Welcome to the Toowoomba and Western Visitor’s Guide!

The Darling Downs and Western regions of Queensland are truly the place to be, with everything from breathtaking outback views to temperate rainforests; towns known for their country hospitality and classic big pub feeds to city centres with happening foodies scenes; and history buff locations to family friendly getaways

The Darling Downs reaches from cool-climate Granite Belt in the south to the sunny South Burnett region in the north, and west out towards Chinchilla and Goondiwindi. Further west is the gateway to the outback and accompanying shires like Quilpie and Paroo.

All of these regions have their own stories to tell, from a successful history in beef production to the beginning of Queensland’s oil industry - or even Australia’s biggest megafauna fossils!

There’s also a plethora of other activities to occupy your time here, from museums and galleries, to shops and markets, to cafes and restaurants — not to mention the more unique ideas like fossicking for opals or exploring historic abandoned railway tunnels.

This guide will help you find the spots the locals love, exploring urban and country areas alike to your heart’s content, with plenty of great food and activities thrown in.

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Enjoy the crisp winters and gentle summers of the Toowoomba region and Granite Belt, or relish the outback heat in Murweh and Bulloo.

You’ll discover broad waterways and bright gardens, native forests and rugged landscapes, quaint hamlets and vibrant country towns, all waiting to be explored and rich with unique stories and envyinducing photo ops to share with friends back home.

You’ll find there really is something for everyone in our pocket of Queensland, so come and discover everything the Darling Downs and Western Queensland has to offer — we can’t wait to meet you!

FRONT COVER: Bonus Downs is located 35 minutes south-west of Mitchell in the Maranoa Region. Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

We acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians of our regions and their elders past and present.

The Toowoomba and Western Visitors Guide is published by News Corp Australia, 1/5 Keefe Street, Toowoomba City. Those who make advertising placement and/or supply copy material or editorial submissions to the Guide undertake to ensure that all such material does not infringe any copyright, trademark, defamation, libel, slander of title, breach of confidence, does not contain anything obscene or indecent, or does not infringe the trade practices act or other laws, regulations or statutes. Further to the abovementioned, these persons agree to indemnify the publishers and/or its agents against any investigations, claims or judgements.

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News Corp Australia would like to thank the following for their assistance in the productions of editorial content in the Toowoomba and Western Visitors Guide: Western Downs Regional Council, Balonne Shire Council, Paroo Shire Council, and Bulloo Shire Council. Thanks also goes to Tourism and Events Queensland for the use of images throughout this publication.

Contents

Welcome to Toowoomba and the Western Regions

Regional Events

Photo-worthy hikes

Art trails

History & heritage trail

Fossicking & panning trail

Western trail

Fishing, boating and kayaking

Pub trail

Wine trail

Waterfalls

Welcome to Toowoomba

Places for hiking and biking

Fishing and camping

Perfect parks

Markets and shopping

Tasty treats

Get your art on

Enjoy the best of Southern Downs

Winter weekends in the Southern Downs

Get arty in the Southern Downs

Cheers to a Granite Belt wine weekend

Southern Downs art trail

Welcome to the Western Downs

Western Downs towns

Welcome to the Maranoa Region

Best of Maranoa: what not to miss

Maranoa road trips

Easter in the Country Festival

Welcome to the St George Region

St George towns

Welcome to the Paroo Region

Cunnamulla

Eulo

Yowah and Wyandra

Welcome to the Bulloo Shire

Cameron Corner and Noccundra

Bulloo National Parks

Burke and Wills Dig Tree

Welcome to Murweh Shire

Charleville

Exploring further - Morven

Welcome to the South Burnett

Kingaroy

South Burnett wineries

Welcome to Quilpie Region

Fossicking fun at Quilpie

Welcome to Goondiwindi Region

Goondiwindi and Texas

Goondiwindi art trail Regional Map