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 10~16:00  
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.  St Judes Cellar Door & Cafe
Breakfast,  lunch, & Fri/Sat dinner, Sirromet Wine

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)

* 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
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. The Stanthorpe and
Ballandean areas are also the centre of a booming wine industries with more
than 50 cellar doors. 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.   
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
wine industry. It is voted an iconic Qld
event and one of Qld's longest running &
most successful event.

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, this area is known as "the coldest area" in
Queensland. From frosty winter to fresh summer, the area displays four
distinctive seasons with unique characters. The picture left was taken in July
2016 when light snow was covered on the Ballandean Dinosaur and the
surrounding grass.  
The Ballandean Pyramid
Ballandean Railway Station
Fitness and Health
If you would like to keep yourself fit and
healthy during your holiday, you can join in
one of the great sessions at Kristy Acquisto
Personal Training & Group Fitness, which is
located only 5 min by car from us.

Stanthorpe Swimming Pool is also great place
for exercises. It has a 50m outdoor heated pool
(open 7 days from Oct to Mar).