Forget clichéd chocolates and rose petals—this Valentine’s Day, let romance take you on an adventure. Whether you’ve just swiped right or you’re celebrating decades of love, the Southern Downs and Granite Belt is ready to play Cupid with breathtaking locations and unforgettable experiences.
Mark your calendar for an unforgettable 2025 in the Southern Downs and Granite Belt! Here’s a sneak peek at the top events you won’t want to miss!
The Southern Downs and Granite Belt is home to some of the freshest produce in Queensland. It’s a foodie’s paradise, with seasonal produce available from the paddock to the pantry and the plate. Fill a basket at one of our many local markets happening every week around the region including:
Glengallan Seasonal Markets
1st Sunday of March, June, Sept, Dec
8:00am – 1:00pm
Glengallan Homestead, Warwick
P: 07 4667 3866
Killarney Country Markets
3rd Sunday of the month
8:00am – 1:00pm
Canning Park, Killarney
P: 0427 719 826
Market in the Mountains
2nd Sunday of the month and QLD long
weekends
8:00am – 12:00pm
Stanthorpe Showgrounds, Stanthorpe
P: 0417 760 529
W: marketinthemountains.org
Pig & Calf Markets
Every Wednesday
9:30am – 12:00pm
Cnr Fitzroy & Lyons St, Warwick
P: 07 4661 1411
Granite Belt Farmers Market
Every Friday
8:00am – 12:00pm
Railway Precinct, Stanthorpe (enter via Davadi St)
W: facebook.com/granitebeltfarmersmarket
Stanthorpe Showgrounds Markets
4th Sunday of the month & 3rd Sunday of the month in Dec/Jan
8:00am – 12:00pm
High St, Stanthorpe
P: 0416 169 032
W: stanthorpeshowgrounds.com.au
Stanthorpe Fruit and Vege Markets
Every Saturday
6:00am – 12:00pm
Entry via Folkestone St, Stanthorpe
Wallangarra Border Railway Markets
1st Sunday of the month
8:00am – 12:00pm
Wallangarra Railway Station, Wallangarra
P: Carol 07 4684 3429 or Helen 07 4684 3400
Every Spring the Southern Downs and Granite Belt bursts to life with blooming flowers, colourful wildlife and exciting events celebrated across the season.
Welcome to Warwick, the horsepower capital of Australia! The Southern Downs region is set to roar to life in 2024 with a jam-packed calendar of motorsport events that will satisfy even the most dedicated racing fans.
The Southern Downs region is a haven for four-wheel drive (4WD) enthusiasts and motocross lovers, offering a diverse range of tracks that cater to both beginners and seasoned adventurers. Whether you’re seeking the thrill of rugged terrain or the beauty of untouched wilderness, our region has something for everyone.
Nestled in the heart of the Granite Belt, Girraween National Park is a must-visit destination for adventure seekers and nature lovers. Whether you’re looking to conquer a challenging hike or simply soak in the serene beauty of the landscape, Girraween offers an unforgettable experience worth lacing your boots for.
Our region is simply extraordinary in autumn. Warm days are followed by crisp cool nights, and the landscape is splashed with the clarets and golds of deciduous trees preparing for winter. As if that isn’t enough, here are more great reasons to spend time with us this long weekend.
It’s easy to fall in love with the romantic hues of Autumn on the Southern Downs and Granite Belt.
Call yourself a foodie? Check out these top food and wine experiences in the Southern Downs and Granite Belt.
Hello culture buffs! Ready to explore the region’s thriving arts and history scene? Here’s 5 Southern Downs trails for art and history buffs.
Hand-feed birds at Queen Mary Falls, see kangaroos at Leslie Dam or say g’day to country life at a local farmstay.
From four wheel driving in rugged wilderness to camping under the stars, here’s 5 adventure activities you can do in the Southern Downs.
If you’re planning a road trip to the Southern Downs for the school holidays or looking to get the little ones off their screens for the weekend, check out these top 15 activities for kids of all ages.
Looking for something beyond Chardonnay and Shiraz? Embark on the Strange Bird Wine Trail, where you can sip and swirl your way through the Granite Belt trying alternative varietals like tempranillo, verdhelo and mourvedre.
Pack the cricket set and lay down your rug! We’ve rounded up the top 10 picnic spots in the Southern Downs for your Australia Day BBQ this summer.
This free travel guide is the ultimate resource for your trip to the Southern Downs & Granite Belt. Install it on your mobile device and start planning your next visit today!
For a panoramic view over Stanthorpe, head to Mt Marlay lookout and get your legs pumping by taking the concrete stairs from the bottom of the mountain.
If you prefer your walking trails with more granite and less rainforest, then head straight to Girraween National Park and tackle the monster of all walks, the Pyramid track.
Can’t leave home without your four legged friend? You don’t have to! We’ve rounded up your full list of pet-friendly camping spots in the Southern Downs and Granite Belt.
Swap online deliveries and busy shopping centers for a weekend away in the country where you can #SupportLocal. Stock up on berries straight from the farm or attend a festive market.
No plans yet for the People’s Weekend? We’ve put together the ultimate guide to enjoying a country escape. Put that ‘out of office’ on and hit the road to enjoy a long weekend here.
Every Spring the Southern Downs and Granite Belt bursts to life with blooming flowers, colourful wildlife and exciting events celebrated across the season.
Head off on the Southern Downs Dunny Run, where painted murals have transformed toilet blocks from public loo to public art!
If it’s a nature fix you’re seeking, then these five trails in the Southern Downs and Granite Belt will keep you active for days. From walking past waterfalls to taking in epic views, these trails are serving all the outdoor vibes you need.
Want to experience a true winter this year? You’re in luck! Simply head two hours south west to the coldest place in the state.
With just one month until Easter, now’s the time to book that camping holiday for the family! We are spoilt for choice in our region for fantastic campsites for the whole family.
Blue Topaz Diner is located in lovely Severnlea, just a 5-minute drive south of Stanthorpe. The diner is fast growing in popularity and has a wonderful reputation for preparing scrumptious, affordable meals in their newly refurbished 50’s Retro Diner. Enjoy one of their FAMOUS burgers or many other delights from their menu, and sit down in the funky atmospheric diner, while you listen to tunes from the jukebox!
Blue Topaz Diner has been named ‘Best Takeaway’ and ‘Best Burger’ in the Granite Belt Region in a recent poll for a local newspaper, and they have a reputation for friendly staff who will go that extra mile to ensure your experience is a memorable one.
Blue Topaz Diner sits on-site at the lovely Blue Topaz Caravan Park and is a located in a convenient and picturesque location.
A picturesque vineyard near Girraween National Park, just 10 minutes south of the village of Ballandean. Visit our Cellar door and talk to Steve and Lisa who grow the grapes and make the wine all onsite.
People come to enjoy our elegant reds and crisp clean white wines. A special favourite is a sparkling rose.
Our award-winning range of wines are produced at our winery using estate-grown fruit. Every bottle is crafted with lots of love and attention to detail. A tasting experience not to be missed!
Would you like to stay at a place with friendly staff who will go that extra mile to ensure your experience is a memorable one?
Blue Topaz Caravan Park is a family-owned and operated park, located in lovely Severnlea, just a 5-minute drive south of Stanthorpe. The caravan park offers a great range of accommodation options to suit all budgets from unpowered & powered campsites to family cabins & shared dormitory facilities. Blue Topaz also offers fully self-contained sites for motorhomes and caravans for just $10/night.
Blue Topaz is perfectly positioned close to many local wineries & farms, they welcome tourists, backpackers, traveling nomads, and locals to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. It is also a short drive from Girraween and Sundown National Parks, so you can bushwalk by day and relax by the campfire at night.
Not only do they provide clean, affordable accommodation, they also have a wonderful reputation for preparing scrumptious, affordable meals in their newly refurbished 50’s Retro Diner. Enjoy a delicious burger or many other delights from their menu, and sit down in the funky atmospheric diner, while you listen to tunes from the jukebox!
From wineries to waterfalls there’s always something to explore in the Southern Downs and Granite Belt.
Here at Essen we strive to provide delicious, wholesome food prepared with the freshest local ingredients and products that highlight our regions best growers and artisans.We offer you a comfortable environment to share honest food with good friends.
You love Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt, but you’re not sure you should visit right now because of the bushfires and drought?
Quaffers on Storm King offers seven luxury fully self contained cabins, set amongst 30 acres of native bushland on the banks of Storm King Dam. The cabins have been carefully situated around the property to maximise water views, while still having privacy. Each cabin features a fireplace and air-conditioning, dining and lounge room with large screen television and a modern fully equipped kitchen with open pantry and cook your own breakfast parcels included.
Luxurious king sized beds (studio features queen bed) with linen and electric blankets to keep you snug in winter and large en suites complete the internal of the cabins. Step out onto the large decks with outdoor lounges and enjoy the peaceful settings with views over Storm King Dam.
Quaffers on Storm King has 250m of dam frontage with access for swimming, fishing, kayaking, boating and skiing (trailer boat ramp 1 kilometre away). Enjoy a picnic by the waters edge with your very own fire pit. Quaffers is located 230 kilometres, around three hours drive, from Brisbane and 12 kilometre from Stanthorpe right in the heart of Queensland’s own wine country.
Special Needs and Access:
Relax in the scenic tranquility of granite country landscape over looking the Severn River and picturesque gardens. Enjoy good old fashioned home cooking using fresh local ingredients, surrounded by local and Australian plus international artworks.
Movie Nights, Art Gallery Functions, Children’s parties welcome!
Breakfast and Lunches Open Thursday – Sunday 8am – 4.30pm
Gallery Opening hours 10 am to 4.30pm |
Thursday to Sunday We are proud to exhibit a wide range of artistic genres, promoting local and emerging artists alongside experienced well known artists with exhibitions of stunning variety, talent and quality. The current collection displays an array of Comtemporary, Indigenous, Representational and Expressionist, Traditional painters, Studio hand made Glass Artists and Potters. The Southern Downs produces a fine array of artistic talent. Local painters and potters have contributed to the Gallery as well as well known artists from Queenland and around Australia.
You can benefit from Glen Aplin Gardens Art Gallery’s Obligation Free consultancy, as we are able to provide an on site home decorating service, allowing you to see paintngs in place before you decide to purchase. The gallery’s curators Jenny & Allan are very happy to discuss your special art decor, fine art investment and decorating needs. It is our privilege to assist you whether in our gallery, your home or workplace, to find the painting, or ‘object art’ that meets your decor needs. If you are unsure how your chosen artwork will look in your home or office, we provide a free onsite consultancy to allow you to view the artwork in place without obligation.
Lay-by –Use our 3 month lay-by payment terms, which are available and often enjoyed by clients purchasing their first art work. Investing in a valuable fine art work, painting, or an individual item of pottery for example is an important decision. Let us make it easier for you to purchase that gift or special item you have always desired. There are no charges for lay-by over three monthly payments.
What Our Winery Accommodation Can Offer You…. Our farmhouses are available to host couples and groups, as well as catered functions and weddings. The onsite Gallery Café provides our guests with stunning valley views while dining on old fashioned home cooking. Besides the local scenery, we also have a fabulous art gallery with inspiring paintings, pottery, wood carvings, furniture, handmade jewellery and much more made by local artists for sale.
We provide a venue for celebratory events, as well as old fashioned movie nights on Saturdays with our “Dinner & Flicks” option. Tours of the local wineries and vineyards can be easily arranged.
Glen Aplin Gardens highly recommends that our guests go with Crisp Bus Tours for winery tours. This is a great way for our guests to gain a better understanding of the processes of viticulture and oenology that makes the wine taste so delicious, which you will get to taste in the process. They are available to pick up and drop off guests at our gate for your convenience, meaning you can taste as much wine as you want without having to worry about driving or taxi costs.
If you drive to our Stanthorpe retreat with an all-electric car, then you will be pleased to know that Glen Aplin Gardens has a Tesla Destination Charging Station on site. Our guests with electric cars can now experience seamless travel from Brisbane to Glen Aplin in the Granite Belt.
Sommerville Valley Tourist Park was established on a private property, 12 km from Stanthorpe in a beautiful and quiet area on Storm King Dam. Spacious powered sites, bushy unpowered sites and small budget cabins are available as well as luxury self contained apartments located just on the water edge and providing all the luxury imaginable.
Storm King Dam offers great swimming, fishing, boating and canoeing. Sommerville Valley is close to wineries, berry farms and national parks. Facilities include:
modern camp kitchens, amenities blocks with hot showers and laundry, under cover barbecue areas, community room. Canoes and push bikes are for hire. Well behaved pets are welcome; campfires allowed (weather permitting).
Logger’s Rest B&B consists of 3 spacious Bedrooms each with Ensuites.
There’s a large comfy Lounge room and convivial Breakfast room, both are common areas shared by all Logger’s B&B guests.
For your entertainment enjoy the Games room complete with Pool Table, Spa, TV and woodfired Heater making it a cosy intimate retreat.
Glenlyon Dam Tourist Park is 93 kms west of Stanthorpe.
Bring your tent, van or just stay in one of the cabins (not S/C).
The area is a fishing hotspot , kayaking, water skiing, birdwatching and nature.
No domestic pets or generators.
If you think romance is all about chocolates and rose petals, think again. Before you rush off to book another movie night or dinner date, let us play cupid with this guide to the 6 most romantic places to visit this Valentine’s Day.
If it’s time for the kids to breathe in some fresh country air, reconnect with nature (and each other!) and go offline, then bundle them in the car and head south west to the Southern Downs and Granite Belt.
If you’re looking for a mini spring break from Brisbane or the Gold Coast, get ready to pack your bags, fuel your car and sort your playlist!
Eco-friendly boutique accommodation in the heart of Queensland wine country. Five minutes from Stanthorpe township, and just down the road from several of the region’s premier wineries (including Savina Lane and Whiskey Gully).
We are a B&B style accommodation featuring two luxury queen bedrooms with ensuites for our guests. There is also a well-appointed shared kitchen area, complete with microwave, gas cooktop and a wood oven. The area is stocked with all the necessary requirements for guests to enjoy anything from a cup of coffee to a fully prepared meal.
Self-serve breakfast is included in the cost of accommodation, including everything from cereal and locally sourced seasonal fruit to bacon, farm fresh eggs, bread, juice and milk. Guests are welcome to use the fully equipped kitchen to prepare and cook their own meals. The kitchen also contains a coffee pod machine, toaster and fridge.
We also provide guests with access to an outdoor BBQ, free wifi, and a television in each bedroom (including Netflix).
A wood fire, with wood oven, is provided in the shared kitchen area, perfect for roasting a meal on a winter’s night.
Want to go remote with zero distractions and the chance of not seeing anyone else? On the Queensland/New South Wales border lies Sundown National Park, a rugged wilderness of spectacular steep-sided gorges, sharp ridges and peaks rising more than 1000m.
If it’s a nature fix you’re seeking, then these three national parks in the Southern Downs and Granite Belt will keep you satisfied for days.
Want to experience a true winter this year? Before you start planning a July jaunt to our southern states, simply head two hours south west to Stanthorpe, the coolest place in the State!
Fairbanks Guesthouse is a fully self contained home on a working cattle property at Ballandean near Stanthorpe, Qld just minutes from award winning wineries and tourist destinations. The guesthouse is suitable for groups or families (up to 6) and features, wood fire, gas heating & airconditioning,Queen beds with cosy doonas and blankets, fully self contained kitchen with coffee machine, full size fridge, TV, DVD, Stereo, Games, DVD’s, BBQ, 2 bathrooms, 2 toilets, Towels & Linen provided, Laundry, Walking track, creek, bird watching, wildlife.
A refreshing, relaxing stay awaits you in the scenic Sundown Valley. Peace and quiet are assured.
Fairbanks Guesthouse is a 3 hour dive from Brisbane.
Good Life | Good Food | Good Company
Happy Pig Farm is a paddock self sufficiency working farm only 3 km from visitors center on the Granite Belt in Stanthorpe, Qld.. Ideally located for day trips to wineries and other local attractions or to the pool and gym in town. Can cater all meals from our Paddock to Plate menu.
Accommodation: A self contained holiday apartment in a private wing of our 100 year old Old Queenslander farm house. Can accommodate up to 6 and children welcome. Has 2 bedrooms each with en-suite, nursery annex with single bed & cot, extra beds in spacious lounge area. Self catering kitchenette & private BBQ courtyard. Has wood fire (wood provided) & reverse cycle air conditioning.
Farm Tours: A one hour farm tour is included in the price of your accommodation. Children are welcome to join in farm activities with adult guest supervision.
Stanthorpe has four distinct seasons with something special to do each season. Book early so you don’t miss out.
Happy Pig Farm is a self sufficiency farm on the edge of Stanthorpe on the Granite Belt in south east Queensland.
FARM TOURS: An opportunity for kids of all ages, from toddlers to 90s, to meet our animals – pigs, sheep, cattle, chickens and ducks – first hand. Find out how we farm the old fashioned way using our pigs as tractors and without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Discover real Paddock to Plate Good Food grown on our farm or locally and sold from our Good Food Farm Shop at farm gate prices – including traditionally wood smoked ham and bacon from our ethically paddock raised pigs. Groups welcome by prior arrangement and yes, we can organise morning tea or lunch.for your group.
Happy Pig Farm is a fair dinkum working farm – not a resort – so come expecting to rediscover how farming used to be on our self sufficiency farm a stones throw from the edge of Stanthorpe.
Farm Tours & Good Food Farm Shop is open daily on school holidays, 9am – 4pm on weekends on non school holidays and closed Fridays.
Contact Information
Stanthorpe Information 07 4681 2057
Warwick Information 07 4661 3122
Email us: visitor@sdrc.qld.gov.au
