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Hi all

I can't remember how it started, but a friend and I have decided to take a day trip out to Ipswich and Toowoomba this weekend for a look around.

Most of the advice I've had from friends is "don't bother", but we're on the hunt for some cowboy shirts, a decent steak and a cold beer in a country pub.

What can I expect photo-wise? I'm hoping there might be some interesting landscapes on offer. What about stock yards, mines or other rural scenes? As you can tell, I'm as city slicker as they come.

Sounds like a topic for Michael on these forums to wack up some info for you, hes a young fella from toowoomba and a bit of a nut too.. hopefully he see's this topic of yours Jonas

Tim

Jonas - as a photographer you only have to open your eyes and your mind once you step out of the city. Just look and you will see hundreds of photo opportunities

Jonas wrote:Hi all

I can't remember how it started, but a friend and I have decided to take a day trip out to Ipswich and Toowoomba this weekend for a look around.

Most of the advice I've had from friends is "don't bother", but we're on the hunt for some cowboy shirts, a decent steak and a cold beer in a country pub.

What can I expect photo-wise? I'm hoping there might be some interesting landscapes on offer. What about stock yards, mines or other rural scenes? As you can tell, I'm as city slicker as they come.

OR .... you could save his trip for a later date and come to .........

http://www.dslrusers.net/viewtopic.php?t=11362

and meet other members from the forum.......

we're on the hunt for some cowboy shirts, a decent steak and a cold beer in a country pub.

You might need to go a bit further west than Toowoomba for that. Warwick perhaps, maybe Roma or even Birdsville, although if you go to Birdsville they might expect you to already have a cowboy shirt

Toowoomba - City of Flowers.

There are some nice old buildings and some quaint parks and gardens there. The road to the north to Crows Nest is worth a trip. There's a great lookout of the valley up that road. Jusrt before Crows Nest (at Hampton) the turnoff will take you back to the coast via Somerset Dam and is a nice drive. Keep following that road and you get to D'Aguilar Highway and end up in Caboolture, my home town . Then it's an easy journey south down the Bruce HWY and five hours later, violah!!!, Gold Coast.

Toowoomba

Where do I start?....Well I lived in bris up until 7 years ago so I've only been up here a little while, Having said that I do know a few places around the lockyer valley that might be worth a bit of a gander.

Firstly you'll find a few pubs around the place but the only people filling the bar stools will be old men, so no luck with the cowboy hats and what not.
Like a few others said you'd need to go out towards wullambilla/miles/roma to even really think about seeing people casually dressed in jeans boots and a acubra.

Also since we've been getting alot of afternoon storms up here everything is really nice and green so if you're into photographing flowers and gardens and other things like that, there are a few gardens still open with roses and stuff in them.

One thing that I do reccomend you go visit while you're up here preferably during early afternoon so you get a few more interesting colours out of all the plants.
The japanese gardens are located at the southern end of west st it's located right next to USQ.

I'm not really a specialist in the tourism area but if you just wonder around in your car near the crowsnest area you're definatly likely to find some nice scenery around the place.

Michael

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I was a bit surprised at how big Toowoomba was and most of you were right, I needed to get out of town to see cowboys and cattle yards.

We did visit the Japanese gardens and I had a play with some slow shutter speed photos at the waterfalls. We also checked out Picnic Point and its awesome view. However, as we arrived near lunchtime and left before sunset, the light was too strong/hazy for me to be inspired to take too many photos.

I enjoyed a nice T-bone steak at the Spotted Cow on Ruthven Street and my co-driver picked up what he calls a gay cowboy shirt (with the pearl buttons), so we were both happy with the outing.

but will you wear that shirt on the coast.........