I’ve lived with the taunts of big-city folk and beach-dwellers all my life.
Well, sorry to disappoint those of you living in 2008, but Toowoomba’s economy is booming. New ventures are opening faster than anyone can keep up with, mixing country quirk with indie buzz and an actual community. Toowoomba has way more than those 153 gardens (though they are lovely): splendid outdoors, quality live arts and one of Queensland’s best hidden shopping scenes. So, if you can accept the fact that there’s more to Australia than 3 cities and a few beaches, all you need is a sprinkling of local Toowoombian knowledge and you’ll discover a pot of rural delight.
Culture:
1.Festivals and markets: The atmosphere of happy people making art, eating and singing together isn’t exclusive to big cities and Byron. In T-Bar, new events are popping up like mushrooms after the rain. Top picks include First Coat art and music festival in May every year; the Streets and Lanes festival at Easter; Original Mix monthly designer market and Ruby Red Industries vintage market. For food, there’s the weekly My Local Feast farmer’s market, monthly Friday Nite Bites and One Table street food (watch this space).
2.The Spotted Cow: More than just a pub, The Cow hosts all kinds of live music, from fresh-faced locals to The Cat Empire and Art vs Science. They’ve been named one of Queensland’s best pubs by the Courier Mail, possibly because of their delish 1kg pots of Belgian mussels. Check their site for coming events.
3. The Empire Theatre: This Art Deco gem has been delivering the goods for well over a century. It’s the site of some of my fondest memories, from watching Flickerfest next to a cathedral at sunset, to seeing a live symphony for the first time (thanks Queensland Symphony Orchestra) and being a tubby chorus kid in Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat. It hosts everything from pop headliners to local theatre troupes, comedians and international ballet companies. Check their latest offerings here.
4. USQ artsworx: Thanks to a thriving performing arts department, the local Uni has all sorts of shows at student-friendly prices. For a sophisticated evening, bundle up some cheese and a picnic rug and get thyself to Shakespeare in the Park. They’re highly entertaining: think hip-hop Macbeth and The Tempest done entirely on the rigging of a pirate ship.
Outdoors:
5. Crow’s Nest National Park:This is illegal now, but locals still do it: a glorious swimming hole surrounded by sheer granite cliffs and a 20m-high waterfall. For the less-rebellious, there’s a variety of clear, swift streams, ripe for inflatable adventures. Save this one for the rainy summer season.
The drive takes around 40 minutes so make a good playlist, something relaxed with banjos to match the pine trees, like up-and-comer .
6. Tabletop Mountain: Recent legend has it that a young man wound up on this flat-topped mountain one night, high, naked and defending Toowoomba from invaders. He was heli-lifted off. You can make better choices and climb Tabletop for a picnic with mighty-fine views. Love this.
7. Jubilee Park: Do you want to feel free as a bee, gliding down a mountain on two wheels with dust in your face and a calf-ache better than five consecutive leg days? Dust off your bike. This mountain-biking mecca has over 10 kilometres of bike trails and one of Queensland’s first legal downhill runs, ranging from Easy-grade to Double Black Diamond. Access info and a trail map can be found here.
Shop:
8. CBD: Stroll around the city centre for independent boutiques. Bunker Records has a top-notch collection of new and vintage vinyl, and the occasional live show (229 Margaret St). Smoke & Mirrors do women’s fashion and styling to make any big-city friend break into an envious sweat (440 Ruthven St). Lannah Dunn jewellers specialise in Art Deco originals and vintage-inspired diamond treats (175 Margaret St).
9.Pre-loved shops: Forget Brisbane’s Paddington or Sydney’s Marrickville, big country towns are actually Australia’s prime spots for vintage and antique shopping. The best are Lifeline Vintage Wardrobe, and Lancaster’s Antiques, where I scored this mint-condition 1950s party frock for just $100.
10. Black Forest Hill: 30 years ago, a homesick Bavarian man settled in Toowoomba. Today, his shop is Australia’s largest collection of German Grandfather clocks, rivaling any in actual Germany. Clocks range from little $20 cuckoos to huge Grandfathers for the mansion of your dreams. Bonus points for the slightly baffling, but charming Danish Flower Art shop up the road, which has no obvious connection to Denmark save a wall of Princess Mary photos. They specialise in beading and 102 different crafts for gourds (you know, the dried squashes from America). Look for the painted curly-pumpkin lawn ornaments.
Honourable mention: Ground Up Espresso Bar was recently dubbed Australia’s 7th best café by BeanHunter,
Claudia flitted between various rural Australian towns as a child and is now a proud Toowoombian. She still can’t decide what she wants to be, which is problematic because she’s graduating from Uni at the end of the year. The official story is ‘soon-to-be secondary English teacher and aspiring journo’ .