How do I pay for a booking?

Payment is via the bookings page; VISA and Mastercard are accepted. Invoices are available for group bookings—email events@downsexplorer.org.au for details.

Can I sit with a friend?

Yes — email events@downsexplorer.org.au with your name, your friend’s name and tour date and the team will try to seat you together.

What if I need to change or cancel my booking?

Follow the refund or change procedures in your ticket email. Tours can be rescheduled or credited; contact events@downsexplorer.org.au for assistance.

I have dietary requirements; what should I do?

Email your dietary requests to events@downsexplorer.org.au with your name and tour date so the caterer can be notified before departure.

Is BYO alcohol allowed on the train?

No. BYO alcohol is not permitted on the train; a variety of alcoholic beverages are available for purchase onboard.

How accessible is the tour?

Ramps are available and toilets are in each carriage; guests must be able to walk a few paces and navigate one step to board.

Granite Belt By Rail: Warwick to Stanthorpe Heritage Train & Winery Day Tour | Wine | Winery

The Downs Explorer’s full-day heritage rail and bus experience runs from Warwick to Stanthorpe, Queensland’s high-country Granite Belt. Leaving from Warwick Railway Station, Brosnan Crescent, Warwick QLD 4370, this 10.5-hour outing combines vintage rail travel up the Silverwood Range with a coached winery circuit, cellar-door tastings, and a two-course country lunch. Climb aboard an authentic heritage train and feel the rhythm of steel and steam as the landscape opens to high-country ridgelines, tunnels and the giant granite boulders that give this region its name. The Granite Belt’s exposed pink and grey granite tors, scattered sandstone ruins and windswept paddocks create a rugged backdrop that sets these wineries apart from coastal vineyards. On arrival at Stanthorpe, you’ll transfer to a charter coach for guided stops at boutique producers where optional tastings showcase cool-climate Shiraz, Cabernet and crisp rieslings. This is a day for slow travel: morning tea served on the train or at Stanthorpe Station, boardwalks through winery yards, and a hearty 2-course lunch at a country venue where regional produce stars. Highlights include scenic climbs over the Silverwood Range, photo-ready tunnels, and historic station stops—plus the convenience of toilets in every carriage and an onboard cafe selling snacks and drinks. Accessibility is supported with ramps, though guests must be able to walk a few paces and step once to board. The Downs Explorer is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation that preserves heritage rail experiences while connecting visitors to the Granite Belt’s viticulture and landscape. That local stewardship makes the tour more than a tasting circuit: it’s a living slice of regional history. Practical details matter: bring warm layers in winter, flat shoes for gravel and cellar floors, and some cash for tasting fees or on-board purchases where mobile reception can be patchy. Who should go? Travelers who appreciate scenic railways, accessible bushland scenery, and small-scale wineries. Families, couples and groups of friends will find the pace deliberate and social—ideal for those who prefer an interpretive day rather than a self-driver tasting chase. The itinerary runs: check-in at 7:30am in Warwick; depart 8:00am; coach tour and lunch in Stanthorpe; return to Warwick by approximately 6:30pm. Bookings, dietary requests, and seating arrangements are handled via [email protected]. If steam isn’t available a heritage diesel locomotive will substitute; the tour operates with occasional schedule adjustments due to weather or operational needs. It’s a single-day route that pairs rail nostalgia with Granite Belt flavour—an accessible entrée to Queensland’s high-country wine country. Free parking is available at Warwick Station; onboard cafe accepts EFTPOS but signal can drop so carry small change; BYO alcohol is not permitted on the train. To reserve seats together email [email protected] before your travel date. Membership supports ongoing restoration and operations. Join today.