48 hours in Toowoomba
The Garden City blends cafe culture, country vibe and city convenience in ideal getaway
TOOWOOMBA is the drive destination you may not have thought of.
It’s where crisp winter air finds its appetising antidote in a smorgasbord of cool cafes, bars and restaurants.
Here’s how to spend 48 hours getting to know the Garden City.
Friday night
Ready for a road trip? A late check-in at Potter’s Boutique Hotel is no problem for accommodating hotel manager Madeline Stronge. Madeline tells us the hotel has only been open since February, costing a cool $10 million to build and containing only 55 rooms. My home away from home was shiny and new, showing no sign of being lived in, but avoiding the clinical feel with pops of colour and a seriously squishy bed. An impressive flatscreen is mounted on the wall and the remote has a dedicated Netflix button. After settling in, friendly staff greet us in the restaurant with something-for-everyone dinner menus. Crispy-skin salmon and tandoori lamb tasted like mum’s yummy cooking and customary fluffy blankets made it feel even more like home. ■ Potter’s Boutique Hotel: 258 Margaret St, Toowoomba City.
Saturday morning
Approaching The Finch, only a short walk from Potter’s, the first thing I notice is a board scrawled with the words Fonzie Abbott. To the untrained eye those words might conjure up a disturbing vision of a Fonzie and Tony Abbott love child, but coffee lovers will know it’s a superb roast from Albion that has evidently made its way inland. I opted for the home-made baked beans with chorizo, tomato and avocado salsa, sour cream, poached egg and crispy tortilla triangles ... basically, breakfast nachos. If I were breakfast queen for a day, I’d order nachos be added to every morning menu across the land. My fussier friend had the roasted mushrooms on – of course – gluten-free toast (she had almond milk in her coffee as well). After the meal, Dan points us to Jonny Sprockets, the local bike shop where we can hire wheels to cruise the streets. The guys there were so helpful, even affixing a little basket to the front of our bikes to hold the essentials (you know, beanie, handbag, bottle of juice). Armed with a First Coat map, I was eager to embark on an Instagram scavenger hunt. First Coat is an initiative street art festival launched in 2013 to make graffiti cool. Because who would graffiti walls if they were already covered in something awesome? ■ The Finch: 2/469–473 Ruthven St, Toowoomba City. Jonny Sprocket Bike Shop: 103 Russell St, Toowoomba City.
Saturday afternoon
We rolled back into Jonny Sprockets just as the first drops of rain started falling, but it was fine because we were off to Rudd’s Pub at Nobby, a little town about 30 minutes inland from Toowoomba, named after famed author Steele Rudd. We grabbed a Great Northern and browsed in complete awe at the thousands of pieces of memorabilia from back-in-the-day farming. The satisfying pub menu may have a significant gluten-free selection, but everything else about it is proper pub grub: enormous portions, nothing fancy or fiddly, and you know exactly what you’re going to get. ■ Rudd’s Pub: 45 Tooth St, Nobby.
Saturday evening
The food coma was so vicious that an afternoon siesta was necessary. Potter’s provided the perfect setting for some relaxation time as we put that Netflix button to good use. We needed to gather our strength for a big night at the recently revamped and relaunched The Office, owned and run by hospitality power couple Amber Peacock and Shayne Mansfield. I’d never tried the combination of lamb and strawberry before, but with rosemary and the fluffiest mashed potato imaginable, it was a match made in heaven. Summery coconut daiquiris were sipped throughout dinner, but little did we know the cocktail game was about to be stepped up big time. Just off a fairy-lit laneway lies The Chelsea, a cosy, sophisticated 25-seat speak-easy bar. There’s no sign, they don’t take reservations, it’s often full and time flies in The Chelsea. ■ The Office: 14 Duggan St, Toowoomba City. The Chelsea: 14 Duggan St, Toowoomba City.
Sunday morning
Smaller towns have significant upsides, like being able to walk anywhere central, including our breakfast target Milk and Honey. The inside is industrial chic but with inviting touches, such as the cushion-covered lounge banquettes and lush vines twining over the entrance. The menu is short and sweet, with an omelet bagel and smooth coffee hitting the spot. Milk and Honey’s popularity is bittersweet – you’ll be competing with a stream of hungry customers. We walked, again, to Queens Park where the Sunday markets were in full force. ■ Milk and Honey: 4/6 Ann St, Toowoomba City. Queens Park: 43 Lindsay St, East Toowoomba.
Sunday afternoon
Back at the hotel we changed into activewear and headed for Picnic Point lookout on Tourist Dr. Picnic Point is a five-minute drive from Potter’s, with stunning views of the Great Dividing Range from a purposebuilt lookout and adjoining cafe. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls ensure the view is unobstructed, especially if you’re lucky enough to nab one of the outermost tables. We sipped red wine and gazed over the gumtrees before meals of haloumi salad and harissa-spiced chicken landed on our tables. It might be a counter service cafe, but the food is well above cafe standard. It’s smart having walking tracks stemming from the cafe. Walk first and you’ve earned your lunch, walk after and you’ve burned it off. ■ Picnic Point Cafe: 164 Tourist Rd, Toowoomba City. ■ The writer was a guest of Southern Queensland Country Tourism and Potter’s Boutique Hotel. For more information, go to southernqueens landcountry.com.au.