Коротко
- Stanthorpe is about 223 km from our Hendra yard by OpenStreetMap's routing, roughly three hours over Cunninghams Gap on the Cunningham Highway, through Warwick and down the New England Highway.[1]
- It's a weekend rather than a day trip: Girraween National Park, 26 km south of Stanthorpe, is about 260 km and three and a half hours from Brisbane on its own.[5]
- Take the sealed road into Girraween. Queensland Parks says the alternative from Stanthorpe via Eukey and Storm King Dam has gravel sections.[5]
- Expect cold: Girraween's winter nights average 1°C with frosts,[5] and kangaroos and wallabies are often drawn to the roadside, so slow down around dawn and dusk.[9]
- Our counter is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday, so collect the car before the weekend and bring it back on the next open day.
How do you drive from Brisbane to Stanthorpe?
West, then south. From 238 Nudgee Road, OpenStreetMap's car routing takes the Inner City Bypass and the Legacy Way tunnel to the Western Freeway, the Centenary and Ipswich motorways, then the Cunningham Highway for about 106 km to Warwick, and the New England Highway for the last 55 km or so. The total is about 223 km and 3 hours 5 minutes before stops.[1]
| Point | What to know |
|---|---|
| Legacy Way | A 4.6 km toll tunnel from the Inner City Bypass at Kelvin Grove to the Western Freeway at Toowong[2]; A$7.30 for a car at the time of writing[3] |
| Cunninghams Gap | About 116 km from Brisbane on the Cunningham Highway; The Crest car park sits on the highway at the top of the gap[4] |
| Warwick | Visitor centre in the Town Hall at 72 Palmerin Street, open Monday to Friday 9am–5pm[6] |
| Granite Belt Drive | A 12 km alternative to the highway from Dalveen to The Summit, past orchards and wineries[7] |
| Stanthorpe | Visitor centre at 28 Leslie Parade, open daily 9am–4pm, with parking out front for all vehicle types[6] |
Every Rentzy car has a Linkt e-tag, so you drive through toll points as normal: you don't need your own tag or a pass. The tolls are recharged to you weekly, at cost plus the A$5 admin fee per toll in the rental terms. If you'd rather skip the tunnel, our Toowoomba guide describes getting out west on surface roads instead, which takes longer but has no toll.
What's the drive over Cunninghams Gap like?
The highway climbs through Main Range National Park. The Crest, at the top of the gap, is on the Cunningham Highway itself, 2.1 km from the park's eastern entrance and 2.3 km from the western one; it's reachable in an ordinary car, has toilets and is open 24 hours.[4] Every walking track in the Cunninghams Gap section starts from it, so it's the natural place to stretch your legs about halfway to Stanthorpe.[4]
The climb and the descent are both long. Stay in your lane on the bends, use a lower gear on the way down, and save overtaking for the marked lanes. After the gap, Queensland Parks puts Warwick 50 km further west.[4] It's a sensible place for lunch and fuel, and a two-hour mark: the Queensland Government recommends a break of at least 15 minutes every 2 hours.[10]
How should you spend the weekend?
Friday: arrive
Leave Brisbane after lunch to cross the gap in daylight. From Warwick, consider the Granite Belt Drive instead of the highway: it runs parallel to the New England Highway through Dalveen, Cottonvale, Thulimbah and The Summit, past the Big Apple at Thulimbah and wineries such as Heritage Estate and Summit Estate, and rejoins the highway about 13 minutes north of Stanthorpe.[7] If you're in town on a Friday, the Granite Belt Farmers Market is on at the Stanthorpe Railway Precinct.[8]
Saturday: Girraween
Turn off the New England Highway 26 km south of Stanthorpe; a winding bitumen road continues 9 km east through the Wyberba Valley to the Girraween visitor information building. The park is open 24 hours, and the visitor building is open all year.[5] Fuel is available at Stanthorpe, Ballandean and Wallangarra on the Queensland side.[5]
Sunday: Stanthorpe, then home
Walk or picnic along Quart Pot Creek, which has more than 5 km of walking and cycling tracks, or take in the view over town from the Mount Marlay lookout, then start back early enough to be over the gap before dark.[8]
Which road into Girraween should you take?
The sealed one from the New England Highway. Queensland Parks notes that the alternative road from Stanthorpe to Girraween via Eukey and Storm King Dam has some gravel sections.[5] If your navigation app routes you that way, override it and stay on the bitumen.
What about frost, fog and kangaroos?
The Granite Belt is the coldest part of this drive by some margin. Southern Downs Regional Council's visitor site calls The Summit one of the coldest places in Queensland, and Stanthorpe even gets an occasional winter snowfall.[7][8] At Girraween, Queensland Parks gives winter nights an average minimum of 1°C with frosts, summer days of 25–30°C, and says to be ready for cold changes at any time.[5]
- Frosty mornings: clear the whole windscreen before you set off, and treat shaded bends as slippery until the sun reaches them.
- Animals on the road: the Queensland Government notes kangaroos and wallabies are often drawn to the roadside. If one jumps out, brake in a controlled way; you may stop or drive on the shoulder to avoid it if that's safe.[9]
- If you hit an animal, or see one injured or in distress, call the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).[9]
Plan the drive home to finish in daylight, when an animal at the edge of the road is far easier to see.
Wineries and the drive back
The Granite Belt Drive alone passes several cellar doors,[7] and a weekend here usually means tastings. Decide who's driving before the first stop. At the time of writing, clause 7 of our rental terms says a Rentzy car must not be driven under the influence of alcohol or drugs or above the legal limit. Only the hirer named on the booking may drive the car: Rentzy doesn't add second or additional drivers.
A tasting tour that collects you from your accommodation is one way to leave the car parked for the day. Also closed: Friday 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day).
Prefer rainforest to vineyards? Lamington and Springbrook are closer to the city; see driving to O'Reilly's and the Natural Bridge drive.
Источники
- OpenStreetMap (OSRM routing): Directions: 238 Nudgee Road, Hendra to Stanthorpe (car) (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Linkt (Transurban): Legacy Way (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Linkt (Transurban): Toll pricing (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: The Crest, Main Range National Park (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Visiting Girraween safely (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Southern Downs Regional Council (Southern Downs & Granite Belt visitor site): Visitor Information Centres (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Southern Downs Regional Council (Southern Downs & Granite Belt visitor site): Granite Belt Drive (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Southern Downs Regional Council (Southern Downs & Granite Belt visitor site): Stanthorpe (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Queensland Government — Department of Transport and Main Roads: Sharing the road with animals (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
- Queensland Government — Department of Transport and Main Roads: Driving tired (дата обращения: 5 ноября 2026 г.)
Автор материала: Команда Rentzy (Rentzy Car Rentals). Цены, сборы и правила Rentzy в этом руководстве взяты из наших опубликованных условий и обновляются вместе с ними; правила других организаций (дороги, платные дороги, удостоверения, транспорт) взяты с официальных страниц, указанных выше, по состоянию на указанные даты. Что-то устарело? Сообщите нам.
