Wineries day trip

Discover South East Queensland's award winning wineries.

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Today’s journey covers a round trip beginning and ending in downtown Brisbane, covering some 200km and including award-winning wineries, charming townships and the Scenic Rim’s spectacular scenery.

On today’s journey we will:

Taste award-winning wines
Discover historic treasures
Visit the ‘set’ of an interactive television drama
Touch the point from which the first accurate mapping of Queensland began
Purchase rustic, handmade crafts and condiments
Lunch in a gracious homestead setting

Getting there

From downtown Brisbane drive on the South East Freeway (3) and exit to Ipswich Road at Vulture Street. Follow Ipswich Road and link to the Ipswich Motorway (2). Follow to the Cunningham Highway (15), and exit the highway left to Middle Road at Purga (watch for signage). You’ll now be treated to peaceful rural vistas with the Flinders Mountain Ranges on your left, a backdrop to cattle grazing in roadside paddocks.

Ironbark Ridge Vineyard, 5kms on the left of Middle Road (45 minutes from downtown). The district’s oldest vineyard, dressed with breathtaking 360 degree views, Ironbark, was established in 1984 by Dr Barry and Jan Hoffensetz. Enjoy multi-award winning wines, with chardonnay a specialty, in a classic 1890 worker’s cottage and on its sunny verandahs. Ironbark sells homemade, liqueursoaked fruits and herb-infused vinegars. Wines average between $19.50–$25.00. Open Tue-Sun & public holidays 10am-5pm.

Departing Ironbark, continue south down Middle Road, enjoying great views of Cunninghams Gap. Turn right at the T junction (to Harrisville), then an immediate left to Weber Road (watch the dip) and head straight. Turn right (just past the cemetery), then right again into Harrisville (about 15 minutes from Ironbark).

Just before the centre of town, turn right into North Street to Paradine Estate Wines (well signed). Bill and Denise Land planted their first vines at Paradine in 1999 and have won awards for their Paradine 2001 cabernet sauvignon. The newly opened restaurant “Country Cuisine”, specializes in delicious traditional home cooking. The vineyard’s corrugated iron barn, artfully appointed with woods gathered from the old Peak Crossing Bridge and surrounding rail yards, sells wines ranging from $16-$22. Tue-Sun & public holidays 10am-5pm.

Heading back the way you came, turn right from North Street and continue along Queen Street into Harrisville, home of ABC Television’s Fat Cow Motel and the “Big Udder”. Stop for melt-in-your-mouth scones at Myra and Maurice Toombs’ Mackaways Café, grab homemade crafts and condiments across the street at Mrs P’s Country Cottage & Crafts (open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9am–5pm & Sunday 10am–4.30pm).

Continue down the main street to the Royal Hotel (the Fat Cow Motel for the television series), turn right, and find Mick and Jenny Hall’s Rose-Lea Vineyard – grape producers for Normanby Wines – a kilometre down the track. Enjoy Normanby’s native trees and jacarandas, BBQ facilities and their award winning wines. Open 7 days including public holidays 10am–7pm.

Next it’s onto Peppers Hidden Vale, just beyond the historic town of Grandchester – home to the State’s oldest surviving railway station. From Harrisville head to the Royal Hotel, continue until the Cunningham Highway’s T-junction, turn right towards Ipswich. The trip to Peppers Hidden Vale takes some 45mins.

Before the highway turn off is the well-marked Dixon Base Line Historic Marker, established in 1839 by Robert Dixon as the baseline from which all accurate mapping of Queensland took place. St Brigid’s Catholic Church, Rosewood.

Follow the highway to Rosewood – Ipswich exit (left), turn right onto School Street and travel into historic Rosewood. Treasures include St Brigid’s Catholic Church on Railway Street, Queensland’s largest timber church (est. 1910).

Head back to School Street, turn right, and drive straight through town to the roundabout and turn left, following the signs to Laidley. Travel about 13 kilometres, passing through Grandchester, veer left, over the railway tracks and drive straight ahead onto Mt. Mort Road. Six kilometres further along you’re at the gates of Peppers Hidden Vale.

A 10,000 acre working cattle station, first settled in the early 1800s, Hidden Vale’s gracious homestead and surrounding historic buildings have been restored and converted into a luxury resort. The views of Lockyer Valley are stunning. Cotton’s Restaurant includes innovative, modern Australian cuisine, uses fresh regional produce and has a superb wine list.

The restaurant’s namesake was real-life spy Sidney Cotton – upon whom author Ian Fleming is said to have based his James Bond characters – whose family owned Hidden Vale in the early 1900s.

Head back through Grandchester and Rosewood. At the Rosewood roundabout, turn left to Marburg. Turn right at Warrego Highway and 3km down, at the corner of Seminary Road, find Warrego Wines.

Warrego Wines welcomes you to their cellar door – open daily 10am to 4pm. Relax and taste award winning wines in air conditioned comfort – sip your wine whilst enjoying local artists work. Wines range from light sweet “summery” whites and reds through to Medal winning dry whites and reds. Light lunches available in the Everyday Café 11.30am – 2pm. Al fresco dining in the garden courtyard and perhaps enjoy a game of Boules. Time permitting, visit Woodlands of Marburg, a 1890 plantation-style mansion, now a resort/function centre, 2km up the road.

Downtown Brisbane is under an hour away, via the Warrego Highway, Ipswich Motorway and Ipswich Road. Turn left at Stanley Street, then back onto the South East Freeway.