Ipswich is a heritage city in Queensland and around a 40 minute drive or 1 hour train ride from Brisbane CBD. I recently visited on a day trip from Brisbane via train and found the city easily walkable. The city has a vintage feel to it with old buildings and antique shops, but it is also home to plenty of outdoor activities from bush walking, water parks for the kids and mountain biking.
Here are just a few things to do in Ipswich.
Queens Park
Queens Park in Ipswich is one of the oldest in Queensland, and massive! There are many different areas from open green spaces, a playground, a nature reserve, an environmental education centre, a pretty greenhouse and formal garden, a café, and the Japanese gardens. This is a great place to sit and relax to read a book or for a picnic. You can also walk to the top where there is a lookout over the gardens and city beyond.
Ipswich Nature Centre
The nature centre is actually in the middle of Queens park and is free! I was pleasantly surprised to see kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, lorikeets, a huge eagle, and other native Australian wildlife. There is even a small farm where children can pat the animals.
Japanese gardens
Again, within Queens park are the beautiful Japanese gardens, with small and quaint paths winding around the pretty flowers and sculptured hedges. This is the perfect place to sit and read or to take a break. Go in the weekday and you are likely to have the place to yourself.
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The Workshops Rail Museum
This lovely museum is situated where more than 3000 railway staff used to work. This historic museum showcases the old trains and carriages from back in the day, which have now been restored. There are plenty of interactive displays for the kids, as well as Queensland’s largest model railway.
Ipswich Art Gallery
One of Queensland most popular galleries and complete with an interactive children’s gallery, there are a number of different exhibitions on throughout the year. It is not overly big but a good size to have a wander around and take in some of the old classics, as well as modern local art. If you like art galleries, then a little out of the city, you can also visit Lyne Marshall’s Studio Gallery.
Mountain Biking
Not something I tried on my own, but I have read that this is one of the most popular and extremely fun things to do in Ipswich. Hidden Vale Adventure Park, Castle Hill and Blackstone Hill are all popular spots to bike, with trails for multiple abilities.
Denmark Hill Conservation Reserve
The Denmark Hill Conservation Reserve is located around a 15 minute walk from the city centre, but you feel like you could be in the middle of bushland. There are a few short trails, ranging from 200-800 metres, and a nice picnic area. This is a great place to head for a walk, if you do not want to drive out of the city. A small tip, this is situated up a hill, so it may be best to visit in the morning or later in the day- I walked here in the blazing sun and it was pretty tiring!
Ipswich Antique Centre
If you love antiques, you will be at home at the Ipswich Antique Centre. Here you will find plenty of sellers from old furniture, clothes, pottery, and jewellery. The centre is situated in an 1895 heritage-listed building, which has been restored.
Where to eat in Ipswich
Rafter & Rose
There are plenty of places to eat in the city and it has a big café culture (as most Aussie cities do!). I ate a delicious brunch at Rafter & Rose, which was a pretty little café off the main street. You can sit in the small alleyway amongst the green plants, or inside where the decoration is like a cosy home, complete with inspiring quotes and life tips that people have written out and put up on the wall.
Ungermann Brothers ice cream
This cute little retro ice cream shop is a popular place, and the ice cream flavours are out of this word! The 1960’s inspired venue has all kinds of new, different and exciting ice cream flavours to try. I went for the lavender and honeycomb, but there are also flavours like Dutch spice, blue cheese and fig, liquorice and fennel, and fairy bread.
Hope you enjoyed this post on things to do in Ipswich! It’s not a massive town but it makes for something different to do, if you are coming as a day out from Brisbane. The two cities have a very different feel, so give Ipswich a go on your next weekend, or visit!
