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 The Workshops Rail Museum (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.

I first heard the legend of Blackstone Castle when I was fifteen and my Nanna had joined the local historical society. So, with our imaginations full of visions of turrets and drawbridges my grand parents and I headed to Blackstone where we took a walk up the hill in search of the lost castle.We wandered up a dusty track and reached the summit of the hill to find...well, not very much actually, just a single half-collapsed brick wall and some rusty old car bodies. Not exactly the Welsh castle I had been imagining, but intriguing none the less. Skip forward (cough) twenty odd years. I've been to Wales and back, I've seen a few castles but I am still just as fascinated about our "castle". How did Ipswich have and lose a castle, who built it, what's really left of it?HistoryFortunately for me, in 2015 the Ipswich Art Gallery held an exhibiton "Brynhyfryd – lost castle of Blackstone Hill" which bought together a collection objects from Brynhyfryd, including decorative objects, furniture, family heirlooms and other parts of the building retrieved from demolition. The exhibition also featured photographs of the building in its glory days and was accompanied by a history of its rise and fall.

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 was just one photograph that my husband took that made all the difference. You know, the sort that sends goosebumps up your arms and shivers down your spine.We were inspecting. I was there with my young son, clambering up the dilapidated steps of the the once grand gardens of ‘Lakemba’ on Denmark Hill, when he took the shot. There was another staircase there, boarded over, which lead down to where a tennis court used to be below the blue stone retaining walls. I ponder.The prominent Cribb family, who graced this residence for over 50 years, would have played tennis there during grander times.

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.

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.