The Amiens Road country drive loop north of Stanthorpe winds through orchards and in spring see them burst into blossom!

Early September: early stonefruit in blossom (eg nectarines)
Late September to early October: apple trees in blossom

See the spring blossoms on this country drive loop north of Stanthorpe, with bonus stops at the Cheese Factory, for an Apple Pie, a short walk at a Bushranger’s Hideout and wineries and a craft brewery too!

Finding the Blossoms

Just follow the Amiens Road loop marked on this page and you’ll stumble upon September and early October orchard blossoms.  The route leaves the New England Highway at The Big Apple in Thulimbah, heads west to the village of Amiens and returns to Stanthorpe via the Granite Belt Brewery.

• Find lots of apple tree orchards lining each side of Amiens Road between Stanthorpe Cheese Factory and west to Passchendaele Forrest (usually in bloom late Sept to early Oct).
• See some earlier spring blossoms (pink nectarine blossoms) which usually bloom late Aug to early Sept on the roadside driving from Amiens towards Robert Channon Wines.

Discover along the way…

Sutton’s Apple Farm

Stop in for a famed Sutton’s apple pie and some apple juice, both made on the apple farm at Stanthorpe’s iconic Sutton’s Juice Factory, Cidery & Cafe.  Dine inside the shed cafe and peek through the factory window to see what Farmer Dave is making in the farm factory today.

Open: 9.30am – 4.30pm, 7 days

Photo: Louse Wright | Southern Qld Country Tourism

The Big Apple

You’re right in the centre of Queensland’s apple country!  This is where all of the state’s apple crop is grown and so it should be no surprise to spot the Big Apple!  Walk or drive into the carpark at the foot of the Big Apple to capture a selfie with Stanthorpe’s own ‘BIG THING’.

Summit Estate Wines

Get ready to taste some exciting rare wines and relax in a great atmosphere of one of Stanthorpe’s largest cellar doors.  Summit Estate Wines have a vast range of wines… and definitely noteworthy is their large range of sparkling wines which include a few you’ve possibly never tried: Sparkling Marsanne, Sparkling Tempranillo and Sparkling Pinot Noir to name a few.  Relax here in bean bags inside or on the verandah with vineyard views.

Open: Monday 10am-2pm, Thursday  12-4pm, Friday & Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-2pm

Castle Glen

Drive in through the vineyard and step inside the castle at Castle Glen Australia to discover a veritable treasure trove of liquor!  Here a kaleidoscope of colours bounces off thousands of bottles of liqueurs, gin, whiskey, wine and more.  It’s all made chemical and preservative free, right onsite by Glen Millar and with his giant new still recently delivered he is having a lot of fun producing far more tempting tastes than you could possibly try in one visit!

Open: 10am-4pm, 7 Days

Donnelly’s Castle Boulders & Lookout

Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt used this spot as his hideout and we think he was onto something – it’s a great spot to disappear for a short while!  A short walk from the Donnelly’s Castle picnic area and carpark and you’re instantly meandering through giant boulders, squeezing under and through crevices and feeling like a little kid again.

Find the ‘Yowie’ mural inside and keep pushing on further to the inner hidden cave-like areas for a truly exciting little adventure.  Check out the lookout via a different walking track too (only a short walk also).

Castle Lane, via Donnelly’s Castle Road.
Just follow GPS directions to Donnelly’s Castle

Boireann Winery

Between Castle Glen and Donnelly’s Castle you’ll drive right past picturesque Boireann Winery.  Here Brad grows and crafts a diverse range of “Strange Bird” rare wine varieties, including Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbara, Mourvèdre and Tannat.

26 Donnellys Castle Rd, The Summit

Check their website for open days/hours

Stanthorpe Cheese

Just around the corner a herd of Jersey cows are every day grazing in the fields to produce milk for the range of farmhouse cheeses made at Stanthorpe Cheese.  Inside see the cheese wheels thorough the factory window and in front a delicious range of cheeses and condiments for tastings. Order a Ploughman’s Lunch to takeaway and devour nearby at either one of the wineries or Donnelly’s Castle picnic spot.

Open: 10am – 4pm, 7 Days
Location: 4 Duncan Lane, Thulimbah

SATURDAY? Visit the Amiens Legacy Centre

If you’re doing this drive on a Saturday, drop in to see the old railway carriage at the Amiens Legacy Centre.  In the little village of Amiens, this site is a memorial to WWI soldiers who settled in this area and built on the original spot where the railway line stopped in Amiens.

Volunteers have lovingly restored the 1909 Qld Rail carriage which now contains stories and artefacts of the soldiers and their families.

Location: 17 Goldfields Rd, Amiens
Open: 10am – 1pm SATURDAYS

RavensCroft Vineyard

Drop into the only winery on the Granite Belt that produces the rarer wine variety Pinotage – it’s a variety that ordinates in South Africa. It’s a variety that originates in

Enjoy a tasting with owners Nick and Caitlin, also tasting their Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Pinot Grigio and Graciono Rose.  This little boutique-sized winery is a true find!

Open: Friday to Sunday (and long weekends)
Location: 274 Spring Creek Rd, Stanthorpe

Robert Channon Wines

No need to bow… but do be aware here you’re visiting wine royalty – Robert Channon the ‘King of the Verdelho’.  Robert Channon Wines is also renowned for excellent Chardonnay and it was in fact in the process of growing this Chardonnay that their happy Verdelho wine ‘accident’ began, as Robert explains…

“the nursery supplying the vines to us couldn’t supply the chardonnay we had ordered because they had sold them to someone else; bigger and more important than us.  So, at the very last moment, we had to take verdelho from them instead.

Views back towards Stanthorpe and across the lake on the property are beautiful from this popular cellar door.

Open: 10am – 5pm Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 4pm Monday, Tuesday & Friday.
Location: 32 Bradley Lane, Stanthorpe

Granite Belt Brewery

Geoff Davenport has happily put his days working in IT behind him and has achieved what many would only dream of.  Welcome to Geoff’s Granite Belt Brewery, where the ales and ciders on tap are all crafted onsite by Geoff himself.  Peek through into the micro-brewery via the window from the bar area and adjacent find a large restaurant with meals and drinks.

Open: 10am – 9pm Friday to Monday.  10am – 5pm Tuesday to Thursday (bar snacks, no restaurant meals)
Location: 146 Glenlyon Drive, Stanthorpe