Discover Ipswich Magazine 2022

ADVENTURE

The Workshops Rail Museum

Prince Alfred Hotel

From the art gallery, pop into the neighbouring restaurant for dinner – Indian Mehfil , a popular family restaurant set in a grand historic bank building with a diverse menu. There’s also a fabulous Indian restaurant in walking distance from your room at Quest Ipswich – Essence of Indya , complete with a leafy fairy-lit courtyard. From here it’s an effortless stroll back to your room to unwind after your day’s adventure. On Sunday morning, you can set off walking in the other direction along Warwick Road to the Showplace Markets which offer a colourful array of plants, craft and clothing stalls, as well as an antiques section and food trucks. Grab breakfast at the market or enjoy one of the city’s many cafes such as St. Shoebill or Fourthchild in the Top of Town precinct.

On the way home if you’re heading out of town towards Brisbane, the Prince Alfred Hotel will be beckoning for lunch or dinner. Home to Char’d restaurant and Tap’d Bar, this award- winning sprawling modern venue offers diverse menus and the biggest craft beer offering in the southern hemisphere with 72 ales and ciders on tap at any one time. The perfect way to cap off a fun-filled break away in Ipswich – a destination far enough away to offer some new adventures but close enough to keep the littlies from getting too bored on the drive back home! For more accommodation options see pages 38–39.

Next stop is The Workshops Rail Museum , a five-minute drive over to North Ipswich where this unique attraction occupies a historically significant site as the birthplace of rail in Queensland. Explore every facet of the state’s rail history – including a model railway of the Queensland rail network and grand restored locomotives. The museum hosts fascinating touring exhibitions throughout the year and has an on-site cafe and gift shop where Thomas the Tank Engine merch features prominently. If you’re in town on one of the monthly scheduled Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway running days, book a one hour train ride through old coal mining sites, bushland and past quaint miners cottages in one of their heritage timber carriages. The diesel and steam trains leave from the restored Swanbank train station which is steeped in history.

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Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway

River Heart Boardwalk

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