Australia’s Country Way follows the spine of the Great Dividing Range from Sydney to Rockhampton, and if you are planning a touring holiday then there are great destinations on its Queensland side that are worth factoring into the trip.
You’re spoiled for choice in terms of activities and accommodation options in the legs from Warwick to Toowoomba and Toowoomba to Kingaroy.
Australia’s Country way
www.australiascountryway.com.au
Start on a high with a luxury stay at Spicer’s Peak Lodge. Its accommodation and food is first class, and the views outstanding.
Spicers Retreats
spicersretreats.com
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Allora Regional Sports Museum is a delightful find. The ‘best little town on the Downs’ has raised its fair share of sporting champions, and the museum is packed with their memorabilia.
Allora Regional Sports Museum Inc
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Rudd’s Pub at Nobby is a must-visit, both for its generous counter meals, and the history that lines its walls, celebrating the works of author Steele Rudd, and his Dad and Dave stories.
Rudd’s Pub
www.ruddspub.com.au
open 7 days
Cloudlake Mountain Retreat is nestled in a hidden valley near Ravensbourne National Park. Its gardens are spectacular and there are two cottages available to guests, “The Boathouse” and “Mother of Ducks”
Cloud Lake
www.cloudlake.com
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Crows Nest Soft Drinks have recently relocated to the town’s main square. The hundred-year-old business continues to bottle all its traditional flavours, as well as a new taste sensation called “Musk”.
Crows Nest Soft Drinks
www.cnsd.com.au
open 7 days
Crows Nest Community Arts & Crafts Inc offers another opportunity to pick up a souvenir of your time spent on Australia’s Country Way. It houses a diverse range of arts and crafts by dozens of local creative types. It’s also in the town square and is open 7 days a week.
Crows Nest Community Arts and Crafts
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As the New England Highway descends off the range, it’s worth diverting to Blackbutt. Wiikirri Retreat is an oasis within the country town, and its self-contained cottage and other guest bedrooms are all beautiful.
Wiikirri Retreat
wiikirriretreat.com.au
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Down the road in Yarraman, there’s an amazing tourist attraction that most locals don’t even know about. Kerry Wyvill’s Wyvill’s Museum houses his extensive bottle collection, as well as room after room of household products from days gone by.
As the highway passes through Nanango, there’s a local landmark on the corner that has stood the test of time. Family Affair Antiques and Saddlery continues a century-old tradition of providing goods for the local farming and logging communities.
For the past 20 years, the South Burnett has been wine-making country, and there are many vineyards and cellar doors that open to the public.
The Berry family’s Kingsley Grove Estate, outside Kingaroy, has a Winery Door that gives visitors an opportunity to try their wines while watching a winery in action.
Kingsley Grove Estate
kingsleygrove.com
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Crane Wines is another boutique family-run winery on the opposite side of Kingaroy that’s an original of the area. It has a cellar door, with room to sit and sip or taste some local produce, and there is two bedroom self-contained lodgings in the adjoining colonial homestead.
Crane Wines
www.cranewines.com.au
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