A holiday to Toowoomba, also known as the Garden City, is the perfect opportunity to slow down, stop and smell the roses – with a stunning selection of parks and gardens.
Laurel Bank Park
Located just a few minutes stroll from our front door, Laurel Bank Park is one Toowoomba’s premier parks and features manicured gardens, mature trees, a scented garden for the visually impaired, BBQ and picnic spots, two croque lawns and a kids playground. The picturesque setting makes for a lovely wedding ceremony venue and it’s a must-visit if you’re visiting during the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Queens Park
Spanning more than 25 hectares, Queens Park and Botanic Gardens offers three distinct areas; Queens Park Botanic Gardens, Vera Lacaze Memorial Park and the Queens Park greater park area. Explore the amazing garden collection of seasonal plants, set against a lush backdrop of extensive lawns and shrubs, and avenues of towering trees. As well as all-abilities playground, open space sporing ovals, and so much more.
Queens Park and Botanic Gardens also plays host to a variety of community activities and annual events throughout the year including the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Picnic Point Lookout
From it’s vantage point perched high on the crest of the Great Dividing range you can take in the awe-inspiring panoramic views eastward to Table Top Mountain and Lockyer Valley by day, as well as the distant glow of Brisbane city by night. The parklands entrance features an avenue of mature hoop pine and South Queensland kauri pine that leads to the manicured lawns and gardens of Picnic Point Square. There’s also a waterfall constructed using the natural fall of the land.
UniSQ Japanese Garden
Ju Raku En Japanese Garden at the University of Southern Queensland is one of the largest and most traditional Japanese stroll gardens in Australia. The garden features a mountain stream and waterfall, dry garden, Azalea Hill, 3 km of paths, a central lake and 230 species of Japanese and Australian native trees and plants.
Spring Bluff Railway
Spring Bluff Railway is not only home to 150 years of railways history located on the main railway line between Ipswich and Toowoomba, but also features beautifully landscaped gardens and spring floral displays.
Newtown Park & Queensland State Rose Garden
Yes, you really can stop and smell the roses in Toowoomba… with more than 2000 on display at Newtown Park’s award-winning Queensland State Rose Garden. The optimal months to see these blooms are October and November, but the roses can be viewed through until April.
Gumbi Gumbi Gardens
Designed in close partnership with respected elders, the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens is an opportunity to explore the region’s indigenous heritage. Featuring over 100 plant species including plants used by local Aboriginal communities for food and medicine. You can also download the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens app to hear elders tell stories of the gardens.
As we said, there are MANY beautiful parks and gardens in and around Toowoomba! You could also explore:
- Boyce Garden & Rainforest
- David Arboretum (tree garden)
- Roger Park, Yarraman
- Peacehaven Botanic Park
- Lake Annand
Discover Toowoomba the Garden City from your central accommodation staying at Potter’s Hotel Toowoomba!
Image: UniSQ Japanese Gardens courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.