Stanthorpe with Kids |

Are you thinking about going to Stanthorpe with kids?

Stanthorpe and the area known as “The Granite Belt” are almost 3 hours south of Brisbane, close to the New South Wales border, and perfect for a weekend getaway.

The Granite Belt area is surrounded by mountains, making it the coldest spot in Queensland. The Granite Belt is known for its apple production and wineries.

We have taken the kids to Stanthorpe multiple times and have always found fun things to do there, including visiting a Christmas tree farm, getting lost in a maze, picking fruit, and going on unique hikes.

Keep reading to find out how to spend a weekend in Queensland’s Granite Belt, including time in Stanthorpe.

Things to Do Near Stanthorpe with Kids

Kid-Friendly Food Factories

Sutton’s Juice Factory and The Big Apple

Sutton's apple pie — Sutton’s Juice Factory apple pie

Sutton's Juice Factory with Kids near Stanthorpe — Sutton’s Juice Factory apple pie

While we thought we could tour Sutton’s Juice Factory, it is a cafe.

The restaurant does get busy, and they are known for their large slices of apple pie.

In addition to the cafe, they have a large variety of apple juices, jams, and ciders for sale.

We bought “cloudy” apple juice to bring home.

Sutton’s is a great place to stop with kids on the way to Stanthorpe. Whether picking up a snack for later or sitting down for a meal, it is worth a stop.

After our snack, we drove across the street to The Big Apple.

We assumed that the Big Apple would have apple-related products inside, but we were wrong.

The Big Apple is located at Vincenzo’s, an Italian cafe and specialty shop.

Stanthorpe Cheese Factory

Stanthorpe Cheese Factory has seating inside and outside, mostly covered.

They have a full cafe, and we almost ordered a charcuterie plate before we noticed a lot of people with a cheese tasting. I had to ask, but they offer a cheese tasting where each person gets 10 samples of cheese and 4 accompaniments.

The cheese is placed on a labeled paper, and we were also given a description of each cheese. There aren’t directions on which cheese to eat with the honey and jams. They are not labeled at all.

With the painted rock hunt and the jokes on the wall, Stanthorpe Cheese is very kid-friendly, and my kids were happy to stay for a while.

Truffle Discovery Centre Stanthorpe

Down a small dirt road, in a little building, is the Truffle Discovery Centre.

The kids had no idea what truffles were, but there was a movie playing to show them being taken out of the ground.

The lady explained how the dogs that we saw on our way in help them find truffles underground.

There is a wide variety of truffle products available for tasting.

Neither kid likes mushrooms, with the exception of crispy mushroom chips, but they were excited to try everything.

My favorite was the truffle butter, followed by black truffle oil (which we took home).

There is also a table of jams and other products that are available for tasting. You can taste as many items as you want, as the kids discovered. They decided to bring home lemon spread and boysenberry jam.

Hiking

Donnelly’s Castle

I was expecting a castle, as I was not the one who planned this getaway, but there is no castle at Donnelly’s Castle. There are a lot of giant rocks.

The Granite Belt is known for granite boulders.

There are 2 paths to choose from. One way goes to a lookout and the other to caves. Both places are nearby, 100 meters and 55 meters respectively.

The kids picked the lookout first. It wasn’t too hard to get to, but the rain had recently stopped, so the ground was wet and the rocks were slippery.

After reaching the lookout, I lost the path.

Mark led the way, and luckily, he has a good sense of direction, or I would still be living at Donnelly’s Castle.

Some of the spaces were small, but we all fit through. I did have to go on my hands and knees at one point, but I don’t believe that is part of the path.

My kids loved this hike so much that they did it twice in a row. We only saw one other family walking around, but that was most likely due to the rainy weather.

There are a few picnic tables outside of Donnelly’s Castle if you want to enjoy a picnic.

Girraween National Park

Giraween National Park near Stanthorpe with kids — Boulders in Girraween National Park

We saw a bunch of kangaroos on the drive into Girraween National Park.

The first car park has a visitor center, which was closed. Most of the hikes seem to go from the second car park.

We decided on the Granite Arch hike first. It is a 1.6 km 30-minute return hike.

After reaching the Granite Arch, we debated going to The Pyramid (3.6 km, 1.5 hours) but ended up on the Bald Rock Creek Circuit, which is 2.2 kilometers and a 1-hour return.

Bald Rock Creek Circuit follows the creek, and there are lots of bugs.

At one point, we had to take our shoes off to cross the creek. It may not always be that high, but recent rains made it impossible to cross without getting wet.

Of course, that was the kids’ favorite part. We stayed in that area for a while so they could play in the stream. They both fell (on purpose?) and ended up soaked.

The parking lot was full by the time we finished hiking, around 10:15.

We changed the kids into their bathing suits and drove to Dr. Robert’s parking lot, which was also full.

Even though that lot was full, we were the only ones at Dr. Robert’s Water Hole, which is about a 1.2-kilometer, 30-minute return walk.

Dr. Robert’s Water Hole hike is the easiest hike that we completed. It is flat and mainly paved.

The kids went straight into the water while Mark and I took turns walking through the large rocks surrounding the water hole.

Girraween National Park is worth a visit from Stanthorpe, especially with kids. There is a wide variety of hikes for every level.

The Falls Drive

We ended up staying a night in Killarney, about 5 kilometers from the New South Wales border, as everything in Stanthorpe was booked.

The Falls Drive starts near Killarney and includes 3 waterfalls.

We enjoyed these hikes so much that we returned to complete them again.

Browns Falls Hike

Browns Falls is the first waterfall on Falls Drive and the hardest hike that I have done in a long time.

The hike itself is only 600 meters and 20 minutes each way.

There is a sign saying that the track is “for abled bodies only.” Another sign warns that it is “steep and rugged.”

We walked right past those signs.

The beginning of the path is paved, but it quickly turns rocky and muddy. There are a few spots where we had to walk across rocks to get to the other side of the creek. It is never clear which side you should be on.

At one point, there is a large tree trunk across the path.

The waterfall was beautiful, and I am glad that I powered on and made it there even though I was a dirty mess by the time we got back to the car.

There is a playground at the entrance. The kids played for a while before we kept driving down The Falls Drive.

While my kids absolutely loved the hike, I would not suggest it for younger kids (under 5).

Nothing will ever compare to this hike for my little adventurers. They loved the obstacles. My oldest talked about this hike for years, and we returned to hike it again.

Daggs Falls

The second stop on Falls Drive is Doggs Falls.

To the dismay of my kids, it is just a lookout.

Even though we were the only ones at Browns Falls, there were many families at Daggs Falls.

Queen Mary Falls

Queen Mary's Falls hike with kids — Queen Mary Falls from the lookout

Queen Mary Falls was crowded like Daggs Falls. It is funny that we were the only ones at Browns Falls.

There are 3 hike entrances from the parking lot, and we went to the lookout, not planning to hike down.

It is a 600m hike from the parking lot to the lookout and back. That was not good enough for the kids who insisted on hiking down to the base of the waterfall.

The Queen Mary Falls circuit is 2 kilometers return, about 40 minutes.

We were slightly worried as it looks straight down, and we figured the hike down would be easy, but getting back up would be harder.

The walk down didn’t have stairs. It was a slow slope all the way down.

Most people went the other way, which is what we should have done. The way we went had a lot of stairs going up.

Either way, we are all glad that we did the Queen Mary Falls circuit. The waterfall is beautiful from above and below.

The Falls Drive

We didn’t pull over at any of the other lookouts on The Falls Drive, mainly due to the weather.

The drive takes you through the mountains and hills and past many cows.

In one area, cows are not fenced in (there is a fence and grates that they can not cross, but they can get on the road). We got extremely close to the giant cows.

Granite Belt Christmas Farm

Celebrate Christmas year-round at Granite Belt Christmas Farm.

The shop, Mistle Toe Store, has everything you need to decorate your home for Christmas, inside and out.

Mrs. Claus’s Kitchen, the cafe at Granite Belt Christmas Farm, serves breakfast and lunch as well as coffee, milkshakes, and hot chocolate. Rudolph’s Ice Cream Bar serves products from Maleny Dairy.

Picnic baskets are available by preorder only and include a rug to sit on while you enjoy your picnic on the farm by the Christmas trees.

Santa’s animals are available to feed for a fee or to admire for free.

Special events take place at Granite Belt Christmas Farm, usually in December. Check their website for details.

The Christmas Trees grown at Granite Belt Christmas Farm are available for sale from the end of November until they are sold out.

Potted Christmas Trees are available from November 1.

Get Lost at The Granite Belt Maze and Mini Golf

Each maze purchase includes a round of mini-golf at The Granite Belt Maze.

The Granite Belt Maze is open 5 days a week, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9 am to 5 pm. They are open daily during the Queensland school holidays and closed in February. Get there early, as the last entry time is 4 pm.

A smaller maze is available for young children, and a larger maze with obstacles that include an easy way for adults to get out. There are clues in the big maze that need to be solved to know which way to go to get out.

Smell the Lavender at Aloomba Lavender Farm

The main time to see the lavender flowers on Aloomba Lavender Farm is in November. That is when the lavender plants are picked and dried to sell in different forms.

There is a gift shop with products made from lavender, as well as other gift items.

For those who wish to stay on the farm, accommodation is available. It is on a working cattle farm. Bush camping is available as well.

See Stanthorpe From Above at Mount Marlay Lookout

Drive up to Mount Marley Lookout. A few walking trails are accessible from the lookout, or just enjoy the view.

There are free binoculars at the lookout of Stanthorpe, which is always a hit with the kids.

Picnic tables are located at the lookout.

Eat Breakfast at an Old Train Station

Wallangarra Station used to be where train riders had to get off one train and switch to another, as trains in New South Wales did not attach to the train lines in Queensland.

Here you can put one foot in Queensland and the other foot in New South Wales.

While Wallangarra is no longer a running train station, there is a museum and cafe.

The museum at Wallangarra Station is free and has train memorabilia.

The Wallangarra Station Cafe is a fun place to enjoy a meal with kids.

Enjoy a Hot Chocolate at Heavenly Chocolate

My kids are always up for a stop at a chocolate shop, and they would love to stay the night at Wisteria Cottages near Heavenly Chocolate.

There are quite a few flavors of hot chocolates to choose from, as well as chocolates and other desserts.

Tour an Apple Orchard with The Orchard Experience

Take a tour of their apple orchard or attend a special event like Brunch in the Blossom with The Orchard Experience.

Tours are seasonal and take place in autumn.

Head to a Winter Festival with Snowflakes in Stanthorpe

Held every second year (the odd years), Snowflakes in Stanthorpe is a festival featuring winter fun.

Winter activities include ice skating, igloo making, tobogganing, and a snowfield.

Other children’s activities, such as a petting farm and jumping castle, are also part of Snowflakes in Stanthorpe.

The festival takes place over 3 days in July.

Take an Art Workshop at Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery

Free and cheap art workshops for kids are held at Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery during the school holidays. Workshops must be booked in advance.

Go Back in Time at Stanthorpe Heritage Museum

Learn about life in the past at Stanthorpe Heritage Museum.

The museum is run by volunteers and is open Wednesday-Sunday.

Look at Stanthorpe’s Street Art

Stanthorpe has many beautiful murals, which can be found here.

Check the Temperature with The Big Thermometer

The big thermometer in Stranthorpe, Queensland

Australia has many “big” roadside attractions, and the Big Thermometer is located in Stanthorpe.

The Big Thermometer is on the water, and there are benches and picnic tables.

The thermometer itself has a hole in it where the kids could climb. The temperature is projected at the top.

Ashbern Farms Strawberry Picking

Our kids love strawberry picking, and we were excited to see a strawberry farm near Stanthorpe.

It is the beginning of the strawberry season in the Granite Belt, and I don’t believe that we have ever picked berries so quickly. There were just so many delicious berries that we did not have to walk to find them.

The kids were happy with their berries and the swing set. They did not even notice the ice cream stand.

There is a small shop as well, with strawberry-themed merchandise.

Accommodations in Stanthorpe

If you are planning a family getaway to Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt, book your accommodations early. Hotels seem to book out quickly, and we never seem to get our act together in time.

We stayed at The Vines Motel and Cottages, but they only had a room for Friday night. We had to stay elsewhere on Saturday. Our room was basic but clean. There is a stack of children’s books in the cupboard.

We also spent the night at Killarney Sundown Motel and Caravan Park. There are 2 restaurants in town, and we decided on the Killarney Hotel Pub for dinner. We didn’t realize they do not serve dinner until 6. Luckily, there is a playground down the street, and the kids were happy to play until 6. We went for breakfast at the other restaurant in town, Killarney’s Top Shop.

Family-friendly accommodations in Stanthrope:

Boulevard Motel has family rooms and sleeps up to 5
Apple and Grape Motel has family rooms and is located in the center of Stanthorpe
Granite Belt Motel has suites, 2-bedroom units, and kitchenettes
Ridgemill Estate offers breakfast, free bicycle rentals, and a 3-bedroom unit that sleeps up to 6.
The Vines Motel has family rooms and villas that sleep up to 6
Stannon Lodge Motor Inn offers kitchenettes and a saltwater swimming pool

Restaurants

There are a lot of wineries in the area. The Granite Belt is known for its wineries.

We did not make a lunch reservation as we did not know what time we would be done hiking, but if you want to eat at a specific place, make a booking.

Mark had a list of places to try, and every one of them turned us away. We couldn’t even order food to go.

We ended up at Jamworks for lunch, which is a quick-service cafe that has a small shop of specialty items inside.

For dinner, Mark managed to get a reservation at The Little Larder. They only serve dinner on the weekend. While The Little Larder is not the most kid-friendly restaurant in Stanthorpe, they do have a kids’ menu and didn’t mind that the kids sat in the empty couches and read while waiting for our meals.

After dinner, we took a walk with the kids around downtown. Like many Australian towns, Stanthorpe mainly consists of a street with shops and restaurants.

Stanthorpe is larger than many small towns in Australia, so its downtown is a few blocks long, but it is definitely not large.

We walked around to look at our breakfast choices and decided on Foxy’s Bakery.

Here are a few options for kid-friendly restaurants in Stanthorpe and the nearby Granite Belt.

Stanthorpe RSL, where kids eat free on Mondays
Groove n Grill Diner
Lily’s Cafe
Cafe 77

Granite Belt Brewery

If you are looking for a kid-friendly restaurant near Stanthorpe, we went out for a drink at Granite Belt Brewery after hiking.

Mark got the beer sampler. The kids and I ordered hot chocolates.

There is a small pond outside the Brewery, and someone gave our kids fish food to feed the fish in the pond.

While we did not order food, they have a seasonal menu. The kids’ meals include a main, a drink, and dessert.

Granite Belt Brewery is definitely kid-friendly. They also have cabins available nearby, including family cabins and pet-friendly cabins.