Café Kalina at the newly emerging residential estate Kalina Springfield is winning fans for a hearty breakfast menu, Nutella Lattes and for being one of the region’s most dog-friendly cafes.Pupstars visiting this coffee spot, like Zeus, pictured, can enjoy puppycinos and specially sourced dog treats that come in three flavours; peanut butter, beetroot and turmeric.The café, on Kingfisher St, Springfield, sits next to Panorama Park with an adventure playground so the kids will be happy too as Mum and Dad stretch out on the deck with the paper and a coffee. For humans, the Nutella Latte puts a smile every caffeine feind's face.   

For a lot of Australians, a weekend holiday usually revolves around a trip to the beach, but we love a good getaway wherever it is, and we loved our weekend away visiting Queensland’s Heritage City – Ipswich.Visitor Information CentreNotwithstanding peak hour, Ipswich is an easy drive from wherever you are in Brisbane, and contrary to many people’s belief, this small city has a whole lot of charm and is definitely not ‘just’ another suburb of greater Brisbane.After a relaxed breakfast and a short drive, we arrived around lunch time and we headed straight for our first stop – the Ipswich Visitor Information Centre.

Dog lovers far and wide are hailing the Barkley & Pips digs at Bundamba as a top spot for both fur babies and their hoomans to visit.Complete with its very own well-sized, open air playpen out front, diners can relax knowing their four-legged besties are safely secured and happily amused with a fun ball pit, great pull toys and even real grass toilets at their disposal, thanks to the convenience of PawtoPotty’s ingenious indoor animal toilets.If your canine prefers to stay close at your heel, there are plenty of doggy day beds and water bowls between the tables for them to chill out on. Talk about luxury… it really is a dog’s world!

High tea is a romantic ritual that dates back at least to the 17th Century. It typically features dainty ribbon sandwiches, fluffy scones with jam and cream, petit fours, savoury bites, and a pot of the finest loose leaf brew.Plus, if you really want to up the ante, many high tea venues will throw in a cheeky flute of champers. With its gracious Queenslander homes, elaborate churches and elegant commercial facades, Ipswich is the perfect setting in which to hark back to slower, gentler times by indulging in high tea. Here are several spots that do a sparkling job of it.Cottage RestaurantThe Cottage Restaurant really hits high tea out of the park.  Seared scallops on creamed cabbage and a cup of earthy mushroom soup on the afternoon we visit are just a couple of standouts.

Watercress Olive and Lime Farm is located at Pine Mountain, where visitors can pick up fresh olives, limes and gourmet products from their tiny farm gate shop or a ready-made picnic pack to enjoy in the scenic grounds.Owner Bernie is a fourth generation farmer on the 7.5ha property, which was purchased by his family back in 1890. The farm was originally a dairy farm, with some small crops, until Bernie first planted the olive trees back in 1998.Today Watercress Farm has some 1100 olive trees producing manzanilla, arbequina, kalamata, jumbo kalamata and frantoio olives while the Tahitian lime orchard has some 600 trees. Farmer Bernie sells his produce direct to clubs in Brisbane and through his farm gate.  

Ipswich’s country pubs are worth a little road trip out of town and they’re not too far away if you’re living in Brisbane, on the Goldie or in Toowoomba.These are day trippin’ destinations stacked with charm, history and good old-fashioned hospitality.Expect less neon and more quirk factor, along with publicans and staff who are up for a chat even when the pace is on.