Get cosy on a long weekend in Stanthorpe and the Southern Downs

Itinerary

Chelsea	 Tromans

By Chelsea Tromans

While you could count Stanthorpe as a day trip destination from Brisbane, you wouldn’t be doing the area justice flying through in a matter of hours before turning around and heading home.

With so much good food to devour and beautiful scenery to explore, a long weekend in Stanthorpe and the greater Southern Downs gives you more time to see the best that the area has to offer, at your own pace.

Here’s how to make the most of four days in Stanthorpe and the Southern Downs.

Before you go

Stanthorpe is decidedly seasonal and during the summer months you can expect to see fruit and vegetables growing in the fields, vineyards stocked with grapes and a lively buzz around town.

In winter, Stanthorpe earns its title of ‘coldest town in Queensland’ with temperatures dancing around the zero degree mark and even the occasional dusting of snow, making it perfect red wine and fireplace weather. Happily, the area has plenty of both.

Day 1

8am: Hit the road

Driving to a hiking trail through Girraween National Park

Girraween National Park, Queensland Country.

You’re not in for a long drive – just over two and a half hours from Brisbane – but with an exciting day and lots of wine and cheese ahead of you, it’s worth getting on the road early.

11am: Take a picture of the big apple

Stanthorpe couldn’t be more different to New York, but it does have its own big apple, which marks the fact you’re in apple country now (the apple capital of Queensland, in fact).

This you-can’t-miss-it icon also marks the turn off to one of the region’s other biggest flavour makers: Stanthorpe Cheese.

12pm: Sample local cheese

Local cheese tasting at Stanthorpe Cheese, Granite Belt

Stanthorpe Cheese, Granite Belt, Queensland Country. Photo by @lifewiththeleipers

The cheese tastes better down here, and not just because it’s made from the milk of a single herd of purebred Jersey cows, but because Stanthorpe Cheese is Queensland’s highest and coldest farm cheese shop, 925 metres above sea level.

Taste your way through the (many, many) samples, kick back with a Ploughman’s at Jersey Girls Cafe, or create your own DIY picnic to go from the huge range of cheese, preserves, cured meats and wines available from the shop.

1pm: Try the truffle 

Stanthorpe is home to the rare French Black Perigord Truffle, fungi which is so precious some joke they need their own bodyguards to protect them. At the Truffle Discovery Centre, you can take a guided tour of the truffière and enjoy food tastings. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried truffle triple cream brie.

With a gift store you’ll definitely want to visit on the way out, stock up on supplies of truffle oil and truffle honey that beg to be drizzled over the cheeses you bought earlier.

2pm: Picnic for two

Hidden Creek Winery Cafe Vineyard

Hidden Creek Winery, Granite Belt, Queensland Country

If you haven’t already picked up all the picnic fixins’ from your journey through this artisanal area - and met the makers along the way - hightail it to Hidden Creek Winery for a little afternoon indulgence.

In addition to the cellar door, Hidden Creek’s cafe serves up locally sourced fare – including the option of having your own picnic in the vineyards or lakeside. The picnic basket for two includes a gourmet platter, wine and rug – just pick your favourite spot on the property, and you’re good to go.

Overnight: Alure Stanthorpe 

Couple relaxing at Alure Stanthorpe, Granite Belt

Alure Stanthorpe, Granite Belt, Queensland Country

Experience the definition of cosy and check into Alure Stanthorpe for the night.

Cocoon yourself under the canvas in 56m2 of camping comfort, complete with full kitchen and double-vanity ensuite so you will never look at your regular campsite the same again.

You won’t have to worry about sleeping bags or inflatable mattresses for this night under the stars; there’s deluxe linen, a four-poster bed, and a chandelier to set the mood. Don’t rule this accommodation out if you plan to visit in winter. Your tent comes complete with a fireplace. 

Day 2

9am: Trek through Girraween National Park 

Couple hiking the Mount Norman Trail, Girraween National Park

Mount Norman Trail, Girraween National Park, Queensland Country

Get to know how this rocky region earned its Granite Belt title with a morning exploring Girraween National Park.

Plan your time here with this guide, and expect dramatic landscapes and granite outcrops that protrude from the hillside like freestanding marbles, with river courses that tumble around them leaving beautifully carved, deep plunge pools.

The well-kept trails range from one to 20kms, winding uphill to landmarks such as The Pyramid, The Sphinx and Castle Rock. The pièce de résistance within the park is undoubtedly Balancing Rock, a giant boulder precariously teetering like a sculpture handcrafted by mother nature herself - though its a steep ascent to get here.

Looking for more nearby national parks? Check out this Big Sky Country Drive.

12pm: Refuel, Ballandean style 

Couple dining at the Barrel Room Wine Lounge, Ballandean Estate Wines, Granite Belt

The Barrel Room Wine Lounge, Ballandean Estate, Queensland Country

Ballandean’s Barrelroom Wine Lounge feels like a family affair, and it is. An inviting, moody space set amongst 160-year-old wine barrels, it's open from 11am to 4pm every day, serving signature grazing platters, cheese boards and premium wines. A great spot to rest your feet and dip into the region's finest drops.  

2pm: Hop from cellar door to cellar door

Couple wine tasting at Hidden Creek Winery

Hidden Creek Winery, Granite Belt, Queensland Country

With over 50 wineries and vineyards scattered around its hillsides, Stanthorpe and the wider Granite Belt area is known for wine. It’s also quickly gaining a reputation for being the place to try those wines that aren’t so well-known.

Never heard of (or sipped) a Fiano, Montepulciano, Saperavi or Mourvedre? The Granite Belt is your chance to get up close and personal with Strange Birds - that’s wine speak for alternative variety vinos. Pick up a Strange Bird map from one of the wineries and prepare to meet your new favourite drops.

Choosing to visit vineyards is easy, but deciding which ones and how to get there is nothing short of overwhelming. Take a load off: book a designated driver and let Filippos Tours do the decision making and driving. The winelovers tour will take you for tours and tastings at up to five wineries, including a gourmet lunch along the way. You’ll be grateful for your dropoff back to your Stanthorpe accommodation by the end of the tour.

Want to work off your wine along the way? Granite Belt Bicycle Tours offers guided and self-guided wine tours, as well as bike hire if you like to go your own way.

Not into wine? No worries! The Granite Belt is also home to two breweries: Granite Belt Brewery (with onsite cottages!) and Brass Monkey Brew House.

Overnight: Granite Belt Retreat

Couple enjoying drink on balcony at Granite Belt Retreat

Granite Belt Retreat, Stanthorpe, Queensland Country

It's never been easier to step from a microbrewery to bed than at Granite Belt Retreat. Set on 30 acres of bushland - and home to Granite Belt Brewery - this retreat features 19 rustic cedar cabins surrounded by trees. Warm up by the log fire on cool evenings, or enjoy a beer on the deck on those summer nights.

Day 3

8am: The most important meal of the day

Stanthorpe has no shortage of quaint cafes to start your day. Italian-inspired Brinx Deli is a must-stop - in addition to a killer coffee to jumpstart your morning, this cafe's impressive takeaway grazing boxes make the perfect pre-packed picnic to come along for the ride.

Close by, The Little Larder is a cosy spot for hearty breakfast classics and great coffee.

10am: Stock up on supplies

Couple eating apple pie at Suttons Juice Factory, Stanthorpe

Suttons Juice Factory, Stanthorpe, Queensland Country

Stanthorpe is the place to make all your souvenirs edible, like boxes of apples, cherries, grapes, peaches and pears that prove that everything tastes better when it hasn’t travelled hundreds of kilometres to your supermarket shelves.

For a gift that’s a bit more memorable than a bag of apples, a trip to Jamworks will deliver with homemade condiments including jams, relishes and chutneys.

You can’t leave apple country without stopping in at Sutton’s Juice Factory. A working apple orchard, Sutton’s onsite cafe and store is ripe with pure apple juice, cider, their famous apple pie (served with spiced cider ice cream) and smallgoods to keep your weekend getaway alive weeks after you return.

From October - May you can also visit nearby Ashbern Farms and pick your own strawberries to take home. 

1pm: Choose your own adventure

The afternoon is yours to conquer at your own will. Culture buffs may wish to visit Stanthorpe Heritage Museum and the Regional Art Gallery. Adventurers should grab their mountain bike and make tracks for the granite trails of Mt Marlay. 

Or, continue to taste your way through the vibrant cellar doors and collect a few more bottles for home. 

6.30pm: Settle in for a feast

Couple dining at Essen, Stanthorpe - a restaurant offering a revolving menu based on season availability

Essen, Stanthorpe, Queensland Country

Your final evening in Stanthorpe calls for something special, so dine at the restaurant that's had everyone talking, Essen. This family-run restaurant prepares home-style dishes with love, and it tastes like an ode to the region's most flavoursome and fresh produce.

The set menu change weekly, with many of the ingredients sourced from their kitchen garden and local suppliers. This is food that'll make you feel good from the inside, out.

Essen is open Thursday - Saturday for dinner service from 6pm - reservations can be made up to 90 days in advance.

Overnight: Killarney View Cabins and Caravan Park 

Choose to spend one more night in Stanthorpe, or hit the road for Killarney View Cabins and Caravan Park to be right in the action for tomorrow. Set on five acres, waking up to the surrounding mountain vistas is the perfect sendoff on your final day in the Southern Downs.

Day 4

10am: See three falls in one day

Couple walking over bridge at base of Queen Mary Falls, Main Range National Park

Queen Mary Falls, Main Range National Park, Queensland Country

One hour’s drive from Stanthorpe, you’ll find yourself in (unofficial) waterfalls country. Killarney boasts five falls in the area, three of which are connected by a route known as The Falls Drive.

Start your waterfall-hopping adventure at Browns Falls. From the parking lot, the walk is only 600 metres, although you should allow 20 minutes to navigate the undeveloped trail (rock hopping and creek crossing is required, but easily done) to the 15-metre falls.

Daggs Falls lookout is the easiest to access. One kilometre further along Spring Creek Road, the lookout above the 38-metre falls is just off the side of the road. (There is no trail to the base of this waterfall).

The biggest of the trio, Queen Mary Falls, plummets 40 metres over a horseshoe-shaped basalt cliff. The lookout is a short 400 metre walk from the parking area and picnic grounds, but devoting an extra 45 minutes to walk the two kilometre circuit will reward you with lush forest that opens to the rainforest gorge at the waterfall’s base.

Insider tip: Walk the circuit in a clockwise direction, it’s easier on the legs.

Make one last stop at Carr’s Lookout for spectacular views over Head Valley and the Scenic Rim.

12pm: Goodbyes are better with barbecue

Bluebird Kitchen and Bar, Warwick

Bluebird Kitchen and Bar, Warwick, Queensland Country. Photo by @highlifedownsliving

As your long weekend in Stanthorpe comes to an end, make one last pitstop in Warwick.

The smoked American barbecue coming out of the Bluebird Kitchen is the sort of down-to-earth comfort food you need before returning home. The executive chef, Jim Osborn, is a Warwick local and runs the place with his high school sweetheart turned wife, Katie. The locally sourced beef brisket is as melt-in-your-mouth good as you’d expect after nine hours of smoking and goes down a treat with a side of sriracha ketchup fries.

Don’t feel like going home just yet? Add these scenic country tourist drives from Warwick to your itinerary.

If you’re after a kid-friendly guide to Stanthorpe, check out the best things for families to do in Queensland Country.

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