3 Day Apple and Grape Festival
Departs: Tour Completed
FARE: $465 pp twin share. Single Supplement available @ $135 extra.
Visit Stanthorpe when apples and grapes are crisp and crunchy and the special activities of the Biennial Festival lure thousands of visitors to the Southern Downs for the fruits of the summer harvest. In Stanthorpe enjoy the Arts and Craft Exhibitions, the Grape Crushing Championships and of course the spectacular Festival Parade. As an added bonus we’ve chosen to include some wonderful sightseeing on the way to and from Stanthorpe; the interesting township of Esk, a guided tour of historic Warwick, a visit to the Darling Downs Zoo and lunch at the Blue Mountain Hotel. So many wonderful highlights for you to enjoy!
Day 1: Friday 7th March. (LD)
Depart Centro, Hervey Bay at 5.15am and Maryborough Transit Centre at 6.00am. Morning tea is served enroute at Eumundi. Travel Steve Irwin Way through Beerwah to Kilcoy and then to Esk, nestled under Glen Rock and Mount Esk on the Brisbane Valley Highway. Esk is a pleasant, green, leafy and historic town which boasts an array of hidden delights. Time to take in the many historic buildings including the unusually named St Mel's Roman Catholic Church, St Agnes' Anglican Church and Rectory, the old Esk Record Building, the Staging Inn and The Club Hotel.
We are fortunate enough to enjoy lunch at The Club Hotel where we can admire at close range the cast iron balustrades and gracious verandahs, typical of a country Queensland hotel. After a satisfying lunch enjoy a leisurely coach ride to Warwick. More wonderful history to be absorbed with an informative guided tour of Warwick, the first free settlement in Queensland. Tour past the well-preserved colonial churches, timber buildings, cottages, railway stations and schools, that take you back to the days when people travelled in horse-drawn carts. Settle into our motel the award winning Coachmans Inn for a two night stay. (Ph 4660 2100)
Day 2: Saturday 8th March. (BD)
It's Festival Day in Stanthorpe, time to experience the fun of the Fair! As we make our way through the districts of Dalveen, Pozieres and Amiens, see the landscape dotted with orchards. On arrival in Stanthorpe time to stroll the main street to view the shop windows decorated for the festival and one of High Street's decorated Churches with their harvest theme fruit and flowers. Purchase your own lunch and then be ready to watch the Apple & Grape Festival Grand Parade - an all time crowd favourite. There's much hilarity at the Queensland Grape Crushing Championships when media teams, celebrities and Dignitaries battle it out with their fancy footwork to tread a barrel of grapes into a two litre container of juice! There will be many activities and stalls to browse and you are sure to find a souvenir to take home.
Early afternoon visit the Bramble Patch Berry Gardens, a working berry farm which specialises in gourmet jams, dessert sauces, meat sauces, relishes, vinegars and fortified berry wines. Tastings are available to help you make your selections before purchasing a delectable delight to take home. If you like, try a delicious berry ice cream or smoothie...yum! After a fun filled day return to the comforts of our motel in Warwick for dinner.
Day 3: Sunday 9th March. (BL)
This morning farewell to Warwick as we head out on the Allora route towards Toowoomba, where our morning will be spent visiting the Darling Downs Zoo, featuring animals from Africa, South America, South-east Asia as well as Australia. Here we will see the Aussie reptile display including snakes, lizards, turtles and a baby crocodile. Bring your camera for this one. Enjoy a tour with the friendly staff and see some of the animals being fed and ask all the questions you want. Continue on to the Blue Mountain Hotel (beautiful views) for lunch before starting our homeward journey through Crows Nest, Yarraman and Nanango. Arrive in Maryborough at 5.30pm and Hervey Bay at 6.00pm. Thank you for choosing to travel with us for this lovely short getaway. We look forward to seeing you soon.