Self Drive Tours

Toowoomba and Darling Downs is a beautiful region with fabulous mountain views and winding, country lanes. There are many country drives for you to explore!

Great Bunya Drive

West of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, the drive incorporates the magnificent Bunya Mountains National park, freshwater dams, pastoral homesteads and rural towns dotted throughout the Darling Downs and South Burnett. There are wineries, gourmet cafes, heritage museums and country markets waiting to be explored.
For generations, people have gathered at the Bunya Mountains, which was declared a National Park in 1908, the second oldest in Queensland. This natural wonderland was formed about 30 million years ago and shelters the largest stand of ancient bunya pines in the world today. The Bunya Mountains is a mix of moist rainforest, dry rainforest, grasslands, open forests and woodlands and is also home to distinct plant and animal communities, with over 30 rare and threatened species.

The region has a host of accommodation experiences including motels, guest cottages and B&B's as well as country pubs, farm stays and camping. Depending on what you are looking for, there is accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets.

We invite you to meander through and experience this hidden secret of South East Queensland.

To order a free Great Bunya Drive brochure to be sent to you, please provide your name and address to the email address below:

Order a free Great Bunya Drive brochure

Explore the Western and Darling Downs

Start: Brisbane 
End: Toowoomba 
Distance: 1,170km

Relax and enjoy country hospitality and scenery at its finest with this fantastic touring route through the Western and Darling Downs. The Western Downs are now looking better than ever after the recent rains, and there is no better time to visit. This route takes you through a beautiful and varied landscape from breathtaking mountain scenery to flat, grassy plains, past winding rivers and through tree-lined country towns.

Must See & Do:

• Relax by the Macintyre River in Goondiwindi.
• Experience inland fishing at its best in St George and surrounds.
• Learn about Roma’s heritage and oil mining history on the Historical Walk.
• Enjoy some great country hospitality with a pub lunch in Dalby.
• Explore the unique landscape of the Bunya Mountains National Park on the well-maintained walking tracks.
• Take in a show, shop or have a picnic in one of Toowoomba’s beautiful parks.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1	Brisbane to Toowoomba (overnight Toowoomba)	126 kms
Day 2	Toowoomba to Goondiwindi  (overnight Goondiwindi)	222 kms
Day 3	Goondiwindi to St George  (overnight St George)	201 kms
Day 4	St George to Roma  (overnight Roma)	196 kms
Day 5	Roma to Bunya Mountains National Park (overnight Bunya Mountains or Kumbia)	293 kms
Day 6	Bunya Mountains National Park to Toowoomba (overnight Toowoomba)	132 kms

Farmer's Country Drive - 3/4 Day Trip

Start at Oakey with a visit to the Museum of Australian Army Flying and drive north to Maclagan. Close by you can visit the Rimfire Winery and the Rangemore Estate Cellar Door, or drive east to walk through the Muntappa Tunnel. On to Cooyar and there's a circuit walk at the Palms National Park not far north of town. The return trip through Haden, Goombungee and Kingsthorpe allows wine buffs to do more tasting at Gowrie Mountain Estate and Wedgetail Ridge Estate.

High Country Drive - 1/2 Day Trip

North from Toowoomba along the edge of the Range above historic Spring Bluff Railway Station and you're at Highfields, first in a string of charming villages along the escarpment. Don't miss the Pioneer Village here, and the host of specialty stores, including Danish Flower Art. Further on, the villages of Cabarlah and Hampton are just as well endowed with attractions. Whilst in Cabarlah stop for a coffee at the mexican inspired cafe Colours of San Cris. A circuit drive then links Ravensbourne and Crows Nest, giving access to their respective national parks and to Lake Cressbrook and Lake Perseverance.