The jewel of the Darling Downs region, Toowoomba is a delightful surprise to discover. Full of beautiful restored heritage buildings, lush gardens and green public spaces the envy of all, it is a place to slow down, smell the roses and enjoy the good things in life. Let Toowoomba’s easy style melt your everyday worries away as you fall in love with “the Garden City”.
Toowoomba in Bloom
Toowoomba’s mild climate makes it a gardener’s paradise, and green thumbs from all over the world have made Toowoomba home because of it. If you’re lucky enough to be in town during one of the many gardening related festivals and events that happen here you may get access to the private gardens of some of Toowoomba’s most house-proud residents, but even during the rest of the year the entire town is a feast for the senses. The largest park and home of the world famous Carnival of Flowers each year is Queens Park. Founded in the 1800s it is the very picture of manicured grandeur, and over the years has had sections modernised to make it the vibrant leisure heart of the city. There are sports fields, playgrounds and all sorts of recreational facilities here, along with walking tracks that let you tour all the areas of the park. Extensive and well-appointed picnic grounds can be found here too, so you can make a day of it.
Cobb+Co
An undeniable part of Australia’s history, the Cobb+Co was a mail service, passenger transport and a vital lifeline in the earlier days of Australia’s settlement. Toowoomba is the home of the Cobb+Co museum, where you can be transported back in time and contemplate an era when a handy Hertz hire care would have instead been a horse-drawn carriage. They have Australia’s largest collection of old carriages and lots of activities to enjoy.
The Best View in Town
Hop in your Hertz hire car and zoom up the mountain, where you will find the panoramic views to be found at Picnic Point. As the name suggests this is a delightful spot to crack out a packed lunch and enjoy the serenity. There are plenty of barbeque areas, or, if you prefer someone else to do the cooking for you the café and restaurant are top quality too. There’s a children’s playground here too, with a miniature railway that runs on the weekend, along with lots of walking tracks to enjoy – birdwatching is a favourite pastime here.
A night at the theatre
Toowoomba’s arts hub is the beautiful Art-Deco Empire Theatre, which has a year round calendar of vast variety. Theatre shows, comedy, concerts, dance and more are on show here. There’s a mixture of local acts along with national and international guests so you can make your choice, whatever your tastes. They have a “Home Grown” Independents program each year that allows entirely new productions to be staged, allowing you to see some shows never before presented, and to discover a new local talent.
