2 Best Sights in Southern Downs, Queensland

Just south of Glen Aplin is the town of Ballandean, home to award-winning Ballandean Estate Wines, the oldest family-owned and -operated vineyard and winery in Queensland. The first grapes were grown on the Granite Belt site in 1931, and the tasting room is the original brick shed built in 1950. The Barrel Room Cafe behind it—with massive, 125-year-old wooden barrels lining one wall—serves modern Italian cuisine, showcasing local produce and quality coffee (lunch Thursday–Monday, dinner Friday and Saturday). There are 45-minute tours of the facility daily at 11 am for A$5 per person.

Queensland's largest winery sits midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Sirromet's much-lauded wines—distinctive reds, crisp whites, and some terrific blended varieties—can be sampled at their impressive cellar door, alongside coffee and cake, Devonshire tea, and lunchtime platters (bookings required). Additional dining options are Restaurant Lurleen's and The Tuscan Terrace.