Unique accommodation with an astronomical observatory
TWINSTAR GUESTHOUSE & OBSERVATORY
Dining facilities & services available around Twinstar
Guesthouse & Observatory (within 10km radius)

1.The Cellar Door Cafe at Mason Wines
Lunch & wine tasings, open from Fri~Mon, Open 10~17:00  
Phone: 0439 530 535

2.  Vineyard Cottages & Cafe
Lunch & dinner, closed Tue & Wed, Phone: 4684 1270,
Restaurant Currently Closed

3.  Ballandean General Store (petrol, bakery & shop)
Phone: 07 4684 1103

4.  The Farm Gate Cafe
Breakfast,  lunch, & Friday night pizza, Open 7 days, Phone:
4684 1000, Currently Closed.

5.  Ballandean Tavern
Lunch, dinner & pub, Open 7 days, Phone: 4684 1044

6. Washpool Skin Wellness
Hand-made soap & bath products, Open 7 days, Phone: 4684
1080 (pictures below)

en 7 days Phone: 07 4684 1044
* Hidden Creek Winery & Cafe (Lunch & wine)
Closed Tue & Wed, Phone: 4684 1383 Outside the map on
Eukey Road
Twinstar Guesthouse & Observatory
28146 New England Highway, Ballandean,
Queensland 4382, Australia
Email: twin-star@bigpond.com
Phone: 07 4684 1135
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LOCAL INFORMATION
Ballandean State School
The Ballandean Pyramid
Dinosaur & Ballandean Station
Unique Stanthorpe
Accommodation
Clean & affordable B&B
with an observatory
Local Industry
The main industry today includes agriculture such as apple / stone fruits / vegetable productions, and cattle / sheep
grazing. Recently, the Stanthorpe and Ballandean area is the centre of a booming wineries with more than 50 wineries.
Wine and tourism are very important part of the area's economy.
There are great national parks nearby including Girraween National Park, where visitors can marvel at massive granite
outcrops and balancing boulders.   
Stanthorpe accommodation; Ballandean accommodation;
Unique B&B accommodation in Stanthorpe on the Granite Belt in Queensland, Australia
Twinstar Guesthouse & Observatory
Apple & Grape Harvest Festival
Next: 1st weekend March 2020 at Stanthorpe

The festival, held biennially, is a celebration of the Granite Belt region's produce and
booming wine industry. It is voted an iconic Qld event and one of Qld's longest
running & most successful event.

Highlights include the Gala Ball, street parade and mardi gras, wine and food fiesta,
and a range of sporting and family activities.
For more information, visit www.appleandgrape.org
Ballandean Pyramid (picture left)
Local attraction on Jaconsens Road. You cannot climb, as it is
on a private property. But you can take a photo. Do not mistake
this with the Pyramid, natural formation in the nearby Girraween
National Park.

History of Stanthorpe & Ballandean
Allan Cunningham, who is a botanist and explorer, discovered
the country where Stanthorpe is located. Stanthorpe was
founded by tin minors, who came from many countries to mine
tin since the "tin rush" in early 1872. Stanthorpe literary means
"tin town", as Stannum is Latin for "tin" and thorpe is Middle
English for "town."

While the first (table) grapes were planted at Ballandean around
1840, it was not until 1931 that they were used to make wine.
Since then, wineries gradually have grown to emerge and
Ballandean is now recognised as a premier wine producing
region on the Granite Belt.
(c) 2017 Peter Johnson
Local Climate
At an altitude 800~950m, the Stanthorpe and Ballandean area,
known as the Granite Belt,  is frequently "the coldest area" in
Queensland. From frosty winter to fresh summer, the area
displays four distinctive seasons with unique characters. The
picture below was taken in July 2016 when light snow was
covered on the Ballandean Dinosaur and the surrounding
grass.  
The Ballandean Pyramid
Ballandean Railway Station