Luckily, nine of the best fires are found in Brisbane’s backyard, creating the perfect excuse for a romantic weekend getaway.

You’ll find each of the nine fireplaces in the column down the right hand side of this page.

Naturally, the best places to warm up are all found in the coldest part of the state, a wine and cheese wonderland known as Southern Queensland Country, a region that comes into its own in the winter months.

The destination lies to the west of greater Brisbane, stretching from the South Burnett region through Toowoomba and the Darling Downs to the Granite Belt and border area.

As you leave the city behind you, the Western Freeway becomes the Warrego Highway; it feels like the city takes an age to escape, then quite suddenly it’s gone.

The landscape changes dramatically, you start meet the farms and paddocks, and those in search of romance can sense it immediately – it was a good idea to get away.

Toowoomba is Australia’s second largest inland city, but in reaching it, you feel as though you’ve actually left all the cities behind.

The coast is well and truly behind you, but the openness ahead gives you the same rush as a first sight of the sea.

It would be a mistake to rush through the landscape, for this is a region best experienced slowly cruising the scenic routes – the Great Bunya Drive, Australia’s Country Way, the Great Inland Way, and the Adventure Way.

You’ll notice the sky is lengthening, the road is straightening until it reaches a slow bend that brings the traffic back down to eighty, and then sixty, and then finally fifty and you arrive in the villages and towns on the other side of Toowoomba – Pittsworth, Brookstead, Millmerran.

Further south lies the Granite Belt, home to wineries and famed for its B-and-Bs.

The trick to all such great drives is remembering to stop. And if you’re lucky, when you do, the two of you discover your travels have brought you not only to a new place, but to a different time as well.

And with time enough for love to take hold.

Southern Queensland Country’s Mary Clare Power said the region was a delight during cool weather.

“All through autumn you get the changing of the leaves and colours, which is just beautiful, and then in winter you have that weather perfect for snuggling or sitting around a fire with friends,” she said.

“There’s the beautiful colours and light in the late afternoons, there’s the smell of wood and whether you’re drinking a glass of nice wine from one of the local wineries or toasting a marshmallow, it really sets the scene (for romance).”

Spicers Retreats have turned the winter getaway into an art.

Since launching four years ago, the group now has four luxury properties in southeast Queensland, each with spectacular scenery and the kind of charmingly rustic lodgings you wished you owned yourself.

“In addition to the scenery and the weather the cuisine is a big part of the attraction,” general manager David Assef said.

“In winter you have more hearty cuisine and produce that people really enjoy.

“Winter is our busiest period and it’s a time when people are just naturally drawn together.

“That image of fireside romance just goes hand-in-hand with winter.”

Few places are as romantic as the stunning Spicers Peak Lodge, which boasts arguably one of the world’s great fireplaces in its main building.

But an inviting fireplace is pretty much standard in most of the thousands of rooms, huts and lodges across the Southern Queensland Country region.

The phenomenon is growing, but it isn’t new.

Stanthorpe has been revelling in its status as Queensland’s capital of cold for years.

Instead of being scared to tell visitors how cold Stanthorpe gets, the town embraced it, coming up with the famous “Brass Monkey Season” campaign, still running to this day.

Twenty-five years ago the region received a smattering of summertime visitors looking to escape the sapping heat along the coast, but the arrival of some vineyards established a niche tourism industry that keeps growing.

Granite Belt Wine and Tourism director of marketing Sarah Reeves said what the region lacked in the slick offerings of places such as the Hunter Valley and Margaret River, it made up for in other ways.

“You don’t need to get on a plane to visit a wine region, and we do it on such a more intimate level,” she said.

“If you visit the wineries out near Stanthorpe you’re more likely to end up in a conversation with the person who actually makes the wine.

“And our proximity to Brisbane and the Gold Coast is a real plus. With just a two or three-hour drive you’ve got a perfect winter weekend getaway.”

On the Granite Belt, Ms Reeves said figures had been outstanding throughout autumn and into winter.

Most of the accommodation in the region is in the form of cozy B&Bs or boutique hotels.

“Certainly what we’re hearing from the operators is very encouraging,” Ms Power said of occupancy rates.

The crowds should keep coming across winter as the region plays to its strengths with a series of events and festivals.

The shortest day of the year is a drab affair on the coast, as people scurry between the shadows of high-rises, but two hours west it’s cause for a party.

Christmas-style banquets are also a common theme throughout July, while the region also hosts a jazz festival and a ‘frost-bitten degustation banquet’where guests can chomp their way through a six-course feast while savouring expertly-paired local wines.

And if that doesn’t warm your heart, the fireplace will.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND COUNTRY

More reasons to head west this winter:

Maybe you have the ankle-biters in tow, or you’re not looking to rekindle the flame of romance, but still want a reason to get away from the big smoke... We’ve got nine of them right here:

1. Christmas in July luncheon, July 12, Ballandean: Forget turkey and ham hampers. This party is all about the Christmas feast, Sicilian-style.

2. Frost Bitten Degustation, July 19, Ballandean: A six-course feast and copious helpings of local wine should serve as a pretty decent cure for any frostbitten extremities.

3. B&S ball crawl: They’re an institution of country Queensland, and the perfect place to step out and hook up if you’re footloose and fancy-free, or just want a drink and a dance with a few hundred of your closest friends. B&S balls are on the wane but there are still several communities keeping the faith, including Goondiwindi and Brigalow3

4. Bushranger trail: Queensland did see some bushranger action, often from NSW outlaws who made incursions north of the border. The most infamous was Captain Thunderbolt, who purportedly used boulder formations on the Granite Belt as hideouts. The state’s first recorded case of “bushranging” was in 1864 on the road between Bodumba and Leyburn on the Darling Downs. (Source: History of the Australian Bushrangers by George E. Boxall)

5. End of the line: Just as the railroad opened up the American West, it was an essential link in the establishment of Queensland’s own Outback communities. Many historic train stations are still standing for rail buffs, and heritage-listed sites include Mitchell, Toowoomba and Warwick. (Source: Department of Environment and Heritage Protection)

6. Strike it ‘rich’: The gold rush might be long gone, but that shouldn’t stop you having a little fossicking fun, and there are many sites in Southern Queensland Country to try your luck. After obtaining a permit you can fossick for gold near Warwick, topaz near Stanthorpe or petrified wood near Chinchilla. (Source: Queensland Government)

7. On top of the world: Southern Queensland Country is spectacular to behold, and there are many high-altitude vantage points from which to take in the sights of the region. Cunninghams Gap, Queen Mary Falls, Carrs Lookout and Spicers Peak on the southern Darling Downs and Toowoomba’s Picnic Point are some of the more notable spots.

8. Dam discovery: Whether for winter watersports, fishing or just a picturesque picnic, Southern Queensland Country is dotted with enough dams and lakes to having you spilling over with options. Leslie Dam near Warwick, Cressbrook and Cooby dams north of Toowoomba and Lake Broadwater near Dalby are just some of the top spots (check individual restrictions on dam activities).

9. Take a hike: Explore the many bushwalking and hiking trails through picturesque Southern Queensland Country. National parks such as Main Range, Goomburra, Carnarvon, Bunya Mountains, Sundown, Girraween and Expedition have walking trails and mountain peaks to get you back to nature. (Source: South East Queensland Walking Trails)