The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors The Great Outdoors The Great Outdoors

Rekindle your love of…The Great Outdoors

The Southern Downs & Granite Belt offers the perfect destination to get back to nature - explore national parks, view spectacular wildflowers and go camping and fishing, among other activities.

The Southern Downs and Granite Belt offers an endless resource for open-air enthusiasts. From rocky cliffs and small subtropical pockets to the rustic Australian bushland and eucalypt forests, you can discover nature's gifts. Within minutes of the region's town centers, you can enjoy the peaceful tranquility of the great outdoors. Explore activities such as camping, freshwater fishing, four wheel driving, bushwalking, wildlife viewing, horse riding and golfing.

National Parks

The Southern Downs and Granite Belt region is home to some spectacular national parks:

World Heritage listed Main Range National Park - a succession of impressive peaks, escarpments and ridges. The 18,400 ha park extends from Mt Mistake in the north to Wilson's Peak on the Queensland/NSW border. The park is made up of five sections: Mt Mistake, Cunningham's Gap including Spicer's Gap, Mt Roberts, Goomburra and Queen Mary Falls.

Queen Mary Falls - nestled in the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, a small sheltered rainforest pocket on the valley floor contrasts sharply with the open eucalypt forest of the upper slopes. Spring Creek flows through the park, swirling pools before plunging over the spectacular 40m Queen Mary Falls.

Goomburra - the Goomburra Section of Main Range National Park can be found nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range's Scenic Rim. The camping area is situated on large creek flats adjacent to Dalrymple Creek. Campers can choose between Poplar Flat or Marina Gum Grove to pitch their tents. Visitors can expect to share the area with cattle accustomed to people.

Girraween National Park - Girraween, meaning "place of flowers", is a park with massive granite outcrops, large angular boulders and precariously balanced rocks. Spectacular wildflower displays emerge from amongst the granite in spring. Situated at the northern end of the New England tableland, Girraween has an average elevation of 900 metres.

Sundown National Park - High "traprock" country along the Queensland/NSW border has been carved by the Severn River and numerous creeks into sharp ridges and spectacular steep sided gorges. This landscape contrasts dramatically with the exposed granite hilltops and open valleys of nearby Girraween and the Granite Belt.

For more information on National Parks contact:

Naturally Queensland Information Centre

(07) 3227 8198 or www.epa.qld.gov.au

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Camping

If you're going camping, the Southern Downs region has a host of ideal camping sites close to an abundance of attractions and activities to ensure you sleep soundly under the stars. Click here for a list of camp grounds and caravan parks.

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Four Wheel Driving

It's not just about having wheels, it's where you take those wheels. Half the adventure is in the driving and the Southern Downs & Granite Belt region has the robust tracks to give you the independence and freedom to experience nature's wonder. The Condamine Gorge or '14 River Crossings' trek is a good track for novice four wheel drivers who are keen to try creek crossings. Another great four wheel driving spot is Sundown National Park on the Queensland/NSW border. Click here for a list of Four Wheel Driving locations.

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Fishing

A great many opportunities await for you to cast a line and enjoy your catch. Permits are required for fishing in many local dams. Call in at the Warwick or Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre to obtain your permits. Try your luck at Leslie, Glenlyon and Coolmunda Dams or at the onsite Dam at Glendon Camping Grounds for Golden or Silver Perch, Murray Cod or Jew and Spangled Perch.

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Fossicking & Gold Panning

Try your hand at fossicking on the Southern Downs & Granite Belt. Fossickers in the Southern Downs region will primarily be looking for Gold and Topaz and other gemstones and minerals. A fossicking licence is required and can be purchased from the Stanthorpe or Warwick Information Centres. Fossicking can be done at the following locations:

  • Thanes Creek Fossicking Area - alluvial gold known to occur in the Thanes Creek area is popular with tourists and fossickers as it is easily accessable, only 40km west of Warwick. Camping is not allowed in the Thanes Creek Fossicking Area. For more information contact the Brisbane Mining Registrar on (07) 3238 3733 or the Warwick Shire Council on (07) 4661 2333.
  • Swiper's Gully Topaz Locality - gem quality topaz occurs on part of the Passchendaele State Forest, near the small township of Amiens, 13km northwest of Stanthorpe. Other gemstones and minerals can also be found. Camping is not allowed in the State Forest. For more information contact the Brisbane Mining Registrar on (07) 3238 3733.
  • Glendon Camping Ground - Glendon is a private camping and fossicking ground, located 38km west of Warwick. They hire gold pans for only $3 per day and are more than happy to teach you the trick to gold panning as well. For more information and bookings contact (07) 4667 4756.

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Horse Riding

The use of horses is part of the region's cultural and historic heritage and a source of pleasure and enjoyment for a growing number of people. Saddle up and join a trail-ride through the native bushland or be part of some national equestrian competitions.

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Hiking Trails, Birdwatching and Wildlife Viewing

One of the best ways to see the outdoors is to bush walk through them. Pack a picnic, map and camera and discover the Southern Downs' breathtaking backdrops and diverse natural environments. Go birdwatching and hear bellbirds calling, Australian ground thrush, king parrots and the rare Albert's lyrebird. The region has a fascinating native wildlife including the brush-tailed rock wallaby, considered vulnerable to extinction.

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For more information contact Southern Downs & Granite Belt Regional Tourism

(07) 4661 3122

admin@sdta.com.au





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