Darling Downs are situated in Southern Queensland, along the New South Wales border. The beautiful landscape is extremely fertile agricultural land and is home to a number of pretty, historic towns and several wineries.
West of Brisbane is Ipswich, which hosts some glorious old buildings from its early convict days. Ipswich also gives access to both the Southern Queensland border, and the Great Dividing Range.
Heading south west from Ipswich towards Warwick, you will cross the Great Dividing Range and the Main Range National Park at the spectacular Cunningham's Gap.
Cunningham's Gap is the starting point for many of the excellent bushwalking trails through the National Park. There is also a small camping ground at Cunningham's Gap, which you can book through the Ranger Ph: (07) 4666 1133.
Warwick is a farming town, and is the second oldest town in Queensland. There are a number of historical buildings around the town, with Pringle Cottage and Museum being a popular place to visit. If you are travelling through during October, then you should stop for the towns annual Rodeo. West of Warwick is Goondiwindi, which is off of the Newell Highway which travels between Brisbane and Melbourne. There is an interesting museum which you can visit, as well as a small wildlife park at Boobera Lagoon.
South of Warwick is Stanthorpe, which is the main town within the fruit and wine growing region of the Granite Belt. There is a small selection of accommodation in Stanthorpe, as well as a good museum and art gallery. In July the town holds the rather unique Brass Monkey Festival to celebrate being the coolest town in Queensland. From Stanthorpe you should definitely visit the spectacular Girraween National Park, which continues over the New South Wales border becoming the Bald Rock National Park. There are a number of great walking tracks around the park which can fill a few hours to a few days.
If you continue north west from Ipswich, you will reach Toowoomba which is a very pretty city, hosting a selection of old and beautiful buildings.
Several places to visit around Toowoomba, include the interesting Cobb and Co Museum, the wonderful Raku En Japanese Garden, and the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery. All are worth going to, and Toowoomba makes a pleasant place to stop for a couple of days.
Continuing west towards the rugged Queensland Outback you will pass the exciting Jondaryan Woolshed, and the fabulous Miles Historical Village. The final town you will come to in this area is Roma, which is a cattle and sheep town which also supplies both gas and oil.
Featured Darling Downs Activities
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5 Laps In A V8 Race Car(EX1269) (Motor Racing) Most people just dream of sitting behind the wheel of a V8 race car but this exciting experience will allow you to do just that as well as drive one for yourself... for FIVE laps!!
Your in-car coac...
Seven Course Degustation Lunch Dining Experience(EX1446) (Food & Beverage Tasting) Set amongst 8,000 luscious acres with breathtaking views of the World Heritage listed Main Range National Park and Scenic Rim, your luxurious dining experience will take place at an award winning rest...
Hot Laps in a Lotus Exige(EX2160) (Motor Racing) The team at Lotus builds some of the best handling cars in the world. The less is more philosophy is what Lotus is all about so strap into the passenger seat for the high speed ride of your life! Let ...
Queensland DVD (Queenslands South East - Land of Scenic Wonder)
Purchase the DVD that portrays Queensland's South East including footage of Fraser Island, Glass House Mountains, Blackall Range, Montville, Mount Tamborine and Springbrook's unforgettable rock bridge.
Taking you through the tree tops in Lamington where the thick, green roof shades; the mysterious underworld of the forest floor. On to Noosa, a haven of stunning national parks and brilliant waterways. Plus the amazing coloured sands of Teewah and Rainbow Beach.
PLEASE NOTE: The Queensland travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for Queensland Holidays can be found on the main Queensland Holidays location guide.
