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Things To Do In Ripley & Surrounds
Spend a day in Ripley & surrounds
Located just 15 minutes from Springfield and 40 minutes south-west of Brisbane, Ripley is an emerging suburb that’s literally being built right before our very eyes. Covering a total area of 4,680 hectares, Greater Ripley will eventually be home to 120,000 people. The future community will include schools, shops (stage one of the Town Centre is already open), restaurants and entertainment, a medical centre, public transport and its own commercial precinct.
Supported by one of Australia’s best climates, there’s plenty to discover in the surrounding area with stunning parklands, local food and wine producers, and let’s not forget a massive man-made lagoon. With so much on offer in the area, Ripley Valley is the perfect place to build a life.
Here’s a snapshot of things to do and see in the local area.
Powerful by name, powerful by nature
A trip to Spring Mountain Conservation Reserve (White Rock) is an absolute must! Only 15 minutes’ drive from Ripley Valley, this stunning 2500-hectare site is sacred Yagara country, the traditional owners of Ipswich and the surrounding area. It features spectacular landforms and is home to 600 plant species and 150 animal species, including the Powerful Owl – Australia’s largest owl with an impressive wingspan of 135cm. Listed as a threatened species, the Powerful Owl is known to snack on possums! You can horse-ride (BYO horse), mountain bike, bird watch or walk along the variety of trails, which range from 200m to a 19km round trip.
Website | Enter via the Paperbark Flats Picnic Area, located on School Road in Redbank Plains | 15 minutes by car
New brewery already pumping
Cool off with a locally made craft beer, brewed onsite at the historic Pumpyard – 4 Hearts Brewery. Situated in the heart of Ipswich, the site and buildings are historically significant as the Former Technical College (1901), and the original location for the supply of water to the City of Ipswich. There are up to 10 beers on tap depending on the season, and a menu of beer-friendly food to match. 4 Hearts is all about brewing beer with full flavour, no chemicals, nothing artificial and no preservatives.
4heartsbrewing.com | 88 Limestone St, Ipswich | 14 minutes by car
Laze about in one of Australia’s largest lagoons
Located right in the heart of Orion Springfield Central, the Orion Lagoon is one of the largest public lagoons in the Southern Hemisphere. Spread over 3.6km, the Lagoon features a 600mm deep sculpture pool, a 50m lap swimming area, beach entry and pool depth of up to 1.5m in areas. There’s also splash pools perfect for toddlers. If swimming isn’t your thing, there’s BBQ facilities, a café, and don’t forget the nearby Robelle Domain Parklands, which feature 11km of bicycle and walking trails, tree-top walks, and exhibition gardens.
The fabulous Springfield Markets also take place at Robelle Domain: first Friday of every month from 3pm to 8pm, and the third Sunday of every month from 9am to 4pm.
ipswich.qld.gov.au | 155 Southern Cross Circuit, Springfield Central | 12 minutes by car
A bird’s eye view of Ripley and surrounds
If you’re keen to see what Ripley and the neighbouring areas look like from 2,500 feet then we’ve got just the ticket. Floating Images Hot Air Ballooning offers a onehour flight floating above the heritage city of Ipswich, the Scenic Rim and Somerset countryside. Chief pilot, Graeme Day has more than 2400 hours flight time and 26 years ballooning experience. Flights commence 45 minutes before sunrise and include breakfast (after the flight) at the Metro Hotel Ipswich.
floatingimages.com.au | Metro Hotel Ipswich International, 43 South Street, Ipswich | 14 minutes by car
Ripley Town Centre open for business
It’s rare to find a place to live within walking distance to a town centre, but that’s exactly what you get living at Ripley Valley. Stage one of the $1.5 billion, yes, billion, is now open for business. Anchored by Coles, the stage one market-place development includes 20 speciality stores, a medical centre and commercial office space to service the growing population of the Ripley region.
ripleytowncentre.com.au | 676 – 722 Ripley Road, Ripley | 2 minutes by car or 15 minutes by foot