Location: Ipswich
Top Things to do in Ipswich
Top Restaurants in Ipswich
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What to do and see in Ipswich, Australia: The Best Places and Tips
Ipswich (/ˈɪpswɪtʃ/ ( listen)) is the county town of Suffolk, England, located on the estuary of the River Orwell, about 60 miles (97 km) north east of London. The town has been continuously occupied since the Saxon period, and its port has been one of England's most important for the whole of its history.
Restaurants in Ipswich
1. Queens Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 316 reviews
One of the oldest parks in Queensland, Queens Park boasts enormous, shady trees dotted around the picturesque green expanse on the hill at the eastern entrance to the city. A perfect place to spread out the picnic rug, fire up the barbie and spend a pleasant few hours. If you're not such a BYO person, the indoor-outdoor Queens Park Café offers everything for the hungry park-goer, including a special Kids' Menu. Next door to the Café, is the Environmental Education Centre with some fun interactive displays. Queens Park's playground was inspired by Ipswich's coal mining history, with an impressive design incorporating a flying fox, fixed model train, Liberty Swing for people in wheelchairs to enjoy a ride, and water pumps. And if that's not enough, there are two more amazing, free attractions - the Japanese-themed Nerima Gardens, and the Ipswich Nature Centre which has been delighting visitors since 1936. Enter the Ipswich Nature Centre through the historical Rotunda and be charmed by wallabies contentedly nibbling or dozing, and other native animals such as wombats, emus, bilbies and water birds in their authentic habitats. Then there's the barn where the younger ones won't be able to resist farm animals such as pigs, calves, Guinea pigs and lambs. Nerima Gardens was designed in consultation with Ipswich's sister city in Japan. A model traditional Japanese tea house, constant sound of flowing water, winding paths and charming Gardens make this a tranquil and calming space. A unique factor is that Australian native plants have been used, with some being indigenous to Ipswich.
Reviewed By natthetraveller770 - Ipswich, Australia
Beautiful historic Queens Park. Great for kids - animal park, play areas. Great for all ages - Japanese Garden, And don't forget to have coffee and something to eat at the
cafe - the food is delicious and the customer service is Exceptional - very pleasing to see the service staff being friendly and courteous. Such a bonus in this day and age.
Wear a hat, Ipswich gets hot. Great for picnics. Free parking.
2. Robelle Domain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 67 reviews
Robelle Domain’s expansive green lawns, bike tracks, tree top walks and shady picnic areas are great for all the family. Add to this the Family Water Play complete with a huge tipping bucket and water jets, and the public, lagoon-style pool (opening September 2015), the kids will absolutely love this place – parents can also grab a coffee and lunch in the Robelle Cafe.
Reviewed By amazon36 - Australia
Markets on Friday nights. 3pm to 8pm. Plenty of food stalls and the smell of popcorn is divine as you walk through to an area of grass near another water park. I recommend you take your sgoes off and lay on what is the softest grass ever with no ants!! Plenty of space and kids play equipment.
3. Orion Springfield Central
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By MummyRei - Singapore, Singapore
I like the shopping mall. There’s food court, cafes and restaurants. We shopped a lot in Big W. There’s woolworths and coles too! It’s just next to Orion Lagoon. Convenient to have lunch or dinner there after a swim. There’s a kids playground too. We went on a Sunday and shops closed early. What a waste!
4. Royal Mail Hotel
Overall Ratings
5 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By Tony W - Adelaide, Australia
This place isn't for everyone. If you are one of those trendy wanna be seen somewhere fashionable types - nup, sorry, this isn't for you. If you love a traditional Aussie pub atmosphere that is straight from the 50s or 60s or 70s, you love blues and roots music, this is on your bucket list. Great live music all the time bouncing off the I don't know how old the walls are. A place where you can leave your money on the bar and when your beer is nearly empty another one appears and just the right amount removed from what's on the bar. The regulars have been there for so long they are the furniture, not part of it.
5. Rosewood Railway Museum
Overall Ratings
4 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By John M - Nanango, Australia
I was looking for somethig to do and we saw the sign and went for a drive to have a look at te old railway station. If you like rail history I suggest you make this stop a must.
6. Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
This large conservation estate features a range of trails showcasing spectacular views over the distinctive Valleys and peaks from the Scenic Rim to the bay Islands. Visitors to the Conservation Estate can take in the natural wonders of the area through a range of recreational activities including bird-watching, hiking, mountain bike riding, horse riding, nature study and camping.
7. Hidden Vale Adventure Park
Overall Ratings
5 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By B138877 - Queensland, Australia
The easy trails are not fully that easy. If you are not an expert, then double the time to expect. If you are a novice, perhaps try somewhere else for a while. Even the easy sections had some pretty challenging sections.
8. Rally School Queensland
Overall Ratings
5 based on 14 reviews
Get behind the wheel with a Rally Ride or Drive. Experience our Rally Championship Specification Subaru and Mitsubishi Turbo Rally cars. You will have a Pro Instructor with you the whole time, coaching you to go FASTER!
Reviewed By Daniel M
It's the most fun you can have with your pants on. Must do it as the instructors cater for every level of driver. The hot laps are unbelievable.Thanks for tanking the time to give us a review, cheers
9. The Workshops Rail Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 219 reviews
All aboard for a wholly interactive authentic heritage and cultural experience located at Australia’s oldest railway workshops still in operation.
Reviewed By JuniePoon - Singapore, Singapore
Well, to quote my hubby "this place should be part of a university curriculum where students come here to see/learn first hand how exactly trains work." This museum is highly educational and full of rich history. It is very interesting to see real trains - old and new, being actually repaired and restored here. The museum does not only exhibit old train models but is also a real workshop where some old trains (which occasionally run thru the town of Ipswich) and running trains of Queensland Rail today are being restored and repaired. I would highly recommend anyone to join the guided tours as it gives you much more insight to the history and value of this site as well as better appreciation of the heritage trains on exhibit here. The guided tour also shows you a section that is not usually opened to the public i.e the blacksmith and supply and wheel shops, as these are real work sites. The guided tour is free but only happen twice a day (10.30am and 12noon) so make an effort to get there early. The experience would not be the same without attending the guided tour. Through the exhibits, you can also see first hand how the technology of trains evolved over the years. The museum consciously exhibit cross sections and dissected parts of different types of train engines and parts (for educational purposes) so that any layman like me, can understand simply how a steam locomotive/diesel train work. This is textbook engineering concepts coming to life for me and my hubby, although it may not appeal that much to our young son of 6! He was just happy swooning over the heritage trains thinking all the characters of Thomas the Train cartoon came to life. Anyhow, besides being a great place for adults, it is also a rather interesting place for kids. The museum has a diesel train simulator where the kids can actually "drive" a train and get to sound the train horn, as well as a section of interactive stations for kids to explore and understand the basic science concepts used by trains. There is also a section in the museum which comprises of a railway model (Nipper's railway) and some exhibits of lego train models. The overall site of the museum is spacious so its great for everyone to walk around and explore and of course, take loads of pictures. The museum organizes steam train rides occasionally on Sundays so do check out the museum website for the train ride schedules so it would be an extra bonus for you and your kids to experience riding in a steam train. A pity we didn't get to ride on the steam train as it was not available during the time we went. The on-site café sells simple fare while the shop is stocked with mostly items related to trains (of course!). The museum is located about 45 mins drive from Brisbane city centre and is nestled in the residential area of North Ipswich. The museum charges a fee which differs for adults, children and seniors. Overall, I would highly recommend a visit to this place if you are a history buff and is fascinated by trains.
10. Grandchester Railway Station
Overall Ratings
4 based on 8 reviews
Open on the first Sunday of every month, Grandchester Railway Station, also referred to as Bigge's Camp, was the western terminus of the first section of railway opened in Queensland. The opening occurred with much fanfare on 31 July 1865.
Reviewed By wal_on_hol - Brisbane, Australia
The Grandchester Railway station is Queensland Rail’s oldest building. It is open on the first Sunday of each month by volunteers from the National Trust. They will give you an interesting overview of the history of the station (and the township) and show you the equipment, including kerosene signalling, used in years gone by. There’s a great replica Cobb & Co Coach onsite as well. Entry is by gold coin donation. We probably only stopped by for 20 minutes, but it was an interesting spot and we were glad we visited. Our 6 year-old was quite interested as well.
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