Thulimbah: Big Apple, apple cuisine and Granite Belt Drive

Thulimbah offers several distinct points of interest for planning a trip: the Granite Belt Drive, the Big Apple, and offerings centred on apples, cheese and wine. Options range from a road route on the way to Stanthorpe to a photo opportunity and specifically named tastings.

Thulimbah along the Granite Belt Drive

The Granite Belt Drive is a 12-kilometre alternative road route for travellers driving from Toowoomba or Brisbane to Stanthorpe. It passes through Dalveen, Cottonvale, Thulimbah and The Summit, and takes in orchards, wineries and tourist attractions. Thulimbah is therefore one of the named places along this route. When planning your trip, it is important to distinguish the length of the Drive from the journey between Toowoomba or Brisbane and Stanthorpe: the 12 kilometres refers to the route itself.

The Big Apple and its history

The Big Apple is located on the New England Highway in the Thulimbah area, outside Vincenzo’s at The Big Apple, a café, delicatessen and wine bar. Visitors can stop at the Big Apple for a photo, appearing to hold the apple aloft or pretending to eat it. This playful photo opportunity draws on the shape of the landmark. Local craftsman John Ross built the Big Apple in 1978; Brian Wilmot erected it at Vincenzo’s.

Apple products, cheese and wine

Sutton’s famous apple pies are made entirely by hand in the kitchen. Sutton’s Shed Cafe focuses on fruit and vegetables grown in its own orchard and in the Granite Belt. At Sutton’s, a particular apple pastry and the café’s broader focus on fruit and vegetables sit side by side: two distinct aspects of what is on offer there.

Stanthorpe Cheese is located in Thulimbah in the Granite Belt highlands, ten minutes north of Stanthorpe. At the adjoining Jersey Girls Cafe, Stanthorpe Cheese offers cheese tastings. The paddock-to-plate experience includes a Ploughman’s Lunch, gourmet platters and fresh toasties made with local ingredients. You can therefore choose between a cheese tasting and specifically named dishes; the toasties are made with local ingredients. Paddock-to-plate refers to the journey from producer to plate.

Summit Estate Wines has a large, rustic cellar door at its vineyard in Thulimbah in the Granite Belt, where it offers wine tastings. Together with the cheese tastings at Stanthorpe Cheese, this highlights the clear distinction between two food and drink experiences: wine takes centre stage here, cheese there. The location and respective offerings give you specific themes to consider when planning your trip, without requiring you to choose a particular hotel category.

Discover more destinations: Marburg, Merrimac, Mareeba, Tully, Julatten, Gatton, Purga, Conondale

For the broader travel overview: Queensland.