If you’ve got kids then you know that close encounters with animals never get old.  Luckily Ipswich has a handful of great places where you can interact with furry friends.  Here’s 7 places to visit that offer animal experiences.1. Ewe Nique Hobby FarmThis charming hobby farm is home to sheep, lambs, alpacas, chickens, goats and geese.  Children and adults can meet, pat and feed the animals and walk through the bird aviary which features replica dinosaurs and fish ponds!.  Ewe Nique Hobby Farm also has a coffee shop selling hot and cold drinks as well as homemade cakes, slices, muffins and other snacks.  2. The Llama FarmA farm experience that offers visitors the chance to take a Llama for a walk, feed, pat them and take a Llama selfie or two.  The Llama Farm has the largest herd of Llamas in Queensland as well as donkeys, goats, miniature ponies, peacocks, turkeys, guinea fowl and more.  Tours are available on weekends and school holidays by appointment.  They are also running a Little Llama Farmers school holiday program.

Keeping the family entertained on a budget isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but there are lots of public areas that might just be as much fun as the paid options!The Ipswich region has a wonderful and varied array of options that are completely free!Just remember to pack a picnic, plan your day and you’ll be in for a treat without breaking the bank! And for added fun, combine a few of of these attractions into one day and you and your family will be sure to come away fully content!

Somehow a view gives dining another dimension. Not only is it relaxing, but it’s a great way to show off the area to visitors.Here are some places to remember, whether you want to overlook water, nature or views.Brookwater Golf and Country ClubEvery golfer is heading for the nineteenth hole. It’s a natural progression. And why not, when the clubhouse has a view as beautiful as this one! With views over the eighteenth hole of this Greg Norman-designed course and natural bush land beyond, Brookwater Golf Club’s dining room enjoys a tranquillity that only a view of green can bring.

While Japan has cherry blossoms and the Netherlands have tulips, Ipswich has Jacaranda trees and there is no time more pretty than Spring in Ipswich, when the Jacaranda trees bloom and the landscape is dotted with splashes of purple.Native to South America, Jacaranda mimosifolia or as we commonly call them, Jacarandas, have made their home in Ipswich and each year put on a spectacular display from October through to November.During Spring parks, schools, backyards and footpaths bloom with purple but why not plan a visit to one of these locations for a truly magical display.

The town of Marburg lies in the city of Ipswich, halfway between Brisbane and Toowoomba along the Warrego Highway. To drive to Marburg from Brisbane takes about 45 minutes.The town has many heritage buildings in its main street including the Marburg Hotel which was built in 1879. It draws in visitors from far and wide, especially for its amazing Sunday lunches.Right across the street is Scotland Yard Antiques. The store has been open for about 30 years and is one of the last antique stores in the area.

It's 9AM, the sun's shining, birds are calling and there's a whole weekend ahead, just waiting to be filled up with stuff.You throw on your finest casual attire, grab the spread, pack the Esky and make those last motions towards the door.Then suddenly, out the corner of your eye, you spot a familiar face. Pressed hard against the window, ears raised, eyes forward, floppy, dribbly and heartbroken. He lets out one last ditch whimper of grief... and you already know he's coming with you.

We can't deny that Ipswich can get hot.  So what do you do when it's sweltering and you need to cool off?  Head to one of these free water parks!Orion LagoonOrion Lagoon offers pools for all age groups with a toddler friendly 0.3m depth area up to 1.5m for proficient swimmers.  Checkout the fun squirting spouts and stepping-stones, barbeque areas and picnic tables.Robelle DomainKids will love the large tipping bucket in the zero depth water park at Robelle Domain.  There’s also jet sprays and spouts.  The water park is surrounded with shady picnic areas, boardwalks and playgrounds as well as land art pyramids and an early evening sound and light show.

With its stunning views and rugged scenery, Flinders Peak is a beautiful formation about a 50-minute drive out of Brisbane and just a stone’s throw from Ipswich.With over 2,000 hectares in the area, it’s connected to the Flinders Goolman area through to Hardings Paddock and White Rock Conservation Estate — all areas of natural beauty in their own right.

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.

Nearly four years ago now Ipswich was at the forefront of something special.We embarked on a mission to be the most comprehensively mapped city in the Southern Hemisphere.When the call went out, I answered and here we are today with 57 individual locations, (most of which were physically mapped on foot) now totally accessible to the public online.