Get country crazy on a Chinchilla Melon Festival road trip

When: TBC February 2026

When the summer heat strikes, there’s nothing better than diving into an ice-cold, juicy watermelon. And if you love this iconic summer fruit, you’ll probably love a small town festival dedicated to it – one of Queensland’s wackiest and most laughter-inducing celebrations.

The tiny town of Chinchilla is home to around 7,000 people, but thousands more watermelons. Having once produced 25% of the country’s watermelons, rockmelons and honeydew melons, Chinchilla is the undisputed melon capital of Australia. The town swells and becomes more vibrant than ever as some 20,000 people make the pilgrimage for the biennial Chinchilla Melon Festival, where watermelon skiing, melon bungee, farm tours and street parades headline a huge program of entertainment – and an average of 20 tonnes of watermelons are consumed or used during the festivities.

Best yet? It’s the perfect opportunity for a road trip from Brisbane into the countryside, following the Warrego Way.

Ready to go? Mark your calendar for 13 - 16 February 2025.

Day 1

5.30am: Rise and shine

It’ll take around four hours to reach Chinchilla if driving from Brisbane, so it’s a good idea to get on the road early and grab some breakfast along the way. After around 90 minutes you’ll find yourself at the top of the Great Dividing Range in Toowoomba, where café The Baker’s Duck offers a tantalising taste of local life. Dine in or grab a few artisan pastries and coffee to takeaway and enjoy during a spin around one of the Garden City’s finest gardens.

11am: Welcome to Australia’s Melon Capital

Your destination is just another two hours’ down the country highway, and it’s an easy drive that’ll get you ready for all the festivities to come. The warm welcome begins just outside of town, where you simply must stop for a photo opportunity with the infamous, four-tonne Big Melon.

Roll up for the highly anticipated melon weigh in to see just how big these watermelons can grow. The largest on record was in 2019, weighing in at 100.5kg and grown by Geoff Frohloff of Lowood. 

Tee off at the festival’s golf tournament, or flex your competitive streak in the crowd-favourite melon skiing. Never heard of melon skiing? It might just become your new favourite sport, where racers gear up with a helmet before slipping each foot into a cut-out watermelon, hold on to a thick rope, then struggle to maintain their balance while they are pulled across the slippery surface. Whether you fall on your face immediately or ski triumphantly to the finish line, it’ll be a moment to remember.

New events are added at each festival and old favourites return, so there’ll always be something to try your hand at.

5pm: Party into the evening

Tonight, take your pick of entertainment: things heat up at the Beach Party and the gates fling open for the Melon Rodeo, where country action meets licenced bar and food trucks.

Day 2

8am: Embrace all things watermelon

Start your day with a hearty breakfast while having a laugh with some of Australia's top performing bush poets. Or, if you’re keen to get active, lace up your sneakers for the Park Run.

Whichever you choose, be sure to make your way to Heeney Street to get the official Chinchilla Melon festivities started at the Melon Procession, where community members and entertainers bring a vibrant street parade to the main drag of town. Afterwards, take a stroll through the markets where you can find all kinds of artisan goods and melon themed merch – there’s over 150 market stalls from craft and fashion to food.

11am: Game on

The melon competitions intensify today at Chinchilla State Primary School oval, with melon skiing, melon bungy, melon pip spitting, celebrity melon eating, melon chariot races and more. If you thought watermelons were simply for eating, this will change everything.

5pm: Chinchilla lights up

Tonight, catch death-defying stunts as extreme motorcyclists jump, backflip and soar through the air in a high-adrenalin performance, followed by a family-friendly concert and laser light show.

Day 3

8am: Soak up the country atmosphere

Take your pick of local breakfast spots this morning: Charleys Creek Café is known for its all day brekky while Panache Café and Homewares offers a range of nourishing bites alongside a spot of shopping opportunities.

Before you leave town, it’s well worth a visit to Chinchilla Historical Museum, its collection of curious finds includes the first-ever ticket issued by Qantas for the first flight from Longreach to Cloncurry.

12pm: Stretch your legs in history

It’s time to zoom back to the city, but take a quick detour off the Warrego Highway to heritage listed Jimbour House. Built in 1876, the grand estate was the centre of the first fully stocked property on the Darling Downs once European settlement commenced – and visitors can choose from two tours to soak up its history. Stroll at your own pace through the self-guided garden tour that reveals the stories and history of the property’s horticultural achievements, or join a one hour long guided tour of the residence and garden – advance bookings required as the estate is regularly booked for weddings and special events.  

If your Chinchilla Melon Festival road trip has you yearning for more country weekend escapes once you're back in the city, get some more inspiration here.