Difference between revisions of "Toowoomba"

Revision as of 08:04, 31 December 2008

Toowoomba (also referred to by locals as "Woombie" or "T-ba") is a regional centre in the Australian state of Queensland. It is located approximately 130km west of Brisbane on the escarpment of the Great Dividing Range, travel time is approximately 90 minutes by road. Toowoomba is the largest inland city in Australia.

Get in

• You can drive to Toowoomba via one of the three highways that run through the city: the A2 Warrego Highway from the east and west, or the A3 New England Highway from the north or south, also the the A39 Gore Highway from the south west.
• Greyhound Australia operate a very intensive express and non-express intercity coach service from the Roma Street Transit Centre in Brisbane, and from Brisbane Domestic and International Airport terminals, as well as less frequent services from other centres.
• Toowoomba Transit Coaches also operates non-stop express services from Roma Street Transit Centre.
• Traveltrain (QR) has two Westlander services weekly, the journey from Brisbane takes approximately 3.5 hours and arrives very late in the evening, but as a trade-off the train has excellent views as you ascend/descend the range.

Get around

• There are two taxi companies operating in Greater Toowoomba: Garden City Cabs and Yellow Cabs. Both companies have very reasonable metered fares compared to capital cities.
• Garden City Sunbus operate 6 bus routes throughout the city. On Saturdays some routes are less frequent and others do not operate. No routes operate on Sundays.

See

• Picnic Point, a beautiful outlook on the edge of 'The Range'.
• Spring Bluff Railway Station, a former railway station with excellent gardens and picnic areas.
• Queens Park and Botanical Gardens
• Cobb and Co Museum
• 'Ja Raku En' The University of Southern Queensland's Japanese Garden
• Milne Bay Military Museum
• Toowoomba Railway Station Building

Do

• There is a tourist drive around the City, there are distinctive signs that mark this route.
• See a show at the Empire Theatre, opened in 1911.
• Visit the Sunday Markets at the Toowoomba PCYC

Buy

• Toowoomba has a very spread out and lively city centre, brimming with small shops and cafes. There are also many shopping centres littered through the suburbs, two notable ones being Grand Central in the City and Clifford Gardens in Newtown.

Eat

• SSS BBQ BARNS, [1]. Steakhouse with great atmosphere, food and service
• WEIS RESTAURANT, [2]. A famous local seafood restaurant near the top of the range.
• ANGEL CAFE. A local cafe with fantastic meals on South Street.

Drink

Sleep

• Toowoomba has a large number of Hotels and Motels due to it's strategic location on the crossroads of 3 major highways. You will see these as you drive through the city.

Get out

• Due to Toowoomba's large student population, there are a number of clubs and nightclubs in the city centre itself, they are mostly in the eastern half of the cbd area.