Our Toowoomba Getaway
4th – 7th July 2020
The perfect country getaway location, less then 2 hours from the Gold Coast and Brisbane!
Okay so first up this little getaway was amazing! So much more then we anticipated! What a stunning location the Toowoomba Region is, so much I even looked into real estate. (But the was a hard NO from Dave; haha!).
We spent 3 nights in Toowoomba in the peak of winter, it was freezing but not as bad as I expected. The days were sunny and just stunning. Think knits, boots and beanies and amongst stunning old buildings, beautiful national parks and forests, large parks, and amazing gardens. Colours of flowers we don’t get on the Gold Coast, Seasons we don’t get on the Gold Coast! Toowoomba really does get 4 seasons, which is a beautiful change!
I also met some of the most amazing family run businesses amongst our travels and I can’t wait to share everything we have done. I am going to list what we did, and also a few things we didn’t get time to do. (But alas, we will be back to finish those off).
This was such a much needed getaway after our Covid19 lockdown, and it was so nice to get out and about supporting QLD tourism again. QLD is huge with so much to offer. For us Queenslanders now is the time to visit all of the beauties our state has to offer.
Saturday the 4th July
We drove down to Toowoomba on Saturday afternoon, we left just after lunch time and it took us an hour and 45 minutes. The kids were all amazing in the car so we were able to do it without any stops.
At about 2pm we checked into out accommodation, we stayed at the new Oaks Toowoomba which had just opened on the 1st of July! We found this to be in a great location, 2 blocks walking distance to the Grand Central Shopping Centre, Queens Park and lots of eatery options. We stayed in 2 rooms – interconnecting, which was a great options for us as a family of 5.
After getting settled into the hotel we decided to head out for a walk, Saturday was by far the coldest day of out Getaway, so the kiddies were all rugged up in their jumpers, beanies and gloves! Hazel was keen to check out the pool at the Oaks but was very disappointed when it was too cold to swim haha!
We then walked around the streets and found something for an early dinner. We found a trendy set up with different food options and music which was nice. We had Hello Harry’s Burgers for dinner and it was really yummy!
We then headed back to the Hotel to get warmed up and into bed for a movie night with the kids. They LOVED that they were allowed to watch movies in bed, what a treat!
Sunday the 5th July
We were up nice and early for a walk on Sunday. We walked down to Queens Park and Botanic Gardens. Wow what a beautiful location – and just huge. Lots of walking paths, playground and a lovely coffee van was there in the morning. Definitely a perfect picnic location! We spent a few hours here exploring before heading back to the hotel.
After this we packed up the car to drive out to Bunnyconnellen, this was approx 45 minutes out of Toowoomba. Bunnyconnellen was a definite highlight and I loved our visit. (Make sure you take the new England Hwy out, our GPS forgot to give us this option haha).
Bunnyconnellen is a stunning vineyard and olive grove as well as a B&B. They offer beautiful picnics, live music and are also a beautiful wedding venue. It is a family run business and we had a magical afternoon. The kids loved running around and exploring (they loved collecting the nuts from the macadamia and fig trees). The local produce was amazing! Make sure to check their website for upcoming events!
On your way out (or back to Toowoomba), you will pass through a few small towns under the Toowoomba region known as the High Country Hamlets. I definitely recommend making the day out of it and visiting some of the amazing locations, dining options and shops. Absolutely stunning. We went back to visit Pechey Forest on Monday – which is also located in this region.
When we finally got back to the hotel, we didn’t have much of a break and got dressed for a nice dinner at The Rock Pub Toowoomba, this is a new Gastropub located in the same building as the Oaks also opening July 1st. Wow what a meal, and the service from all staff was extraordinary! I struggled to choose from the menu as everything sounded delicious! We had an amazing time and the kids were really well behaved which is a bonus. The kids wanted me to add they loved the greens on their kids meals, they are big veggie fans!
After dinner we were finally back to our accommodation for another movie night after a HUGE but beautiful day!
Monday the 6th of July
Another early morning, we didn’t want to waste any time as there was so much to explore around Toowoomba! We rugged the kids up and decided to check out the Japanese Gardens! This is another must see, both kids absolutely loved all of the little paths, signs, ponds, ducks and red bridges! You would probably only need to set aside 1-2 hours here (we spent approx an hour) depending on how quickly you want to stroll. Its a beautiful place for a picnic also!
Next stop was Picnic Point Lookout and Parklands, this has an absolutely stunning lookout, lots of park and playgrounds and a little cafe which we stopped for morning tea! It was a beautiful location that also had some bushwalking – we just were not dressed in walking attire this time!
I told you we wanted to take in everything, and we definitely made the most of it today! Our next stop was Boyce Gardens. This one we struggled to find in our GPS (Just search Range Street, Toowoomba). This was another lovely garden and another place the kids loved running around exploring. You definitely wouldn’t need longer then an hour here.
After this we were all hungry and tired, so we decided to find some lunch. We grabbed some food from a local bakery and headed to Laurel Banks Park. This one is beautiful and definitely a must see with kiddies. They have a great playground, as well as amazing gardens and even a train shaped hedge! Kids loved it! Hazel loved the statues of the woman – see photo! Haha!
From here on the girls needed a nap – and I wanted to head back to Pechey Forest for some photos, so the 30 minute drive was a great option and a win win for everyone! I loved the Pine Forest, it was absolutely stunning. However unless your a photography enthusiast or really like pine trees – its probably not somewhere to stop at!
By the time we headed back into Toowoomba it was again almost dinner time. Tonight we decided to walk down to the dining at the Grand Central Shopping Centre as it was only 1-2 blocks away. We had a nice quiet and quick dinner at Schnitz and then back to our room for an early night. We were all exhausted.
Tuesday the 7th of July
Home time! Those 3 nights absolutely flew but we definitely made the most of the time we had! For everyone that told us “oh whats in Toowoomba”, the answer is – “SOOOO MUCH”!
We checked out, had some breakfast and decided to check our a few op shops before heading home. I’ll list a few of the op shops below for any one else interested in taking a look. (I am an op shop addict!)
* Salvation Army Family Store – 20 Prescott St
*Pennywise – 122b Herries St
*Vinnies Toowoomba (Madonna House) – 689/691 Ruthven St
* RSPCA Op Shop – 1/900 Ruthven St
* Lifeline Superstore – 256 Herries St
(Plus there is so many more – you could do this all day if you had the time)
Then home time it was. The drive home definitely wasn’t as smooth sailing as the trip there, Hallie did NOT want to be in the car! But with many many stops, and a very SLOW trip – we got home, safe and sound!
What a getaway, I highly highly recommend Toowoomba as a destination for everyone. There is literally something for everyone.
Below I am going to list my must visit locations (for easy reference), and also my places we missed but want to check out next time!
Thank you for reading, and I hope you get the chance to visit the amazing Toowoomba Region and all of the gems it has to offer. Lou xx
My Must Visit Locations!
*Bunnyconnellen
*Japanese Gardens
*Picnic Point
*Queens Park – Botanic Garden
*Lauren Banks Park
*Spend time checking out all of the amazing street art
*Pechey Forest (Only if your a photography enthusiast)
My “want” to visit locations for next visit!
*Visit more of the High Country Hamlets (Check out the above link – soo much to see and do!)
*Cobb & Co Museum
*Carnival of the flowers (pending time of travel)
*Downstream Tourist Railway and Museum
*More bushwalking – literally hundreds of stunning options
*Darling Downs Zoo
