When people ask me what my home town of Toowoomba’s like I often tell the story of Vince the Cat*. It goes like this:
My old house-mate was having a few beers at our local pub in Toowoomba, when a man arrived and announced that he would swap the tiny grey kitten he was holding for a beer. Being an animal lover (and drunk) she took the kitten off his hands, not so politely-declined to buy him a beer and kicked him out to the cheer of the rest of the pub. That’s the type of place Toowoomba is: a little bit strange but with a big heart.
Toowoomba’s an easy and pleasant, 90 minute drive west of Brisbane. And today, I’m on a road trip with my brother back to my old town. Once we’re out of the suburbs and on the Darren Lockyer Way, it’s all rolling green hills and wide open spaces.
Halfway there, we drive past a number of fruit barns, all with ‘giant’ in their name. The Giant Orange and The Giant Red Elephant sell ridiculously cheap fruit and veggies- great for car snacks! I see a ‘3 for $1’ sign for mangoes but my brother refuses to stop the car. I am not impressed.
The last 15 minutes of the drive take us up a steep and windy road to the top of the Great Dividing Range and into fresh mountain air. The first thing most people notice on their first visit is how pretty and green Toowoomba is.
Queens Park, Toowoomba
I don’t really notice, but have lived away long enough to really appreciate the wide, tree lined streets, beautiful colonial houses and pretty parks and gardens.
We arrive at lunch time, so our first stop is Phat Burgers on Ruthven Street, the main street in town. Phat’s do a seriously good burger and, as they’ll proudly tell you, all beef is locally sourced from the Darling Downs.
I order their best seller, the Van Helsing; a classic beef burger with tomato, lettuce, horseradish, caramelised onions, lemon mayo and BBQ sauce. It’s as good as ever, but I can only manage to eat half. They offer a mini version too but, hey, I’m ambitious. My brother orders the Black Sheep, a mountain of lamb, minted rocket, eggplant, hommus and Phat’s homemade chutney. With a couple of beers to wash it down with, we leave full and happy.
Our next mission – op shopping! And in Toowoomba, there are plenty of them, and the volunteers could not be nicer. We head to the Life Line Emporium (yes, Emporium) on Ruthven St. I immediately strike gold with a metallic cream embroidered jumper that I find in the vintage section. Most op-shops in town are open Saturday mornings but some close quite early so be sure to check times before you go.
We then head to Harold’s Finishing Touches, a boutique lifestyle store on the corner of Bridge and Hume Streets in East Toowoomba. Describing themselves as “Masculine, Collected & a dash of Whimsey”, I can’t put it better myself. Walking in, I immediately want everything in sight. The home ware is gorgeous and includes vintage trophies and an assortment of interesting photo frames. I point out the wall of beautiful framed butterfly and insects to my brother. Hey- my birthday is coming up!
Next door is Rhonda’s Refits, your one stop cowboy shop. Rhonda’s has a huge range of new and pre-loved riding boots, Akubra’s and cowboy shirts,-you know, the ones with snap buttons that are fun to rip open?! Just for fun, I try on the biggest hat in the store.
What? This totally fits.
For an afternoon pick me up, we head 15 minutes out of town to a place called Spring Bluff. Spring Bluff used to be a train station, but these days people come for the gardens. With a full-time care taker, the gardens are beautiful all year round but especially in Spring. The old station master’s house is also home to a charming café and gift shop.
The next morning some friends and I head to Metro Café on Railway St. Even though I’m not technically a local anymore, Metro is my local when I’m in town. The coffee is strong, the food is excellent and the service fast and friendly. I devour my ‘usual’ which is mushies, cooked in thyme and truffle oil with semidried tomatoes, Persian feta and spinach on sourdough. Yum!
Before I head back to Brisbane, we head to the main look out at Picnic Point. The views over the valley below and surrounding mountain ranges are pretty spectacular.
It’s a beautiful end to a great weekend at home with my friends and family. As my home town, I’m probably biased, but Toowoomba really is a lovely place to visit. Next time you’re in South East Queensland give it a go. And who knows, you might even get a free cat…
*Vince is now all grown up and lives a happy life in Brisbane.