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WELCOME TO QUEENSLAND’S SOUTHERN
DOWNS & GRANITE BELT
Located only two hours drive
from Brisbane, Queensland’s Southern Downs & Granite Belt is waiting to
be discovered. Enjoy an outdoor adventure or romantic getaway, explore
the region’s remarkable national parks, or delight your senses with
local award winning wineries, fresh produce or simply relax and take in
the crisp mountain air. The region encompasses a diverse range of
vegetation, contrasting scenery, history, places of interest and
promises an escape from the everyday.
The site of
Queensland’s first free settlement, the Southern Downs is one of the
state’s most historic areas. The area boasts a wealth of diverse
heritage buildings from grand churches, sandstone public buildings to
humble shepherds slab huts. Year round enjoy the seasonal experiences
of the Southern Downs. Queensland’s Southern Downs contain three
National Parks, a state forest and two National Parks bordering the
region. The parks provide camping facilities, waterfalls, spectacular
fresh water swimming, wildlife, fishing, kayaking, hiking for the
experienced and inexperienced, rock climbing, mountain biking, 4WD and
horse riding.
Stanthorpe
Spectacular granite formations
and wineries, orchards and festivals make Stanthorpe the ultimate
getaway destination. The popularity of Stanthorpe wines attracts
discriminating palates to the area year round. With more than 40
wineries in the region the Queensland’s Southern Downs is Queensland’s
Wine Capital and the growth of gourmet restaurants and luxurious cottage
accommodation makes the vineyards an ideal lovers retreat.
Warwick
The town of Warwick is known for
its roses, particulary the red ‘City of Warwick’ (Arofuto) rose, which
bloom abundantly, making a stroll around Leslie Park an experience for
the senses. The Warwick Rodeo, Australia’s Most Famous Rodeo, was the
first ever event held in Australia and attracts riders from all around
the country to compete every October in their share of $150,000 in prize
money. The rodeo can trace its roots back to 1857 – records of the
first professional buckjumping contest. Warwick itself contains a
collection of the states most preserved and magnificent sandstone
buildings which set it aside from any other town in Queensland. Warwick
is also known for its award winning cheeses.
Clifton
A town with a quaint streetscape
it has been the setting for many famous movies. Film makers have come
to town to use the picturesque streets as backdrops for the movies ‘Dear
Claudia’, ‘The Love of Lionel’s Life’ and ‘Finding Hope’. Clifton was
one of the three stations stocked in the first year of the Downs
Settlement in 1840, it is currently one of the prime grain growing areas
of the Darling Downs, with a large variety of crop grown.
Inglewood
Inglewood is fast becoming
Australia’s Olive Capital, currently transforming a once tobacco and old
timber town into an olive growing community. The inaugural Olive
Festival was held in March 2000, and is held annually at the local
showgrounds. This event provides an opportunity to learn about olive
growing and taste different varieties of olives amongst the orchards.
If you have a taste for the
outback, this is great terrain to experience, where amazing scenery and
outdoor activities abound. Throw a line in at Coolmunda Dam, partake in
canoeing, hunting, bush walking, four-wheel driving, camping, or just
relax and enjoy nature. Soak up country hospitality at a farm stay, or
focus on photographic opportunities amongst the bird life, wildflowers
and spectacular sunsets.
The Inglewood shire, which
includes Inglewood and Texas is proud of its ability to have an
abundance of diverse and varied nature as its playground. |
