Take a break from the Gold Coast, head to Toowoomba
WITH its blossoming culinary culture, country vibe and city convenience, Toowoomba should be at the top of your list for a weekend getaway.
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WITH its blossoming culinary culture, country vibe and city convenience, Toowoomba should be at the top of your list for a weekend getaway
Just a couple of hours from the Gold Coast, Toowoomba is the drive destination you may not have thought of.
It’s where crisp winter air finds its appetising antidote in a smorgasbord of cool cafes, bars and restaurants ... and you can work off the evidence exploring the region’s 150 public parks and gardens
Here’s how to spend 48 hours getting to know the Garden City.
FRIDAY NIGHT
Ready for a road trip? A late check-in at Potter’s Boutique Hotel is no problem for accommodating hotel manager Madeline Stronge. Madeline tells us the hotel has only been open since February, costing a cool $10 million to build and containing only 55 rooms.
My home away from home was shiny and new, showing no sign of being lived in, but avoiding the clinical feel with pops of colour and a seriously squishy bed.
An impressive flatscreen is mounted on the wall and, for the truly television obsessed, the remote has a dedicated Netflix button.
After settling in, friendly staff greeted us in the restaurant with something-for-everyone dinner menus.
Crispy skin salmon and tandoori lamb tasted like Mum’s cooking and customary fluffy blankets made it feel even more like home. In anticipation of a big weekend touring Toowoomba, it was time to fall into that big, comfy bed.
Potter’s Boutique Hotel: 258 Margaret St, Toowoomba City
SATURDAY MORNING
Approaching The Finch, only a short walk from Potters, the first thing I notice is a board scrawled with the words Fonzie Abbott.
To the untrained eye those words might conjure up a disturbing vision of a Fonzie x Tony Abbott love child, but coffee lovers will know it’s a superb roast from Albion that has evidently made its way inland.
The coffee selection sets the standard for Finch, which features lofty, ornate ceilings, open front window seating and a stunning feathery feature wall. Owner Dan Farquhar is a well-travelled man, but chose Toowoomba to settle down, saying in recent years the town has taken a turn for the better. Cafes like Finch — and it’s brilliant breakfasts — are definitely helping. I opted for the homemade baked beans with chorizo, tomato and avocado salsa, sour cream, poached egg and crispy tortilla triangles ... basically, breakfast nachos.
If I were breakfast queen for a day, I’d order nachos to be added to every morning menu across the land.
My fussier friend had the roasted mushrooms on — of course — gluten-free toast (she had almond milk in her coffee as well).
After the meal, Dan points us to Jonny Sprockets, the local bike shop where we can hire wheels to cruise the streets.
The guys there were so helpful, even affixing a little basket to the front of our bikes to hold the essentials (you know; beanie, handbag, bottle of juice).
Armed with a First Coat map, I was eager to embark on an Instagram scavenger hunt.
First Coat is an initiative street art festival launched in 2013 to make graffiti cool.
Because who would graffiti walls if they were already covered in something awesome?
These murals spread so much colour, life and intrigue across the town and my social-media feed copped more than a few splashes of the coolest street art I’ve ever seen.
Melbourne, eat your heart out.
The Finch: 2/469-473 Ruthven St, Toowoomba City
Jonny Sprocket Bike Shop: 103 Russell St, Toowoomba City
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
We rolled back into Jonny Sprockets just as the first drops of rain started falling, but it was fine because we were off to Rudd’s Pub at Nobby, a little town about 30 minutes inland from Toowoomba.
Named after famed author Steele Rudd, it’s a lot like Nobby Beach, just switch the surfers for old bearded blokes.
OK, they have almost zero likeness, but one thing they do share is a love for beer, so we grabbed a Great Northern and browsed in complete awe at the thousands of pieces of memorabilia from back-in-the-day farming.
From rusted chunky chains and bits of machinery to hunting traps, you know as soon as you step inside you’re in a real country pub.
Think long, hard days on the farm, dusty utes and Blue Heelers.
Their satisfying pub menu may have a significant gluten-free selection, but everything else about it is proper pub grub: enormous portions, nothing fancy or fiddly and you know exactly what you’re going to get.
Rudd’s Pub: 45 Tooth St, Nobby
SATURDAY EVENING
The food coma was so vicious that an afternoon siesta was necessary. Potters provided the perfect setting for some relaxation time as we put that Netflix button to good use.
We needed to gather our strengths for a big night at the recently revamped and relaunched The Office, owned and run by hospitality power couple Amber Peacock and Shayne Mansfield. Despite only relocating from The Long Apron at Montville around three months ago, they’ve found themselves right at home in Toowoomba.
Shayne even has his own veggie patch where he picks the edible flowers that garnish his dishes each morning.
The picture Amber paints of this big, bearded man plucking posies in his PJs is beyond endearing, but after tucking into his winter menu it’s clear his prowess extends far past flower picking.
I’d never tried the combination of lamb and strawberry before, but with rosemary and the fluffiest mash potato imaginable, it was a match made in heaven.
Summery coconut daiquiris were sipped throughout dinner, but little did we know the cocktail game was about to be stepped up big time.
Just off a fairy-lit laneway lies The Chelsea, a cosy, sophisticated 25 seat speak-easy bar.
There’s no sign, they don’t take reservations, it’s often full and I can say from experience, time flies in The Chelsea. The barman is a crazy cocktail scientist, seemingly defying physics while pouring flickering blue flames from one cup to the other, simmering liquids and conjuring ominous clouds of smoke from thin air. It was past 1am by the time we left.
As I said, time flies at The Chelsea. The walk back to Potter’s was short, sweet and safe.
The Office: 14 Duggan St, Toowoomba City
The Chelsea: 14 Duggan St, Toowoomba City
SUNDAY MORNING
Smaller towns have significant upsides, like being able to walk anywhere central, including our breakfast target Milk and Honey.
Tucked in an industrial pocket, Milk and Honey’s external facade is striking, with vertical wooden planks spanning two storeys and heavy, black window frames looming at least three metres high.
It’s softened by fun blue and white striped umbrellas. The inside is just as gorgeously industrial chic, but with inviting touches, such as the cushion-covered lounge banquettes and lush vines twining over the entrance. The menu is short and sweet, with an omelet bagel and smooth coffee hitting the spot. Milk and Honey’s popularity is bittersweet — you’ll be competing with a continuous stream of hungry customers.
We walked, again, to Queens Park where the Sunday markets were in full force.
Endless green grass, market stalls, a snag stand and coffee attracts a mix of people and pets, creating that infectiously positive community vibe small towns are famous for. I fell victim to Marlo and Marc, a stall stocked with modern, dainty jewellery notoriously difficult to find not online.
Pleased with my purchase we continued across the park, over a picturesque bridge, weaving through water fountains and past wintry trees.
Milk and Honey: 4/6 Ann St, Toowoomba City
Queens Park: 43 Lindsay St, East Toowoomba
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Back at the hotel we changed into activewear and headed for Picnic Point lookout on Tourist Drive. Being the last stop on our journey, we decided to head home straight after.
There was absolutely no rush to vacate though, Madeline is happy to hold out on Sunday check-outs until 5pm — that’s real country service there.
“You wouldn’t expect it, would you?” she quips with a knowing smile as we gush about how enjoyable our visit to Toowoomba was.
Picnic Point is a five-minute drive from Potter’s, with stunning views of the Great Dividing Range from a purpose-built lookout and adjoining cafe. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls ensure the view is unobstructed, especially if you’re lucky enough to nab one of the outermost tables.
We sipped red wine and gazed over the gumtrees before meals of haloumi salad and harissa-spiced chicken landed on our tables. It might be a counter service cafe, but the food is well above cafe standard. I went in worried I was still too full from breakfast to properly enjoy Picnic Point’s food and ended up clearing my plate completely — and finishing up with homestyle blueberry ricotta cheesecake and coffee.
It’s smart having walking tracks stemming from the cafe.
Walk first and you’ve earned your lunch, walk last and you’ve burned lunch off.
There are a few variations of the track, ranging from 900m to almost 2km. It’s easy to get lost in conversation plodding along the zigzagged tracks.
About 40 minutes later we were back at the car, back in civilisation, taking in the views one more time before hitting the road.
Picnic Point Cafe: 164 Tourist Rd, Toowoomba City
The writer travelled as a guest of Southern Queensland Country Tourism and Potter’s Boutique Hotel. For more information go to southernqueenslandcountry.com.au
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