STANTHORPE: AN IDYLLIC RURAL TOWN
STANTHORPE: AN IDYLLIC RURAL TOWN
In a land as vast as Australia, sometimes certain locations don’t get the plaudits they deserve.
When people think about Down Under, generally it’s cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane or coastal regions like the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Noosa that are front and centre of mind.
But there’s so much more out there, especially when you want to totally disconnect from major cities and tourist hotspots.
That’s why I’m writing this: to shine a light on one of the most underrated regions in Queensland which I was lucky enough to spend a portion of my 2022 Christmas getaway at with my mother.
Just two and a half hours south-west by car from Brisbane arrives Stanthorpe, a rural town in the heart of Granite Belt Wine Country.
Named after the Latin word for tin – stannum – due to the great tin rush of the 1870s in the area, I’ve been lucky enough to see Stanthorpe several times over the years.
However, my latest trip was by far the most memorable, considering the ample highlights that are now etched into my memory forever which I’ll outline below.
We arrived on Christmas Eve and were greeted by our host, Emma, as we checked into the Honeysuckle Cottages (which I highly recommend) just ten minutes away from the town centre.
Even though it was the festive period, we stayed active by regularly hiking nearby trails over the forthcoming days of which my personal favourite was the epic Girraween National Park.
For the foodies, be sure to visit Stanthorpe Cheese and Jamworks Gourmet Cafe and Larder for artisan cheese, jam, pickles and marmalade.
If you’re an oenophile look no further than the family owned Ballandean Estate Wines, which was created four generations ago and upholds the Italian heritage of its founders to this day.
Lastly, make sure you take in as many conversations as possible with the locals! They’re friendly, helpful, inviting and honestly, were a major factor in what made my trip so spectacular.
Do yourself a favour and get to Stanthorpe ASAP.
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