Waterways and wines: Weekend getaways in Queensland’s South Burnett region

Located a short scenic drive from Brisbane, Toowoomba or the Sunshine Coast, Moffatdale thrills anglers with some incredible freshwater fishing spots on Bjelke-Petersen Dam.

Also known as Lake Barambah or BP Dam, it’s stocked with Australian bass, big yellowbelly (golden perch) and silver perch, and nurtures red claw crayfish, too. There are campsites, a concrete boat ramp, fish-cleaning facilities and some local pelicans will help you tidy up your catch at day’s end.

The dam is popular with watersport enthusiasts who set up their waterfront gazebos year-round, and if you visit on the King’s Birthday long weekend in October, you can join the BP Dam Inland Family Fishing Classic. Try casting blades and soft plastics into the banks, or trawl with hard-body lures in the shallows and over drop-offs.

An hour’s drive west of Moffatdale on the Boyne River, Boondooma Dam is known for its big yellowbelly, huge saratoga and plenty of red claw. Being larger than Bjelke-Petersen Dam (BP Dam), it has more areas to fish. Head for little inlets to target schools of bass with blades, and arrive in February to join the Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Family Fishing Competition.

German settlers planted South Burnett’s first vines back in 1898, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that wineries really took off around Moffatdale and cellar doors started opening. The region’s fertile soils and a Mediterranean-style climate originally nurtured shiraz, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and semillon varieties, but today’s wineries are turning heads with award-winning albariño, sangiovese, fiano and verdelho.

Take a scenic drive to Moffatdale Ridge Winery for cellar door liqueur and wine tasting, and stay for lunch at D’Vine Restaurant, overlooking Barambah Valley. With similarly stunning valley views, Dusty Hill Village is home to the popular Prendergast’s Irish Tavern, and offers cellar door tastings and a chef and winemaker’s pantry.

Clovely Estate offers gin and wine tastings, along with a rustic menu, while Stefano Radici and Sarah Boyce at Nuova Scuola Wines share their locally grown old-world varieties at guided cellar door wine tastings. Lightning Tree Wines recently opened a cellar door in Goomeri for wine tastings, and sells local produce, handicrafts and collectables.

Whether you love camping or prefer to keep your feet high and dry on your weekend getaway, the South Burnett region has plenty of options. With waterfront camping at Hidden Gold Homestead, you can step straight off your boat and into your campsite, while the bushwalking and mountain biking tracks that set out from Barambah Bush Caravan and Camping Park will thrill nature lovers (it even has a nine-hole golf course).

The Bjelke-Petersen Dam Caravan and Recreation Park offers a huge range of amenities, including a camp kitchen, swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, a private concrete boat ramp with fish-cleaning facilities, and a kiosk stocked with bait and tackle. They offer cabins, and powered campsites starting from $40/couple/night.

The Boondooma Dam Caravan and Recreation Park caters to anglers and watersport enthusiasts with boat ramps, a pontoon and waterfront campsites. Popular in peak seasons, it provides a kiosk, camp kitchen, electric barbecues and a playground, with cabins and powered sites starting from $35/night.

If you prefer a boutique cabin or B’n’B experience, with restaurants and wine cellars at hand, head to Dusty Hill Village, Clovely Estate or Nuova Scuola.

The 30th anniversary Goomeri Pumpkin Festival (last weekend in May), Murgon’s 55 Million Years Ago fossil museum (open daily), and Cherbourg Historical, Cultural and Community Precinct.

• Visit South Burnett
• South Burnett Queensland
• South Burnett Wine