Stanthorpe is where all of Queensland’s apple crop is grown and when spring arrives in the orchards, more than one million apple trees put on a brilliant showing that draws visitors down quiet country roads to see the blossoms.
Granite Belt Wine & Tourism are advising that the first of the apple blossoms are now appearing in the orchards and from now until mid-October is the ideal time to visit the area. If there is a rain event, the blossoms can disappear quickly, so for the best chance of seeing the blossoms at their peak usually the first week of October is the best week.
“Sundowner apple blossom are the first ones that come out on the Granite Belt and by about the first week of October the whole area will look like a winter wonderland with apple blossom and it will look quite spectacular,” said David Sutton, farmer and owner at Sutton’s Juice Factory, Cidery & Farm Cafe.
Photo: Sutton’s Juice Factory, Cidery & Farm Cafe with orchard in blossom.
Photo: Sutton’s Juice Factory, Cidery & Farm Cafe with orchard in blossom.
Apple orchards are easy to spot as you drive around the areas north of Stanthorpe. A few tips for looking out for them…
Travelling along the New England Highway north of Stanthorpe you will spot orchards on both sides of the highway as you zoom by. Keep a look out for locations between the ‘Big Apple’ at Thulimbah and McDonalds in Stanthorpe.
To see apple orchards at a much slower pace, take a drive along Amiens Road towards Stanthorpe Cheese and travel further along that road to view even more orchards around Pozieres area. You can even do a really lovely country drive loop back via Robert Channon Wines and the Granite Belt Brewery to return to Stanthorpe via the Amiens Road loop.
