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! Book in for dinner or lunch at The Q, where you can sample a delicious 250g rump steak for $20!

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.

From the high-octane return of Supercars to the thrills of extreme mountain bike riding, plus professional bull riding, ghost tours, circus shows, gardening expos, virtual reality exhibitions, live theatre and even hot air ballooning, Ipswich is the place to be this August!  Cheer on your favourite Supercar drivers Buckle up car lovers – the 2026 Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 is heading back to Queensland Raceway from August 21-23. The famous “Paperclip” circuit will be buzzing all weekend as Round 9 brings nonstop racing action, all building up to the crowning of the Repco Sprint Cup winner. With plenty of entertainment, food, and the chance to meet your favourite drivers, it’s a fun day out for motoring enthusiasts of all ages. Drag racing, show cars and more at the Garrett Brisbane Jamboree 

If you’ve never explored the city, you’re in for a treat. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of photo spots in Ipswich to take some Instagram-worthy snaps! Here are 10 of our favourites (this week!) from some incredibly talented photographers.Queensland Museum Rail WorkshopIpswich gets some exceptional sunrises and sunsets. This one was taken through a fence behind Queensland Museum Rail Workshops in North Ipswich by @getoutandwalk.WillowbankSpeaking of sunrises, this phenomenal snap above was an early morning labour of love from Ian Barnes out at Willowbank.There’s plenty of air force action and wildlife snaps to get around the city, @nicksteelephoto captured both simultaneously at Willowbank.

Ipswich has an abundant number of walking trails, many of which are great tracks for both casual walkers and those with more experience who want more of a challenge. This isn’t supposed to be a comprehensive list by any means but provides a selection of some of my favourite walks. I have focused on two areas of Ipswich hiking that provide exciting views, rocky features, and flora and fauna.Ipswich hiking in Flinders-Goolman Conservation EstateThere are two main starting points depending on which walk you plan on doing. Both parking areas come off signed left hand turns from Ipswich-Boonah Road when travelling towards Boonah. Both have BBQ and picnic areas and are family-friendly: Hardings Paddock Picnic Area (15km from Ipswich CBD)– Part of this may follow a dirt road, but the parking is ample and access is not difficult with a conventional car.Flinders Plum Picnic area (25 km from Ipswich CBD) - To get there, you will need to drive several kms of unsealed road to the Flinders Plum Picnic area and there may be a small water crossing if it has recently had heavy rain, although most conventional vehicles will make it without much trouble.

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.