Introduction
Stanthorpe, nestled in Queensland’s Granite Belt region, is a charming town renowned for its picturesque landscapes and thriving agricultural industry. Located southwest of Brisbane, Stanthorpe offers up natural beauty, historical charm, and wineries.
National Parks surround the area and are renowned for the rugged landscapes and hiking trails. Vineyards dot the landscapes and are open for all to visit. The granite outcrops are the outstanding natural beauty for me, and this is my aim this time. Last time I visited the tourist parts. This time, it is the natural beauty that I am aiming for.
Whether you are a nature enthusiast, a food and wine lover, or simply seeking a peaceful retreat in Queensland’s countryside, this delightful town beckons with its beauty, heritage, and warm hospitality.
Location
Stanthorpe is southwest of Brisbane, approximately 220km. For me, it is about 330km and about four hours from the Sunshine Coast. The four-hour drive takes me out past the Glasshouse Mountains towards Kilcoy. Then it is down to Esk, Gatton and Warwick, before the final 45 minutes brings me into Stanthorpe.
Weather
The average October weather for the time that I will be there is around 23 degrees through the day and about 12 at night. That means it is still shorts weather!!
Who am I?
Now if you are a regular Madhatterpress visitor, you’ll be up to speed with who I am. My name is Joanne, and I am the CEO of Madhatterpress.cloud.
Why Stanthorpe?
Stanthorpe has always been a favourite place of mine. I stayed there with my late husband back in 2007. My dad and I had a trip to Stanthorpe in 2022. I was there on a 2-day solo trip in 2023 staying at Diamondvale Cottages, and this year, it is a solo trip again for me. 2 days at Ridgemill Estate.
Stanthorpe has a bit of everything for me. The journey down is very pleasant, through small towns and keeping away from highways. The journey back takes in the Main Range National Park, Somerset Dam, the jacarandas and more. Stanthorpe has the National Parks and wineries. There are food places that highlight the local produce. There are plenty of touristy things to do but equally, you can do nothing and just sit outside your accommodation with a glass of wine, the Stanthorpe Cheese that you’ve just bought, and a good book. What more do you need?
Accomodation
I took a while to decide on where to stay on this trip, I had a few places that I kept coming back to. Ultimately, Ridgemill Estate won the battle, as I had never been here and wanted to stay somewhere new. I booked my stay using booking.com. Even before I left for the trip, I was beginning to regret not booking three nights! I must confess, I did try and add on another night but the accomodation was full. That’ll teach me for not booking sooner!!
The accomodation I chose was a studio cabin. It had a small kitchenette, a bathroom, big bed, sofa, and TV. Breakfast was included in my stay as well as a free wine tasting.
Diary of the trip
I am a planner, always have been, and so before I left, I had made a few notes of places I wished to visit. Symphony hill Wines, Jamworks, Stanthorpe Cheese, Washpool, a local brewery, and the Granite Belt Christmas Farm were just a few on my list. I even knew what I was aiming to purchase!!
Thursday 24th October
Time to venture off on my solo trip today. With my route mapped in my phone and the phone charged, I was ready to go. The car had recently been serviced and had a brand spanking new set of tyres, so I was good to go. The car was packed with my bag and the cool box, the music playlist was ready, and it was time to hit the road. I had a 4-hour drive ahead of me. Oh, remember me saying I wish I had three nights? Well, just an hour into my trip, I had a call. There had been a cancellation, and a third night was on offer. I grabbed it.
I had used the great idea of “click and collect.” I had placed orders at a couple of places almost 4 weeks ago, and they kept them for my visit. When I arrived at Stanthorpe, my first stop was Granite Belt Christmas Farm. I picked up my order. Then it was off to Washpool Supply Company to collect my order from them. When I was last down in this vicinity in 2023, I discovered Washpool. I started to use several of their products including shampoo/conditioner bars and lip balm. So, it seemed only right to do a stock up while I was here!
After picking up the orders, it was off to the accomodation. I checked in and settled into my cabin. At 4 o’clock, I headed to the reception for my free wine tasting. Along with two other couples, we all thoroughly enjoyed the tasting, and all bought something.
My evening was sitting watching the sunset which went down opposite my cabin. Perfect end to my first day, until I tried to go sleep! Just as I was dropping off, a MASSIVE storm hit the area. Lightening, thunder and a huge (but quick) downpour!
Friday 25th October
My entire day was planned. If I am honest it was planned prior to me even leaving home!! Since I had done the Christmas Farm and Washpool on the way in yesterday, they were 2 things I was able to tick straight off my list.
So off to Jamworks Delicatessen I went. I’d never been here before and had found it online. I bought some boozy jam (plum and Shiraz), some spicy plum sauce and beetroot relish. Then it was off to Vincenzo’s at The Big Apple. Following that, next on my list was Stanthorpe Cheese. For $6 I could do a tasting and try everything they made. I liked everything. I bought a sample pack and a small platter of cheese, crackers, and fruit for my evening!
Then Granite Belt brewery was next on the agenda. But unfortunately, the bottle machine was out of action so I could not pick up any IPA for dad. My last foodie tourist stop was Brass Monkey Brewhouse. They had IPA of 4.9% so grabbed him some of those.
Saturday 26th October
It was originally time to go home today, but given I had the extra night, plans had changed. Today was a day for going to Girraween National Park. My day started with leisurely breakfast in the cabin before heading off to find ‘The Ballandean Pyramid.’ I had seen photos of this and read several reviews. Some said, “looks amazing.” Some said, “not worth the effort.” But I wanted to see for myself. It was worth going to see. Someone, who knows who it was, took the time to build a pyramid from the granite stone of the area, complete with the Australian flag on top. It does look good.
Then it was off to Girraween National Park. There are so many walks here but what I wanted to see was “The Granite Arch.” I parked up and did the 3km walk. The walk was nice. A mixture of concrete paths and scrambling over granite plateaus – this made it a pleasurable walk. It is a well signposted National Park. Every few metres there are signs pointing you in the right direction.
After I had been there, it was time to look at the iPad. I had seen “Sunnyside Railway Bridge” on the map and knew it wasn’t far from where I was, so I went to have a look. The most dangerous part of that escapade was going into New South Wales, but I made it out again, no permanent damage done!!
I went to Mount Marley lookout for sunset, but it did not colour up. The rest of the evening was reading and watching election coverage.
Sunday 27th October
Time to go home and as I was up and ready by 08:45, I hit the road. I took the longer journey home. After all, I was in no rush. About 45 minutes is added on the journey but it takes you through Main Ranges National Park, Cunningham Gap, and past Somerset Dam and its stunning jacarandas.
Once I got home, it was chore time. Washing, grabbing some food (including the all important Cotton Tree Meats Bacon, changing dads’ bed, and a bit of housework.
Did it tick the boxes
Absolutely. Stanthorpe always does. The journey is a calm one. The stay is always so pleasurable and there is plenty to do. Who wouldn’t like it?
Ridgemill Estate was a delightful place to stay. Free internet. Out of the way of main roads and highways. Views west to sunset and the vineyard. Wine tasting. What’s not to like? Will I visit again? I think I may very well be back!
Will I be back
That’s a resounding yes. I will always be back to Stanthorpe.
