Hit the road on these best day trips from Toowoomba

Unwind with a day trip from Toowoomba to Granite Belt wine country. It’s a big day out, so get an early start and pick up coffee and takeaway breakfast from Café Valetta before you hit the road.

Your first stop? Stanthorpe. Get your first taste of local produce at Sutton’s Juice Factory and Cidery for some of their famous apple pie and cider, then call in at Stanthorpe Cheese to stock up on picnic supplies. From here, it’s time to taste the drops that are putting this region firmly on Australia’s wine map. Get started a few of these favourites, but whether your tastes run from long-time family vineyards to boutique producers, well-known varietals or Strange Birds, you’ll be taking home a few bottles.

Swap one playground for another and make your way to Girraween National Park. Put your picnic supplies to good use at Bald Rock Creek, before taking the 30 minute Granite Arch Walk. Visit in spring to see the rocky outcrops burst in colourful wildflowers.

When it’s time to head for home, take the scenic route to meet another beauty of the region: Queen Mary Falls. The best way to see it is taking the easy 45 minute circuit from the lookout at the top of the falls and down into the creek below. Soak up the rest of the countryside views as you drive back to Toowoomba via Warwick.

Feel the rush of The Falls Drive

Come face to face with the natural beauty of Queensland Country on The Falls Drive. One of the most popular day trips from Toowoomba, this journey offers big views for little effort.  

Browns Falls is the first of a trio of waterfalls you’ll meet today. It’s just a 600metre walk to the falls, but it’s on an undeveloped track so expect to scramble, rock-hop and cross the creek a few times to reach it. If you’re not up for the challenge, don’t worry: just 1km further along lush Spring Creek Road is Daggs Falls. The lookout is close to the road and offers a dramatic view of the 39metre falls.

Part of Main Range National Park, Queen Mary Falls is the most famous on the drive. The picnic grounds here have gas BBQs, covered picnic tables and amenities so take a lunch break before you tackle your next walk. There’s a 400metre walk on a well-defined track to the lookout over the falls, but once you’ve seen it from the top we recommended taking it in from below too. It’s just a 2km circuit through open forest to the rainforest-filled gorge at the waterfall’s base.

Your final stop for the day is Carr’s Lookout, which you’ll find 8km up the road from the falls. The sweeping views over Head Valley to Mt Superbus, the Scenic Rim and Mt Tamborine is the perfect way to end your road trip before heading back to Toowoomba.

Get a taste of the Scenic Rim

Sink your teeth into a slice of country life on a day trip from Toowoomba to the Scenic Rim.

It’s a region of abundance, boasting big views and big flavours. And while Eat Local Week will return, you can follow this DIY foodie trail to sample its best.

Begin the day meeting some friendly locals and buying fresh local produce at Summer Land Camels. Pat and feed the camels and see what life’s like on the farm, before sampling a camel milk latte from the café and grabbing some camel feta to go.

If that got you started, then a cheeseboard at The Overflow Estate has your name on it. A boutique vineyard on a peninsula overlooking Lake Wyaralong, sip your way through the cellar door. Every drop from the fiano to the temperanillo is produced from fruit harvested in their vineyard.

If you’ve got room for dessert, head to a place that will redefine your idea of dining with a view, Kooroomba Vineyards and Lavender Farm. Tuck into the lavender ice cream with macadamia nut crumb then explore the cellar door, lavender shop and sprawling grounds with views across the Scenic Rim range.

Drive a little further through the countryside to quench your thirst at Scenic Rim Brewery in Mt Alford. Converted from a heritage-listed general store, the beers have as much personality as the bar itself. Sample your way through a tasting flight (if you're not the driver), then pick a few bottles of your favourite to add to your esky of souvenirs. Finishing stocking your esky with fresh produce from any roadside farm stalls you pass on the drive back to Toowoomba.

After this little taste you’ll see there’s plenty more to experience in the Scenic Rim, from the arts to the outdoors.

Explore the walking trails of Bunya Mountains

This day trip will take you to the northern reaches of Queensland Country, to the cool hills of the Bunya Mountains.

Brisbanites know the name Emeraude before they know the town it’s in, so it’s well worth stopping at this Hampton-hotspot for breakfast, coffee or picnic provisions as you go.

From here, it’s about an hour and a half drive to Bunya Mountains National Park, but the views will keep you busy as the mountain range rises dramatically from the surrounding plains. Formed about 30 million years ago, this national park shelters the largest ancient bunya pine forest in the world, and was the meeting place for Aboriginal tribes who would come here to celebrate the harvest.

Explore the series of walking trails for different lengths and abilities to discover the misty rainforest and waterfalls. Bring your binoculars to try to spot some of the 120 bird species found in the park. And when you’re ready to get off your feet, put your hands to work with wild bird feeding at the Bunya General store where you can hand feed king parrots and rosellas.

Stop in at the townships of Bell or Dalby on the way back to Toowoomba for a little extra country charm.

Experience authentic country life in the Lockyer Valley

Nestled between Toowoomba and Ipswich, the Lockyer Valley remains an undiscovered gem of South-East Queensland. But while its reputation is small, its flavour is big: the fertile farmland here produces 95% of Australia’s winter crops.

And while you can sample the best of its foodie trail in a weekend, a day trip will give you the highlights, and leave you with a taste for a return trip.  

Come hungry, as your first stop is morning tea at German Bake and Wurst House, before making your way to Laidley Pioneer Village and Museum. It’s one of Queensland’s first heritage villages and makes a fun step back in time in the region’s history. Relax and take in the views from Cunninghams Crest Lookout: this isn’t a day to rush, so take your time to pull over at roadside stalls to buy fresh produce as you go.

Get up close to local producers at Awassi Cheesery where you can take a tour or cheese-making class, or taste your way through the range of sheep’s milk cheeses with a BYO bottle of wine in the avocado grove. Then make your way to fourth-generation, family-owned 9Dorf Farms to learn firsthand about sustainable, ethical farming (and buy some goods to take home too).

Step back in time on the heritage trail

It’s time to learn a thing or two about the region’s history, so jump in the car: today’s classroom is a day trip from Toowoomba along the heritage trail.

Pull into 150 years of railway history at heritage-listed Spring Bluff Station, where you can explore the manicured gardens, picnic on the grounds or grab a coffee at the café. Continue on to check out the blacksmith shops, antiques and vintage machinery at nearby Highfields Pioneer Village.

Lunch today takes a modern spin though, at micro-region eatery Emeraude in Hampton. The team here pairs old-fashioned country hospitality with modern flavours and locally sourced produce sourced for an experience you can’t find elsewhere. Tuck into ever-changing dishes like pork and miso burgers, prawn soufflé and lamington brioche doughnuts that look almost too good to eat.

From here, steer the wheel to Ravensbourne National Park to explore its network of walking trails through palm groves, trickling streams and vibrant birdlife. Make sure you stop at the Gus Beutel lookout for panoramic views over the Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim.

Carbethon Folk Museum offers another look at local history (open Thursday and Sunday), so stop here in Crows Nest before you make tracks back to Toowoomba via tiny Pechey.