Springtime Spectacular to the Carnival of Flowers and Beyond

This morning after breakfast and checking out, we’ll depart Brisbane by private coach and travel to the town of Rathdowney, located on the Logan River in one of greatest biodiversity zones in Australia, and a gateway to various National Parks such as Border Ranges National Park and Mount Barney National Park. We’ll have some time here for morning tea and a wander around before continuing on for a scenic drive through the heritage-listed Mount Barney National Park to Glengallan Homestead for a light lunch and guided tour. 

Restored from ruin in 2001, this iconic house emerges from the ruins of the 1867 sandstone mansion as a unique heritage experience. You’ll get to experience the Glengallan story from squattocracy to farmer settlement through an innovative interpretation that allows the place to tell its own story. It’s then a short drive to Warwick to check in and have some downtime before regrouping for dinner. 

Dinner this evening will be hosted at the hotel’s restaurant.

Overnight: The Coachman’s Inn, Warwick (B, L, D)

After a leisurely breakfast and checkout, we’ll transfer to Warwick’s heritage-listed 1881 railway station for a special journey on our privately chartered DownsSteam railmotor to Toowoomba. This magnificent rail journey traverses the open plains of the Darling Downs and chugs past golden fields of wheat and sunflowers, eucalyptus groves, and the Condamine River, with the Great Dividing Range to our east and the rich agricultural country to the west. As the train rises toward Toowoomba, we’ll pass quaint towns and villages like Nobby and Clifton, where we’ll pause for a light lunch.

Upon arrival at Toowoomba’s historic 1867 station in the mid-afternoon, we’ll meet our private coach and visit the campus of the University of Southern Queensland to have a stroll through one of Australia’s largest and most traditionally designed Japanese gardens – Ju Raku En, meaning ‘to enjoy peace and longevity in a public place’. This spectacular garden features 230 species of Japanese and Australian native trees and plants and they’ll all be in full bloom. 

After checking into our hotel in the later afternoon, you’ll have some time to relax and freshen up before gathering together at the hotel restaurant for dinner.

Overnight: Burke and Wills Hotel, Toowoomba (B, L, D) 

Today is Carnival of Flowers Festival day, but this morning after breakfast, before the festivities commence, you’ll enjoy a quick visit to Picnic Point Lookout, one of Toowoomba’s most iconic and picturesque destinations. Perched on the edge of the Great Dividing Range, it offers stunning views of the Lockyer Valley and surrounding landscapes. 

After soaking up the views, we’ll return to town and settle into our reserved seating area for an up close view of the pageantry that is the Grand Central Floral Parade. This marvellous annual event has been celebrated since 1949, making it Australia’s longest-running floral festival, and the highlight of the carnival is the grand parade through Toowoomba’s CBD, featuring elaborately decorated floats, performers, and marching bands.

Afterwards, we’ll enjoy some free time at Laurel Bank Park, one of the Festival’s key locations, featuring intricate floral designs and themed displays. There’ll be plenty of time to immerse yourself in the dazzling displays and enjoy some lunch at leisure.

Mid-afternoon, we’ll visit another key location of the festival – the extensive Cobb+Co Museum with its excellent collection and stories, and heritage-listed Spring Bluff Railway Station, where the gardens will be ablaze with colour. A visit to the nearby Botanic Gardens is on offer for anyone interested.

Upon our return to the hotel, just a 5 minute walk from Laurel Bank Park, the rest of the afternoon and evening is yours to enjoy the numerous attractions and features of The Carnival of Flowers at your leisure. 

Overnight: Burke and Wills Hotel, Toowoomba (B)

This morning after breakfast and checkout, we’ll head back to the station for a very special excursion on a private charter of the refurbished Downs Steam Silver Bullet RM2004, a rail motor that was formerly the Queensland Rail Commissioner’s Inspection Car. We’ll board our train at Toowoomba station and alight shortly after at the Downs Steam Tourist Railway and Museum in Drayton, for a special guided visit. This volunteer-run organisation is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich rail history of the Darling Downs region and houses a marvellous collection of restored steam and diesel locomotives, vintage carriages, and other rail-related artifacts. 

It’s then back on our train to Pittsworth, a typical small community in the famous Darling Downs.  Here, we’ll stop for a leg stretch before continuing to Brookstead, where we’ll farewell our train and head to a local pub for lunch.  Our private coach will collect us from there for the journey to Dalby, arriving mid-afternoon.   

After checking into our centrally located accommodation, the rest of the afternoon and evening is yours at leisure to explore the town and the pubs and restaurants on offer. 

Overnight: Drovers Motor Inn, Dalby (B, L)

After breakfast and check out, we’ll board our private coach and head out past the villages of Kaimkillenbun and Mowbullan into the tree-clad escarpment of the Bunya Mountains National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. Sitting more than 1,100 metres above sea level and offering sweeping views of the surrounding area, it is the home of the culturally significant Bunya Pine (Araucaria Bidwilli), the largest of the ancient native pine family. 

We’ll pause briefly to visit the small mountain village at Dandabah where you can join your tour leader for a short scenic rainforest walk, or simply explore the delights of the town before we continue our gentle drive through this impressive forest down the ranges to Kingaroy. Originally home to the Wakka Wakka people before European settlement began in the late 19th century, Kingaroy is fondly referred to as the “Peanut Capital of Australia” due to its significant peanut-growing industry. It’s also famous for being the home of the colourful long-serving Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. There’ll be free time here to explore the town and enjoy lunch at leisure in the shadow of the gigantic peanut silos before stopping in at the Kingaroy Heritage Museum, housed in the former Kingaroy Power House, for an immersive journey through the region’s past . 

It’s then back on our private coach for the journey to Gympie, our home for the next two nights. We’ll make a few small stops along the way, including Wondai, known for its friendly community, vibrant arts scene, and timber and agricultural heritage. Here, we’ll take some time to visit the Wondai Timber Industry Museum and be transported back to the early 1900s for a vivid glimpse into the region’s timber heritage.

Upon arrival in Gympie, we’ll go directly to our hotel to settle in and have some down time before enjoying dinner together at a local favourite. 

Overnight: Gympie Muster Inn, Gympie (B, D)

Gympie was made famous in 1867 when James Nash discovered 72 ounces of gold in just six days at what was later to be called Nash’s Gully. After gold was discovered, thousands of prospectors descended upon the town, prompting it to be affectionately referred to as “the town that saved Queensland from bankruptcy.” The layout of Gympie is interesting – the gold rush’s rapid development led to streets that are in an irregular fashion – and the town is full of heritage-listed buildings, including the Gympie Railway Station. 

This morning after breakfast at a nearby local cafe, we’ll head out to the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum. Comprising over over 30 display areas in and around 15 major buildings, the Museum houses a vast collection of documentation, artifacts and photographs of life in Gympie dating from the discovery of gold in 1867 by James Nash to the recently closed operations of the Gympie Eldorado Goldmine.

The rest of the day is free to have some lunch at leisure and explore the town or return to your accommodation for some rest and relaxation. The choice is yours!

This evening we’ll regroup and enjoy a convivial dinner together at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Gympie Muster Inn, Gympie (B, D)

This morning after breakfast and checkout, we’ll gather for an iconic heritage rail experience on the famous Mary Valley Rattler, a beautifully restored C17 steam train. This restored branch line will take you back to a time when rail travel was replacing horses as a means of transport, growing into a most valuable link to service the ever-increasing need for goods in the Gympie goldfields. 

Our journey starts at the historic Gympie Station, still the largest timber railway building in Queensland, before taking you through the upper reaches of the Mary River Valley. Your VIP ticket includes a cheese platter onboard, which you can top up with a glass of something special from the bar. Upon our return, we’ll enjoy lunch at the station’s cafe before continuing on to Maryborough by private coach. 

Established in 1847, and situated on the Mary River, Maryborough is known for its rich heritage, stunning architecture, and cultural significance, often referred to as one of Queensland’s most charming regional cities. It’s also famously the birthplace of P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins. Upon arrival, we’ll head directly to our hotel, located in the heart of town, and check-in. 

Your evening tonight is at leisure – there are plenty of dining options outside our front door.

Overnight: McNevins Maryborough Motel, Maryborough (B, L)

This morning after breakfast, we’ll visit the wonderful Maryborough Railway Station Museum, managed by the volunteer-run Maryborough City Whistle Stop Inc. and established for the sole purpose of preserving the city’s rich, local history of locomotive building and engineering, including the iconic Mary Ann replica steam locomotive. As well as managing the Museum and maintaining and operating the Mary Ann, these committed volunteers, are working tirelessly preserving and restoring the B15 steam locomotive #299. 

The Mary Ann, commissioned by Scottish timber pioneers William Pettigrew and William Sim, and built in 1873 by John Walker & Co. Ltd., was Queensland’s first steam train locomotive. Both Scottish timber pioneers had daughters named Mary Ann, so there wasn’t much discussion required when choosing a name! We’ll have the privilege of a private charter on the Mary Ann Steam Train replica, built by local engineering firm Olds Engineering in 1999, for the short journey winding through scenic gardens, historic monuments, and along the Mary River.

The remainder of the morning is free to explore more of Maryborough at your own pace and have some lunch at leisure. Wherever your interest lies, there’s no shortage of wonderful things to do – visit the Military and Colonial Museum, roam the outstanding excellent heritage precinct, pay homage at the life-sized statue of P.L. Travers and the adjacent museum dedicated to its creator P.L Travers, or wander through the Maryborough Markets, which only open on Thursdays.

We’ll reconvene in the afternoon for a very special experience – a visit to the more than 100 year-old firm of Olds Engineering, a most unique engineering enterprise which, amongst other significant projects like the Mary Ann replica and designing and patenting the Olds Elevator system, has constructed wheels for the Queen’s royal coach. We’ll have the opportunity to view the wheels for the Queen’s coach, which is one of the company’s proudest achievements, along with building the replica of the Mary Ann, the first steam engine to be built in Queensland; and special care beds, one of which was donated to Pope John Paul II in the mid-1990s when he needed rehabilitation for a broken hip. 

This evening we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner with drinks at the hotel restaurant. 

Overnight: McNevins Maryborough , Maryborough (B, D)

This morning after a lazy breakfast, we’ll check out of our hotel and transfer to Maryborough Station to finish off our journey together on one of Queensland Rail’s flagship services, and Australia’s fastest train, the Tilt Train. Travelling across the fertile coastal plain past the Glasshouse mountains and into the suburbs of Brisbane, we’ll arrive at Roma Street Station just before 3.00pm where we’ll say goodbye until the next adventure beckons and we take to the rails once again. 

(B)