Gatton

Gatton experiences a subtropical climate with relatively long, hot summers, and short, mild winters with occasional frosts. Rainfall is summer dominant with 65–70% of the total rainfall occurring in the October to March period. The average annual rainfall to the area is approximately 780 mm making this the driest part of the southeast Queensland region.

Spring (September – November) 17°C to 28°C
Summer (December – February) 19°C to 36°C
Fall (March – May) 19°C to 28°C
Winter (June – August) 8°C to 19°C

Getting around Gatton is a cinch with public transport. There is also a railway station as well as coach buses available if you wish to explore the surrounds and visit Brisbane. Gatton would be an ideal place to buy a bicycle as the town itself is not very big. If you have the finances to buy a car, this may be a nice option to explore more of the surrounding area.

So, what do OzTREKK students say?

It’s a small town, so be prepared! There are a couple of grocery stores, a dollar store, a small Kmart, McDonalds, KFC, and Domino’s—if you want some fast food on busy days when you can’t cook, or want something other than cafeteria food. My favourite coffee shop in town is Jak and Mo. There’s also a pretty good Korean fried chicken shop that sells bubble tea, JJ’s Kitchen. Those are my restaurant recommendations, but otherwise, I would take a day trip out to Brisbane (1 hour east) or Toowoomba (30 minutes west) to do some shopping over the weekend, or to the Gold Coast (2.5 hours east) to go on a hike or hang out on the beach.

I ended up moving to Toowoomba while I was there. I loved it!

Gatton is a small and quaint town and if you like the country lifestyle you could definitely appreciate it. Jac and Mo’s is a breakfast/lunch place in town and I really like it as it caters to gluten free and vegetarian/vegan menu items which I think is definitely a hidden gem.  On Gatton campus there is a coffee cart and a small café where Reggie is infamous on campus for her beautiful coffees and infectious laugh that will literally brighten everyone’s day. There is an on-campus/Gatton student culture which organizes events and gatherings throughout the year and it’s easy to make friends/find your group especially if you chose to live on campus or in and around Gatton.

There is a great small Korean fried chicken joint with bubble tea owned by a family and it is very popular among international students. I am also a fan of how cheap the Dominos pizzas are ($4 –$5 for a whole pizza!). Students often go to Toowoomba (a nearby “big” city on a mountain just 30 km away) for malls, groceries, and other necessities, or they may drive over to the coast and hit up Brisbane to enjoy the city life. We also do lots of “bush walks” or hikes in surrounding areas.

We’re sensing a theme here: Amazing Korean food!

If small towns aren’t your style, consider living in Brisbane and commuting—we’ve had a number of student do this!