Art deco laneways and rooftop bars, historic architecture and hole in the wall coffee hubs. All this and more is only a couple of hours from Brisbane in Toowoomba.
From breakfast to dinner, city to the country, we’ve done all the hard work for you and put together an itinerary for the perfect two days in the Toowoomba region.
Coffee and a Bite
Toowoomba has a plethora of hole in the wall coffee hubs to choose from like Ground Up Coffee and Sweet Talk Coffee but if you’re after a spot of breakky too, we can’t recommend The Bakers Duck highly enough.
Here Manager Abi McCray heads the amazing team making the magic happen.
“All of our products take approximately three days from start to finish, it’s a long process,” she said. “There’s an awful lot of work that goes on behind the scenes.”
“We’ve actually got two Michelin star trained French pastry chefs so that pretty special.”
While the bakery has lured Europe’s most magnifique, the locals think it’s pretty special too.
“We know most of our regulars and we know their name and their coffee order before they’ve even walked in the door,” Abi said.
A Walk in the Park
Toowoomba has some pretty spectacular spots when it comes to an outdoor stroll. There’s Laurel Bank Park in
the city centre as well as the Toowoomba traditional Japanese Gardens or Spring Bluff.
Of course, there’s also the city’s crowning glory – Queens Park.
Even if you choose to just walk the city streets though, you’ll still have plenty to take in as Toowoomba has over 60 Heritage Listed buildings.
Historic Accommodation
Once again, Toowoomba has many accommodation options in town but if you want an authentic historical experience, we recommend Vacy Hall.
Graham Higgins has been welcoming guests for over 17 years and never tires of the ‘wows’ he hears as his guests enter the main doors.
“It’s like stepping back in time,” he said. “Lots of people just love the historic authenticity and because it’s a different time and place, it makes people feel more relaxed.”
Options range from large luxury suites to double rooms and even a detached cottage ideal for families…
Most of them have one very special feature in common – a fireplace!
“Most people comment on the fact that they can smell the wood smoke in the room when they walk in the door.” Graham said.
It’s those smells, combined with the rich dark wood tones and historic décor that all comes together for a truly must-experience ambience.
“I think I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve been able to create so many special memories for so many tens of thousands of people that live in their hearts forever.”
The Dining Scene
The Toowoomba dining scene doesn’t fall short when it comes to options.
Encores Restaurant is set within the city’s heritage-listed Empire Theatre.
Cork and Lever, Toowoomba’s newest wine bar, has some stellar share plates and wicked wines.
Then there’s Walton Stores, ideal for the indecisive.
From pizza to platters, burgers to Bratwurst, curries to craft beer, it’s all there.
“Walton Stores, it’s been around for five years,” said chef and owner of Junk Restaurant Todd Sarr. “It was the vision of a few people in town that have been here for a long time collectively to try and build a very family orientated space.”
Open from 9am till late every day, the eatery hub encapsulates the modern-day Toowoomba.
“Toowoomba’s a great place,” said Todd. “If you kind of look around and have a look at a lot of these laneways you don’t actually realise what exists off the main street until you venture which is really cool!”
National Park Hikes
Half an hour out of Toowoomba is Ravensbourne National Park and it has some pretty speccy hiking trails.
This part of the Toowoomba region is known as the High Country Hamlets and includes Crows Nest, Highfields and Hampton.
Hampton Visitor Centre’s Kerri Seccombe knows the trails of the region well.
“As soon as you walk into the National Park it’s just a different space,” she said. “It’s quiet, you’re enveloped in nature. It’s a beautiful spot.”
“People say we never knew this existed, it’s beautiful and the drive from Brisbane or from the Sunshine Coast into the region is quite spectacular as well.” She said.
The National Park’s Rainforest circuit, Palm Creek circuit and Buaraba Creek track all offer truly stunning vistas, and the Cedar Block circuit has the bonus of Gus Beutel’s lookout along the way.
It’s not the only National Park of the region offering great hiking trails though. There’s also Geham National Park and Crows Nest National Park plus a few more.
A Man-Sized Meal at a Country Pub
Meringandan Hotel has a BIG reputation, thanks to its man-sized menu offering up whopper parmis, gargantuan steaks and pretty much anything else you can imagine at double the size.
This is a true-blue country hotel surrounded by farmlands, including one working cattle property with a twist.
A Gin Tasting at a Working Farm Homestead
The Pechey family arrived in Pechey here 150 years ago. Starting out originally in dairy, they’re now in grazing cattle so the homestead has certainly seen a few lives.
Now, it houses a working gin distillery – Pechey Gin Distillery!
“We’ve diversified,” said owner John O’Brien.
Uniquely, Pecheys ferment their alcohol on-site in a little shed on the property. The alcohol is then moved to another little shed on the property which happens to be a 100-year-old cream shed recovered from the dairy era.
Within, the beating heart of the operation, the still, creating a beautiful fusion of past and present.
We’re not after bulk,” John said. “We take a lot of care, we’re bespoke.”
“We wanted to create a quality product, something that people put on their top-shelf.”
The tour ends how most should, with a tasting! Luckily, Pechey Homestead has you covered for somewhere to stay too.
Toowoomba in beautiful Southern Queensland Country has vast and varied offerings.
