Brisbane & Around - Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef - page 225

Toowoomba is 126km west of Brisbane on the Warrego Hwy. Greyhound
( www.greyhound.com.au ) provides regular daily services between Brisbane and Toowoomba
($35, two hours), and runs less frequently south to Stanthorpe ($44, 2½ hours).
If you're coming straight from Brisbane Airport, the Airport Flyer ( 07-4630 1444, 1300 304
350; www.theairportflyer.com.au ; one-way/return $82/148) runs door-to-door services to/from Too-
woomba (cheaper for more than one passenger).

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Around Toowoomba

Crows Nest
POP 1450
North of Toowoomba the New England Hwy travels the ridges of the Great Dividing
Range. It passes through a series of small settlements on the way to the cute town of
Crows Nest, circulating around a village green about 50km north of Toowoomba.
Crows Nest hosts the World Worm Races ( www.crowsnestfestival.com.au ) as part of the Crows
Nest Festival every October, but 6km east of town, Crows Nest National Park ( www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/
parks/crows-nest ) is far more impressive, with a cascading waterfall and eucalypt forest punc-
tuated by craggy granite outcrops and sheer 100m cliffs. There are some scenic walking
tracks here (ranging from 2km to 4.5km) and cool-down swimming holes, plus there's a
small bush camp site ($5.60 per person; book in advance online). For more weatherproof
accommodation there's the Crows Nest Caravan Park (

07-4698 1269;

www.crowsnestcaravanpark.com.au ; 7558 New England Hwy; unpowered/powered sites $25/29, cabins $65-145;
) , with flocks of chattering parrots and neat cabins; and the excellent Crows Nest Motel (
07-4698 1399; www.crowsnestmotel.com.au ; 7547 New England Hwy; s/d/apt from $120/124/157; ) , a newish
L-shaped arrangement with new bathrooms and TVs, quality linen and kangaroos bound-
ing about in the back paddock. The apartments here are two-bedroom layouts with full kit-
chens, and are great value.
Also on offer in Crows Nest itself are the crafty Crows Nest Village Markets (

0429 678 120;

7am-noon 1st Sun of the month) , and the Crows Nest Re- www.crowsnestvillagemarkets.com ; Centenary Park;

gional Art Gallery ( 07-4698 1687; www.toowoombarc.qld.gov.au ; New England Hwy; 10.30am-3.30pm Tue-