free (although a gold coin is appreciated). Meander along the pram-friendly boardwalks to see Aussie natives like wombats, bilbies and quolls.

Pack a picnic or tuck into the Queens Park Cafe to re-energise before walking to Lions Lookout, the highest peak in the park, for the best views over the city’s skyline.

5PM: Say cheers with some local legends

Support local and check out Ipswich’s first and only brewery, 4 Hearts Brewing and Pumpyard Bar and Brewery. With a track record of making the liquid gold since 1903, this brewery-turned-bar specialises in six local beers and has an abundant range of bottled options beyond their taps too.

Built inside the Old Technical College, this bar is best recognised for its industrial architecture and six, shiny, silver vats of beer brewing away behind you. For $15 you can taste your way from pale ale to stout with a tasting board that samples the six house-made beers.

With a menu that perfectly pairs with beer, take our word for it and order the sweet potato fries with black rosemary salt and ranch mayo for an unforgettable Sunday session.

PM: Catch a show at Little Ipswich Theatre

You’ve satisfied the stomach, now capture the heart and mind. Ipswich and Australia’s capital might not have much in common at first glance, but a trip to its incinerator will reveal an unlikely match.

Within one of only six remaining incinerators of its type sits the Little Ipswich Theatre Company who have lifted the curtain and breathed new life into Sir Walter Burley Griffin’s creation. With four major productions a year, bookings are essential to catch a show live on stage in this heritage-listed icon. There’s no better time to support the local arts.

Monday

8AM: Grab brekkie before you hit the road home

A leisurely brekkie is the perfect start to your final morning in Ipswich. Make your way to Oikos – where food, family and the betterment of the community (and its visitors!) is at the heart of everything they do. The name comes from an ancient Greek word meaning circle of influence, and fits perfectly with the welcoming vibe that owners, Brett and Christie, bestow on this sweet little venue.

Call in for coffee made on Queensland-roasted Kai Coffee beans, and fresh nutritious fare such as fruit-laden acai bowls and smoothies and colourful nachos bowls. Winter soup offerings include a bacon, broccoli and walnut version served with cheesy garlic bread. Raw slices and other sweet treats made in-house line the shelves of the cabinet.

Oikos is centrally located in the heritage city – very handy to the Ipswich Art Gallery if you have the time and leisure to make a proper outing of it.