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se queensland: general info
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things to do
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wine country
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Date: September 2005
Location: Southeast Queensland Australia
An easy day trip or short break from Brisbane,
the South Burnett Valley is a corner of South
East Queensland Country well worth exploring.
One of the region's attractions is its wineries.
The South Burnett wine trail takes in the majestic Bunya
Mountains and fertile open farmlands. Along the trail you'll come across towns
such as Wondai, Murgon and Kingaroy, famous for its peanuts. The best spot to
stop for a picnic is the picturesque Dingo Park, just outside Wondai, with its
barbecues, picnic areas and shaded playground for the kids. Wondai's newest attractions
are the South Burnett Timber Museum and Visitor Information Centre.
While Kingaroy has a variety of places to lay your head, ranging from cosy bed
and breakfasts to comfortable motels and country pubs, we chose Passchendaele,
one of the region's hospitable farm stay properties as our base. This 7,500 acre
working cattle property is around three and a half hours drive from Brisbane
or 60km out from Kingaroy.
The property owners, Ken and Carolyn Stone are the most wonderful hosts, and judging by their bulging visitor book, the verdict is unanimous! If your aim is to experience life on a working farm, you won't be disappointed.
There didn't seem to be enough hours in the day to fit it all in - from milking Rosie the cow, patting Midget (the old horse), collecting the eggs, touring around the property with Ken in the 4WD to relaxing on the verandah with a cuppa.
One of the absolute highlights was a camp oven dinner cooked under the stars. We finished off our three course feast with billy tea and damper, yarning round the camp fire until my eyelids started to droop. We stayed in the two bedroom renovated weatherboard cottage, or you can stay with the family up in the main homestead which is set among several acres of native Australian gardens.
After a couple of days on the farm, we headed into Kingaroy
and made great value cabin accommodation at the Kingaroy Caravan Park our
new home. The park offers air conditioned, fully-self contained cabins which sleep
up to five people per night, and more luxurious two bedroom villas. In the winter
months, there's bush poetry and campfire cook-ups every Monday night.
Make sure you sample the local peanuts, guaranteed fresh off the farm. Either
stop in at the Peanut Van, on Kingaroy Street for free samples of flavoured
and salted peanuts or take a free tour of Kingaroy Toasted Peanuts.
Just outside Kingaroy are several wineries well worth a visit. The boutique award-winning
Crane's Winery was the first established in the region, while Captain's
Paddock is a great spot for lunch and to sample the local wines, looking out
over the Booie Ranges. Stuart Range Winery is right in the heart of town in the
original butter factory.
Queensland's first spirits distillery, the Booie Range Distillers offers
tastings of rum, whisky and brandy. The complex incorporates The Bell Tower Restaurant,
run by leading chef Michael Collins, and features delicious regional cuisine,
including red claw crayfish, organic poultry, freshwater fish and aged beef.
A day trip must is the nearby Bunya
Mountains, with well-signed walking trails and Rosella's Brasserie a great
spot for lunch and to hand feed the abundant bird life. I can't get enough of
this country hospitality.
For more information:
South Burnett Visitor
Information Centre
Tel +61 7 4162 3199
Crane's Winery
Tel +61 7 4162 7647
Booie Range Distillers
Tel +61 7 4162 7000
Passchendaele
Tel +61 7 4164 8147
Stuart Range Winery
Tel +61 7 4162 3711
South Burnett Timber
Museum
Tel +61 7 4168 5652
Fraser Coast South
Burnett Regional Tourism Board
Tel +61 7 4122 3444
- By Sue Fuller
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