Author: Nicole Franklin

Coffee and cake: your cafe trail through the Western Downs

There’s no doubt about it – travelling is hungry business. Luckily, cafes and car trips go hand in hand like, well, coffee and cake. When it comes to quaint eateries, the Western Downs turns up the country charm with some of …

Read More

There’s no doubt about it – travelling is hungry business. Luckily, cafes and car trips go hand in hand like, well, coffee and cake. When it comes to quaint eateries, the Western Downs turns up the country charm with some of …

48 hours to sink your teeth into the Chinchilla MelonFest

What does summer look like to you?  If your answer included munching on sweet, thirst-quenching watermelons, then your summer is about to get a whole lot juicier.  Every second February, the biennial Chinchilla Melon Festival takes over the town to celebrate …

Read More

What does summer look like to you?  If your answer included munching on sweet, thirst-quenching watermelons, then your summer is about to get a whole lot juicier.  Every second February, the biennial Chinchilla Melon Festival takes over the town to celebrate …

Where to shop and eat local in the Western Downs

Your taste buds will come alive with flavours of the locally produced meat, fruit or vegetables, whether you dine at home or dine-in at one of the hotels and restaurants. When agriculture, farming, and wheat are three of a region’s top …

Read More

Your taste buds will come alive with flavours of the locally produced meat, fruit or vegetables, whether you dine at home or dine-in at one of the hotels and restaurants. When agriculture, farming, and wheat are three of a region’s top …

The ultimate guide to Big Skies Festival

Name another festival with iconic Aussie rock music, a heritage-listed French colonial home, and a week of one-of-a-kind country events only three hours’ drive from Brisbane? We’ll wait.  The Western Downs’ Big Skies Festival has it all and is an absolute …

Read More

Name another festival with iconic Aussie rock music, a heritage-listed French colonial home, and a week of one-of-a-kind country events only three hours’ drive from Brisbane? We’ll wait.  The Western Downs’ Big Skies Festival has it all and is an absolute …

Your ultimate guide to the Bunya, Bell, Jimbour, Jandowae tour

Looking for a road trip that combines Queensland’s second oldest national park with one of the world’s longest man-made structures, a French-style country home, and a garden dedicated to plants and trees from the bible?  Let us introduce you to the …

Read More

Looking for a road trip that combines Queensland’s second oldest national park with one of the world’s longest man-made structures, a French-style country home, and a garden dedicated to plants and trees from the bible?  Let us introduce you to the …

How to do the Leichhardt Highway

Stretching close to 700 kilometres from Goondiwindi to Yeppoon, and running through the Western Downs from south to north, the Leichhardt Highway has a strong connection to our region. While the highway’s history dates back to the mid-1800s, when European explorer …

Read More

Stretching close to 700 kilometres from Goondiwindi to Yeppoon, and running through the Western Downs from south to north, the Leichhardt Highway has a strong connection to our region. While the highway’s history dates back to the mid-1800s, when European explorer …

The ultimate camping guide in the Western Downs

Whether you prefer to pitch a tent or BYO accommodation on wheels (aka a caravan), head to the Western Downs to one of our camping grounds to overnight under a canopy of twinkling lights. Looking for accommodation in the Western Downs …

Read More

Whether you prefer to pitch a tent or BYO accommodation on wheels (aka a caravan), head to the Western Downs to one of our camping grounds to overnight under a canopy of twinkling lights. Looking for accommodation in the Western Downs …

Where to take a picnic in the Western Downs

We have you covered from a water park to bush walking in the National Parks, grab the kids, a picnic basket and explore these diverse picnic spots in the Western Downs. Do you know the recipe to a perfect picnic? If …

Read More

We have you covered from a water park to bush walking in the National Parks, grab the kids, a picnic basket and explore these diverse picnic spots in the Western Downs. Do you know the recipe to a perfect picnic? If …

Country Pub Guide: The off the beaten track pub tour

Who doesn’t love a bit of country hospitality when it’s paired with a schooey and a schnitty?  Get to know the town beyond the guidebook by pulling up a barstool and having a yarn with the publicans and locals at a …

Read More

Who doesn’t love a bit of country hospitality when it’s paired with a schooey and a schnitty?  Get to know the town beyond the guidebook by pulling up a barstool and having a yarn with the publicans and locals at a …

9 things to see along the Western Downs Military Trail

Like many Australian towns whose local men and women served during both World Wars as well as welcoming returning soldiers taking up land as part of the Government’s soldier settlement scheme, the Western Downs has a strong military connection. From signatures …

Read More

Like many Australian towns whose local men and women served during both World Wars as well as welcoming returning soldiers taking up land as part of the Government’s soldier settlement scheme, the Western Downs has a strong military connection. From signatures …