We leave Brisbane mid-morning and journey inland towards the Southern Downs, watching the landscape soften into rolling farmland, orchards, and granite boulders as we climb into Queensland’s cool-climate wine country.

Along the way, we pause for coffee and a bakery stop in the small country town of Aratula — a chance to stretch our legs, warm our hands around a cup, and ease into the slower pace of the weekend.

By early afternoon, we arrive in Stanthorpe and settle into our private country cottages, tucked amongst native bushland and granite outcrops. The afternoon is intentionally unhurried — time to unpack, pour a glass of wine, and take in the quiet of the countryside.

Later in the afternoon, we visit a local cheesemaker for a guided tasting of handcrafted cheeses made from high-altitude dairy herds — an introduction to the flavours of the region and the artisans who shape them.

Sunset & Welcome Dinner

As the day softens into golden hour, we gather at a nearby vineyard for our first shared meal — a relaxed welcome dinner paired with cool-climate Granite Belt wines.

Back at the cottages, the evening continues fireside. For those who wish, the night may end with mulled wine, toasted marshmallows, and the simple nostalgia of s’mores beneath a clear country sky.

We wake slowly to a crisp country morning, with the option for a gentle early walk or simply a quiet coffee on the cottage deck as mist lifts from the bushland we are served a homemdae breakfast with my signature foccacia served steaming hot with conidments.

Today is devoted to the growers, makers, and seasonal produce that define the Granite Belt.

Our morning begins with a hands-on heirloom apple pie workshop set in a country garden, where we bake using traditional methods and locally grown fruit before sitting down together for morning tea amongst the trees.

From there, we continue exploring the region’s small producers, including a visit to a local chocolatier and one of Queensland’s highest-altitude dairy farms, where we taste cheeses made just metres from where the cows graze.

A Long Country Lunch

Midday is reserved for a leisurely winery lunch — the kind that stretches over several courses, local wines, and unhurried conversation. This is a moment to simply sit back, soak in vineyard views, and enjoy the flavours of the region without watching the clock.

Afternoon into Evening — Truffle Hunt & Fireside Dinner

In the afternoon, we step into the forest in search of one of winter’s most prized ingredients — the truffle. Guided by my friend Maple and her dog Barry, we walk through the truffière, learning how these elusive delicacies grow beneath the soil and sharing in the excitement as they are unearthed.

After the hunt, we retreat to a cosy cottage kitchen where the freshly harvested truffles take centre stage. Together we watch as they are cleaned, shaved, and folded into a simple, decadent pasta, served alongside local wines as the sun sets outside.

It is a deeply sensory, paddock-to-plate experience — earthy, aromatic, and unmistakably indulgent — and often the highlight of the weekend.

Our final morning begins gently, with breakfast together before we visit a nearby flower farm where seasonal blooms stretch across the fields. Here, we take part in a relaxed floral workshop — gathering, arranging, and learning about the rhythms of winter and early spring growth in the region. You prepare a fresh bouqet which you can take home with you so your memoreis last into your own homes.

We visit the onsite farmshop whilst lunch is prepared for us onsite beginning the drive back to Brisbane in the early afternoon, arriving home with full hearts, fresh flowers, and perhaps a cooler bag filled with local cheese, chocolate, and wine.