If you have a day off this Ekka Show Day holiday (Wednesday August 12) – but don't want to face crowds, come out to Ipswich and see what’s on offer around the heritage city and its country surrounds...Taste local delicaciesStart your day with a coffee fix by visiting Ipswich Coffee Roasters – to try the city’s own locally roasted coffee in a warehouse at 31 Challinor Street Sadliers Crossing. Pick up a bag of beans or head to Elderflower Cafe, The Old Butcher Shop Cafe or Bootown Espresso to grab a cup and a tasty treat! Follow up with a stop into Rafter & Rose, a popular breakfast/brunch and lunch destination where they whip up some beautiful flower adorned cakes and slices. The baking here looks like it would win the baking section, and you can taste it all!

Gift vouchers make great presents for Valentine's Day, Christmas, birthdays, Mother's and Father's Days and even just to show the ones you love that you care.Check out this list of great gift vouchers to help you celebrate special occasions this year.Arttime Gallery and Fine Art SuppliesArttime Gallery and Fine Art Supplies and Rare and Pretty Dolls also offer gift vouchers, for the art and doll lovers in your life!  Gift vouchers can also be used to buy new or vintage toys and for any of their Dollightful Makeover classes.

Ipswich is home to some of the best kid's parks in South East Queensland. Parks in Ipswich include water parks, modern playground equipment, skate parks, fitness circuits, sports fields, Australian wildlife and much more.These parks offer some of the best free things to do in Ipswich. Here is a list of 10 of the best parks right across the entire Ipswich region.10. Robelle DomainRobelle Domain is arguably one of the best parks in the entire Ipswich Region. These parklands are spread out over 24 hectares. They contain everything from a water park, cafes, cycling tracks, walking tracks, playgrounds and a swimming lagoon. The water park includes a zero depth play area with 700 litre tipping bucket and jet sprays.

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn more and more films, including big budget masterpieces, are being shot at Ipswich. The city’s mix of old and new, urban and rural, is proving to be a major drawcard for all sorts of film productions.An ever-growing list of Hollywood heavyweights have called Ipswich their temporary home, including Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman!The Railway ManJonathan Teplitzky’s war film, The Railway Man, brought A-listers Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Jeremy Irvine and Stellan Skarsgard to Ipswich in 2013. The film shot a number of scenes in Ipswich, including torture sequences at Queensland Museum Rail Workshops (established in the historic railway yards site at North Ipswich). Colin Firth plays a former British army officer and POW. His character discovers the Japanese interpreter who tortured him during the war is still alive and he and his wife, played by Nicole Kidman, set out to find and confront him.The film won a number of awards including Best Adapted Screenplay at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards.

So you want to go fishing? Don't want to hit the road for an hour or more and then fight the crowds for a spot then battle traffic on the way home? Well you don't! Ipswich has some great spots to fish and most of them are right around the corner.Colleges CrossingA very popular spot for all types of activities, including fishing! You will get a very mixed bag of species in this part of the river and common catches are bream, flathead, garfish, mullet and the odd Australian bass if you're lucky enough. Colleges Crossing is perfect for a relaxed fish off the bank or there's a boat ramp for the kayak fisherman to launch from to head either up or downsteam.Tips: Use light line and light sinkers for targeting bream with prawns or mullet baits or alternatively lightly weighted soft plastics with a slow subtle retrieve. Please be aware bullsharks and stonefish are in this part of the river.

There have never been more reasons to visit the adventure playground on Brisbane’s doorstep. From world class mountain biking and hiking trails to adrenaline-charged thrills, markets and boutique shopping. There is also fine dining and a lively coffee scene.Hit the markets… Ipswich has a variety of colourful markets to take in. It’s a chance to wander outdoors with the family, grab a bite, maybe kick back to some cool sounds, stock up on fresh produce and browse stalls of clothing, jewellery, plants and homewares.  The Springfield Markets and Handmade Expo are on monthly. Here’s our full list of regular markets around the region.Take to the skiesA gentle hot air balloon float across the land at sunrise can turn an ordinary day into one that is completely unforgettable.