When you think of Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt region, you would be forgiven for thinking it is all about the wineries. While there are a LOT of wineries (over 50), this region has so much other cool stuff to offer. From a stunning national park, a bustling foodie scene, tons of little stores selling amazing artisan products made by talented locals and some quirky attractions you won’t find anywhere else!
Stanthorpe is also the “coolest” place in Queensland. Its summer temperatures can be up to 10 degrees cooler than Brisbane and it has way less humidity. In winter, it’s a perfect chilly destination where you can curl up in front of the fireplace. We visited in April and the days were warm and the nights were nice and cool. Although winter is its peak season, it really is an all-season destination.
We spent 3 nights exploring the non-winery stuff on offer in the Granite Belt region and had an awesome time. Here’s what we got up to:
Day One:
Getting there:
Stanthorpe is located an easy 3-hour drive from Brisbane, making it the perfect destination for a cheeky weekend away. We chose to get there via Beaudesert which is slightly longer so we could see a few “Big Things” that we missed on our road trip last November.
The Big Pumpkin
Some big things are great, some are not so great. This one falls into the latter category. The “Big Pumpkin” looks like it was left out to rot last Halloween. It has a cool little fruit and vegie store attached and we grabbed a few things (as well as the obligatory pic) before continuing on our way.
The Big Fishing Rod @ Wyaralong Dam
You remember how I said “some big things are great”, well this was one of them. We had no idea Wyaralong Dam existed and without being on our “Big Things” hunt we never would have found it. The dam is large, well maintained and had an abundance of free public BBQs, plenty of covered seating areas and nice and clean public toilets.
The “Big Fishing Rod” is also in the same spot as a bunch of other sculptures by a local artist, so there’s some cool stuff to see here and it would make a great morning tea stop along the way if you are planning on driving out the same way we did.
We will definitely be back for a weekend picnic at some point in the near future.
Check out more about Wyaralong Dam here: https://www.seqwater.com.au/dams/wyaralong
The Big Shears
An hour and a half down the road, we found ourselves in the town of Warwick. We were in need of a pitstop, so we called into Jackie Howe park in Warwick to use the facilities and see “The BIg Shears”. There was a lady with her dog and a bunch of puppies having lunch here, so we lingered a bit longer to watch the cuteness. We were not disappointed. SO ADORABLE!
The Big Apple
When you see the Big Apple you know you have reached the Granite Belt region. Woohoo! By now you are probably ready for some lunch!
Stanthorpe Cheese & Jersey Girls Cafe
OMG this was the most delicious lunch I have had in a while! If you are visiting the region, this one is an absolute must-do!!
Jersey Girls Cafe is attached to Stanthorpe Cheese and offers a simple cafe menu. Most people only come here for one thing - their FAMOUS Ploughman’s lunch platter! It definitely lived up to the hype. You get to pick which cheeses you would like on your platter (they offer a free cheese tasting, which you can do beforehand to help you decide your faves but you will need to book in advance for this as it is very popular). The freshly baked bread was divine and we thoroughly enjoyed devouring every bit of it. Honestly, I could eat this every day and not get bored with it.
Being the retail outlet for the cheese factory, the cafe also sells all the cheeses in all different size wedges, so we purchased a couple of our favourites and some overpriced crackers to have with them before we headed off to our next stop.
Check out more about Stanthorpe Cheese & Jersey Girls cafe here: https://www.stanthorpecheese.com.au/
Castle Glen
Castle Glen make beer, ciders, liquors, wine, spirits and a small range of confectionery. The building is shaped like a castle and looks super fun from the outside. Inside it is dimly lit and a bit disappointing, given the grandeur of the exterior. A redeeming feature is that they do have a very large range of alcohols available and offer free tastings. I saw one lady blast her way through what must have been at least 20 free tastings and leave without buying anything, so you can have a pretty good time here for free if that’s your kind of thing (make sure you have a designated driver).
I tried a few of their ciders and liqueurs but wasn’t a fan. I bought some of their Jaffa fudge instead. Noel found a coffee and chocolate liqueur he liked (which is apparently their best seller) and got a bottle of that. The bottle could have done without the bikini girl on the front (it’s not 1950 after all and women are not objects) but they gave us a cute reusable bag that perfectly fits a couple of bottles of grog, so we will definitely be using that.
Check out more about Castle Glen Australia here: https://www.castleglenaustralia.com.au/
Granite Belt Retreat
We had booked 3 nights accommodation at the Granite Belt Retreat, which is located a few minutes out of Stanthorpe on the grounds of the Granite Belt Brewery. We checked in around 3pm and the guy at the front desk was really nice and gave us some fresh milk, coffee supplies and some cereal and freshly baked bread for breakfast on a couple of the mornings.
The timber cabins looked super cute and were well priced, considering it was a long weekend heading into the peak season. We had a comfortable queen-size bed, a lounge room that housed a fireplace, a jetted spa and a little kitchenette and an ensuite bathroom. The cabins are spacious and well spaced out around the grounds and we didn’t hear any of our neighbours all weekend, even though the place was at full capacity.
From March-November they supply firewood and the cabins are air-conditioned, so you will be comfortable regardless of the season. We enjoyed our stay and would definitely stay here again.
Check out more about Granite Belt Retreat here: https://granitebeltretreat.com.au/
Varias Restaurant @ QLD college of wine tourism
Varias restaurant is only open a couple of nights per week and, being the number one rated restaurant in Stanthorpe books out quite quickly.
The Queensland College of Wine Tourism is a joint venture between the University of Southern Queensland and the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training. It is a training and education facility for the Queensland wine tourism industry. The College is located on the campus of Stanthorpe State High School and provides specialist education and training facilities for the wine tourism industry.
I’ll tell you what, these kids did a damn fine job!! The service was friendly, efficient, professional and the food was absolutely spectacular. We could not fault any part of the experience. Noel got a kick out of asking our clearly underage waitress for a wine recommendation and learning something from her.
You will definitely need to book in advance to have dinner here but you won’t regret it.
Check out more about Varias Restaurant here: https://qcwt.com.au/varias-restaurant/
Day Two:
Included breakfast
Saturday night stays at the Granite Belt Retreat include a hot breakfast in the restaurant on Sunday morning. We enjoyed this and our waiter was super helpful. He took the time to grab us a tourist map of the region and mark out where all the attractions were. He also gave us the heads up about some roadworks that were happening on the road between Stanthorpe and Ballandean so we could plan around these.
Ashbern Strawberry Farm
Our first stop of the day was at the Ashbern Strawberry farm, which was located just a few minutes from where we were staying. The farm is in season from October-May and open Friday to Sunday in these months. However, as we learnt the hard way they are closed on public holidays (it was ANZAC day when we visited).
You can pick your own strawberries or you can buy freshly picked punnets and other strawberry products in their on-site shop. We will be putting this one on the list for next time for sure.
Check out more about Ashbern Farms here: https://www.ashbernfarms.com.au/
Jamworks Gourmet Foods Cafe & Larder (& The Big Jam Jars)
Our stop at Jamworks was mostly to snap a pic with the big jam jars but it looked like a cute spot so we ventured inside. Jamworks mostly operate as a cafe, however, they do have a larder that sells their own products and a small range of other products from the granite belt region. We stocked up on a bunch of jams, relishes and other such stuff and everything we have had so far from it has been absolutely delicious.
We had the “world-famous jam doughnut” from the cafe and it tasted like someone had microwaved a 3-day old Maccas doughnut, it was rank. That doughnut had absolutely no business being famous (unless it’s famous for being shit?) so based on that experience I wouldn’t recommend the cafe food here.
Check out more about Jamworks here: https://www.jamworks.com.au/
Washpool Farm Soaperie
The Washpool Farm soaperie is a little store near Ballandean that sells handmade soaps, moisturisers, scrubs, natural cleaning products and other such delicious smelling goodies. The smell was a bit too much for Noel, so we didn’t stay too long here but we did each get some soaps and other bits that we are enjoying using. It’s definitely worth a quick visit.
Check out more about Washpool here: https://www.washpool.com.au/
Heavenly Chocolates @ Wisteria Cottage
Heavenly Chocolates are on the road you will drive on to get into the Girraween National Park and only a few minutes from the day use area, where most of the walking trails start. You literally can’t miss it if you are heading that way.
It was very busy when we stopped in but it didn’t take too long to get into the store and get served. We bought a small selection of their most delicious looking chocolates and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Apparently their hot chocolate is to die for (we didn’t try it).
Check out more about Heavenly Chocolates here: https://heavenlychocolate.business.site/
Girraween National Park / The Granite Arch hike
The Girraween National Park is a must do when you are visiting the Granite Belt. There are walks for everyone, from some that are just a few hundred metres long to some that are pretty challenging and will take you the best part of the day to complete.
Pretty much all of the walks begin at the Bald Rock Creek day use area, which has ample parking, public toilets and a number of picnic tables and areas. There is good signage about the walks that are available and if you haven’t already picked the walk(s) you want to do this will help you decide.
We chose the “Granite Arch” walk, which was a 2km-ish circuit. The trail was very well maintained with a few hills and stairs but nothing too challenging. The granite arch itself was really cool to see, but the whole trail is surrounded by massive granite boulders and there are lots of photo opportunities along the trail. We really enjoyed the walk and would recommend it to anyone who is able to navigate stairs and uneven ground.
Check out more about Girraween National Park here: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/girraween
Anna’s Candles
This was a little shop we spotted on our way to our lunch stop. Anna makes all the candles herself and there are some really great smelling ones. We ended up choosing a Lemon Myrtle and a Strawberry and Champagne candle to bring home and they both make our house smell great!
It doesn’t look like she has a website, but you can find the shop at 10 Curr Rd, Ballandean QLD
The Barrel Room at Ballandean
The Barrel Room was our lunch stop for the day. This is another really popular restaurant that books out, so make sure you book in advance. The restaurant houses the barrels for the attached winery and they are absolutely huge! Each barrel contains enough wine to fill 6000 bottles. That’s a lot of wine.
We both had delicious pasta meals that were top notch. The dessert plate was a bit disappointing through (Sticky date pudding was the only dessert i’d recommend). The service was good, the food came out quickly and we left happy with full tummies.
Check out more about The Barrelroom Restaurant here: https://www.barrelroomrestaurant.com/
Mount Marley Lookout & Summit Walk
Before heading back to our accommodation, we decided to check out the Mount Marley Lookout. The lookout was nice and there were free binoculars at the top. These worked pretty well and Noel creeped on some backyard family BBQ because they had a cute dog. There is also a summit walk you can do up the top of the mountain and a couple of picnic tables if you want to have some food up here. I think it would be a great sunset spot.
Check out more about Mount Marley Lookout here: https://granitebeltwinecountry.com.au/listing/mt-marley-lookout-and-summit-walk/
The Big Thermometer
We swung by the park in the middle of town to take a picture with the big thermometer and look at the cute ducks that were swimming in the creek on the way back to our accomodation. It’s a nice spot and worth a look!
Dinner
We had too much food today, so we just had some cheese and crackers and our leftover chocolates for dinner In front of the fireplace!
If you are looking for a dinner spot, we have previously eaten at Aussie Beef Steakhouse and their steaks are seriously some of the best we have ever had. Their cocktails are rubbish though, so stick to canned or bottled drinks and you can’t go wrong.
Day Three
Granite Belt Maze & Mini Golf
The Granite Belt maze is a quirky attraction that appeals to the young and the young at heart. There are three mazes inside. The main one is pretty big and you need to solve riddles along the way. The other two are smaller and full of obstacles that you will need to get around/through to successfully complete (each obstacle has an easy way and a hard way).
Once you have finished playing in the mazes, your entry fee also includes 9 holes of mini golf. I got a bit excited and managed to smash my ball into some trees and lose it on the second hole, so Noel and I just shared his ball so we could finish the course LOL.
There is also a garden area, with some fun props for photos and a small cafe. This place is definitely worth a visit.
Check out more about Granite Belt Maze here: https://www.thegranitebeltmaze.com.au/
Granite Belt Christmas Farm
The Christmas Farm is one of my favourite places in the Granite Belt.
It is a working Christmas Tree farm, but it also houses a large Christmas store with amazing decorations and a small farm full of Santa’s animals. There is an onsite cafe and you absolutely MUST get a hot chocolate while you are here.
They have just started doing picnic packs and we pre-ordered one of these. There was plenty of food included and the price was very reasonable. The bags of food for the animals are $2 each and they are all very tame and love a pat.
If it’s November/December when you visit, then you can pick up a real Christmas tree from the farm. Make sure this place is on your list if you are visiting the region.
Check out more about The Christmas Farm here: https://www.granitebeltchristmasfarm.com.au/
Truffle Discovery Centre
All I really knew about truffles is that they are somehow related to mushroom (which we both hate) and are VERYYY expensive.
We popped in anyway and the staff member that helped us was really friendly. She showed us some truffles and explained how they are found as well as giving us a taste of all the products they had. There was never any pressure to buy anything but we both actually really liked a few things, so we bought some truffle oil and a truffle infused balsamic.
They also make a bunch of other products, like jams, relishes, chutneys etc onsite under the “Granite Belt Gourmet” and they offer free tastings of these products too. They were pretty tasty!!
The truffle discovery centre is a small place down a long driveway, so look out for the signs on the fence.
Check out more about The truffle discovery centre here: https://trufflediscoverycentre.com.au/
Aloomba Lavender Farm
The Aloomba Lavender farm is located just over the border, in NSW. On the drive there, we both realised it was the first time we had left the state since pre-COVID!
It was quite late in the day when we visited and it wasn’t peak lavender season, so there wasn’t too much to see. There is a restaurant/cafe onsite, but it was closed when we visited. We visited the gift store, which is full of products that your grandma would probably love.
This place would be worth a visit in Lavender season, but if you are short on time you can pretty easily skip this place and not miss too much.
Check out more about Aloomba Lavender Farm here: http://www.aloombalavender.com.au/
Suttons Juice Factory
We saved one of the most iconic places until last, the Suttons Juice Factory!
Suttons makes delicious apple juices, ciders and other such apple based products and their onsite cafe has the most delicious apple pie you will ever eat. Fair warning though, it is a massive serve, so come hungry!
Check out more about Suttons Juice Factory here: https://suttonsfarm.com.au/
Dinner @ Granite Belt Brewery
It turns out that there aren’t too many places open for Monday night dinner is Stanthorpe, especially on a public holiday. But, luckily for us, the brewery restaurant was open and a 2 minute walk from our cabin.
The food at the Brewery was great, as was the service. The brewery offer 2 and 3 course lunch and dinner specials that include a tasting paddle of their own beers.
Check out more about Granite Belt Brewery here: https://granitebeltretreat.com.au/restaurant/
Day Four:
We continued the trip west. I’ll blog about that next and pop a link to that post here in case you are headed in the same direction.
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