Five towns to stop by on Queensland's Brisbane Valley Highway

Getting in the car and heading off on a weekend away or a day trip to small and medium-sized towns down the highway can be a fulfilling experience with hidden gems and great local hospitality. Here are a few highlights down Queensland's Brisbane Valley Highway.

From: Just north of Harlin (about 130km northwest of Brisbane) south-east to Ipswich.
Named after: The Brisbane River, which the highway more or less follows. Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane was an astronomer and the sixth governor of NSW between 1821 and 1825.
Route number: A17
Length: 90km
Best bit: The highway crosses the dam wall of Lake Wivenhoe with water to one side and the dam’s spillway on the other.

If you’re starting at the northern end of this highway and heading south from the D’Aguilar Highway you’ll pass through Harlin which has a traditional pub (serving huge steaks!) and a roadhouse.

Not much further along, after passing through lush green countryside traditionally given over to dairy farming, you’ll arrive at Toogoolawah, home of the Alexandra Hall picture theatre that runs regular movie sessions, complete with a patrons’ lounge in sling-back canvas chairs. Those with a sweet tooth and an eye for history and culture should visit the old condensed milk packing shed called the Condensary where the syrupy preserved milk product was produced from late in the 19th century and is now the Somerset Regional Art Gallery.

For something totally different, stop at Ottaba Llamas just south of Toogoolawah where you can meet these gentle beasts and go on a guided walk with them. The walks take in either the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail or some of the local wineries, or you can just stop at the farm and check them out along with the resident camel, donkeys, mini goats, turkeys and chooks.

Esk is framed by the backdrop of Mount Glen Rock, a craggy 271 metre-high outcrop crisscrossed by walking and mountain bike trails. The town itself has antique shops, cafes and other browsing opportunities, or head west of town to the elevated Lake Park lookout for views across to Wivenhoe dam.

From there the highway skirts the edges of Lake Wivenhoe, formed by damming of the Brisbane River. This is the biggest lake in southeast Queensland – all 200 square kilometres of it – and its shores dotted with picnic and barbecue areas, there are plenty of spots to drop a fishing line or you could hire a kayak or canoe for further exploration.

The highway crosses the 60 metre-high dam wall and spillway which is fairly dramatic, and below it is a camp ground, parkland and there’s a nearby lookout. Take the detour to Logan Inlet and if it’s a warm day (not unusual in Queensland!) there’s a designated swimming area to cool off.

Fernvale is just down the road which is another good town for a stroll, perhaps a pie or vanilla slice from the bakery or if it’s a Sunday morning, the weekly country market highlights the best produce and crafts of the area.

The highway ends at the intersection with the Warrego Highway that takes you back to Brisbane past Ipswich, or you can head west towards Toowoomba and the country heartland of Queensland’s south-east.

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