Get cosy on a long weekend in Stanthorpe and the Southern Downs

Just 2.5 hours from Brisbane? That's shorter than your last Netflix binge. Get an early start - there's cheese and wine waiting.

11am: Big apple energy

No, not New York. Stanthorpe's Big Apple marks your arrival into apple country. It's the "you are here" sign of deliciousness and marks the turn to one of the region's flavour factories: Stanthorpe Cheese.

Snap that obligatory touristy pic. You know you want to.

12pm: Sample local cheese

Stanthorpe Cheese sits 925 meters above sea level, making it Queensland's highest and coldest cheese shop. Translation? The cheese just tastes better up here.

The milk comes from a single herd of purebred Jersey cows who are living their best bovine lives. Sample every cheese they have, grab a Ploughman's at Jersey Girls Cafe, or build your own picnic stash from their cheese, preserves, and meats. Your future self will thank you.

1pm: Try the truffle 

Stanthorpe is home to the rare French Black Perigord Truffle, fungi which is so precious some joke they need their own bodyguards to protect them. 

Hit the Truffle Discovery Centre for a guided tour and tastings that'll ruin regular food for you forever. Truffle triple cream brie? Yeah, that happens here. Grab some truffle oil and honey on your way out – they're the souvenirs that keep on giving.

2pm: Picnic for two

If your car isn't already overflowing with local goodies, head to Hidden Creek Winery where they'll sort you with a picnic basket for two – complete with gourmet platter, wine, and a blanket. After a wine tasting at the cellar door, of course.

The hardest decision? Choosing between vineyard views or lakeside lounging for your feast spot.

Sleep: Alure Stanthorpe 

Forget what you know about camping – or even glamping for that matter. Alure's luxe tents redefine sleeping under stars with four-poster beds, chandeliers, full kitchens, fireplace and double-vanity ensuite bathrooms. There’s no better way to cosy up for the night, and no better views than those from your deck on a frosty morning. 

Day 2

9am: Trek through Girraween National Park 

Get to know how this rocky region earned its Granite Belt title with a morning exploring Girraween National Park. In fact, while Girraween means "place of flowers" in local Indigenous language it could easily be "place of giant rocks balanced in ways that defy physics."

Trails range from easy 1km strolls to 20km challenges, winding past landmarks with names like The Pyramid, The Sphinx, and Castle Rock. The ultimate prize? Balancing Rock – a massive boulder perched so precariously it looks like nature's version of Jenga.

Looking for more nearby national parks? Check out this Big Sky Country Drive.

12pm: Refuel, Ballandean style 

Ballandean’s Barrelroom Wine Lounge is the perfect refuel stop, nestled among 160-year-old wine barrels. Open daily from 11am to 4pm, it's where grazing platters meet premium wines in a space that feels like your coolest friend's living room.

2pm: Hop from cellar door to cellar door

Ever tried fiano, montepulciano, saperavi or mourvedre? Now's your chance. The Granite Belt region is becoming known for its 'Strange Birds' - alternative wines you might not find as easily in your local bottle shop. 

With over 50 wineries and vineyards scattered across these hills, decision paralysis is real. Solution? Book Filippos Tours and let someone else handle the driving while you handle the tasting. Their winelovers tour hits up to five wineries with tastings and lunch included.

Rather earn your wine? Granite Belt Bicycle Tours offers guided and self-guided wine tours. Pedaling between vineyards somehow makes that next glass taste even better.

Prefer malts and hops? No worries – hit up Granite Belt Brewery or Brass Monkey Brew House instead.

Sleep: Granite Belt Retreat

When a microbrewery has accommodation, you know you're in the right place. Granite Belt Retreat offers 19 rustic cedar cabins spread across 30 acres of bushland, with Granite Belt Brewery right on site.

Log fires for winter evenings, deck beers for summer nights – perfect whatever the season.

Day 3

8am: Breakfast of champions

Start day three with a big feed at The Little Larder. Whether you're team towering-breakfast-burger or craving a pancake stack with all the trimmings, this cosy spot delivers the goods with great coffee to boot.

Need a picnic for later? Swing by Brinx Deli for coffee and one of their legendary grazing boxes – lunch sorted in one delicious package.

10AM: Souvenir Hunting (The Edible Kind)

Stanthorpe souvenirs don't gather dust – they get devoured. This is the destination to stock up on apples, cherries, grapes, peaches and pears that make supermarket produce seem sad by comparison.

Jamworks is mandatory for homemade jams, relishes and chutneys that will make your toast game strong for weeks to come. And you can't leave apple country without visiting Sutton’s Juice Factory. Their famous apple pie with spiced cider ice cream is the stuff of legend. Add bottles of pure apple juice and cider to your haul.

Visiting between October and May? Detour to Ashbern Farms and pick your own strawberries – somehow they taste better when you've worked for them.

1pm: Choose your own adventure

The afternoon is yours to conquer. Culture vultures can hit the Stanthorpe Heritage Museum and Regional Art Gallery. Adrenaline junkies should grab a mountain bike and tackle Mt Marlay's granite trails.

Or, continue your wine education at a few more cellar doors. No judgment here.

6.30pm: the Grand Finale

One final Stanthorpe dinner? Essen is the move. This family-run restaurant serves home-style dishes that showcase the region's best produce, with many ingredients coming straight from their kitchen garden.

The set menu changes weekly based on what's fresh and fabulous. Book ahead – up to 90 days in advance for Thursday to Saturday dinner service from 6pm. Trust us, it's worth planning around.

SLEEP: Mountain Views at Killarney

Ready for a change of scenery? Head to Killarney View Cabins and Caravan Park, perfectly positioned for tomorrow's waterfall chase. Five acres surrounded by mountain vistas makes for a pretty spectacular final night.

Or, stay put in Stanthorpe if you're not ready to say goodbye just yet.

Day 4

10am: Three falls, one morning

Just an hour's drive from Stanthorpe lies waterfall heaven. Killarney boasts five falls, with three connected by the aptly named Falls Drive.

Start at Browns Falls – a 600-metre walk (allow 20 minutes) involving some rock hopping and creek crossing leads to a 15-metre cascade that's worth every step.

Next up: Daggs Falls, where the lookout is conveniently located just off Spring Creek Road. No hiking required to see this 38-metre beauty plummeting down.

Save the best for last at Queen Mary Falls – a 40-metre waterfall thundering over a horseshoe-shaped cliff. The lookout is a quick stroll from the parking area, but the 2km circuit walk (45 minutes) takes you from the top to the base where you'll feel the full power of the falls.

Insider hack: Walk the circuit clockwise. Your knees will thank you.

Before heading home, stop at Carr's Lookout for jaw-dropping views over Head Valley and the Scenic Rim. It's the perfect goodbye to your long weekend.

12pm: Goodbyes are better with bbq