Joanna James
Located in Brisbane's CBD and the Gold Coast, Ipswich is a town that makes you travel back in time, to a time of history, culture, and heritage.
The Workshops Rail Museum has won awards for its preservation of a crucial part of the culture. Once the workshop of over 3000 workers, the Museum is a place full of locomotives from different eras. It also has Queensland's largest model railway and is a good place for the entire family.
Sure you can make your way to an Ipswich hotel and ask for a tour of the area. Or, you can go one step further and sign up with Pterodactyl Helicopters and tour the city from high above, while making sure you experience certain important parts of the town like pub crawling and a tour of a winery.
Queen's Park is one of the oldest parks to be found in the state of Queensland. The Park is a gorgeous place where you can be one with nature, what with centuries-old trees hovering above you giving you shade. There is also a playground for the younger visitors, a flying fox, a separate section for a Japanese Garden, as well as an environmental centre. There is a mini zoo here, as well, where you can see emus, snakes, wombats, and wallabies.
Top of Town is the place to go if you are looking to shop in unique style. It is located in the centre of Brisbane's CBD but is a part of the historic stretch of land. You will find small boutiques, designer wear, vintage stores, as well as quirky little restaurants to rest your feet and sip a cup of coffee.
If you happen to stay at a higher end accommodation option like Oaks Aspire Apartments, you would have noticed that they seem to pay special attention to art. This attention to art is further illustrated at the Ipswich Art Gallery, which was the first gallery in Australia to open a special gallery dedicated exclusively for children.
Farmers' markets are a popular mode of markets in Australia. Ipswich has moved up above the rest and has numerous farmers' markets in different parts of the town and on different days of the week. You can pick up local produce or even find local designers to work with on creating something exclusively yours at these markets. Peak Organics Market is the place to go for food and takes place every Saturday. Handmade Expo Market, taking place on third Sunday of every month is the place to for local ware. There is also the Ipswich Antique Collectable Fair, which is a haven for a collector.
The best place to down a pint in Ipswich would be the Pumpyard Bar & Brewery. It is located in a heritage-listed building, which was built in 1910. Ironically, the building was built on the sole water source of Ipswich in the 1800s. Now it is a place of chilling, complete with light snacks and good company.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
