NA ="Texas, Silver Spur, Bonshaw, Mingoola,";
FE1[0]=" The Southern Downs area provides a natural alternative to the cities and beaches of the coastal area. The Southern Downs stretches from Cunningham's Gap (120 kilometres south west of Brisbane ) in the east, north to Allora, south ";
FE2[0]="to the border town of Wallangarra, and to Goondiwindi in the west. The region has a population of approximately 40,000 people and prides itself on its old-fashioned hospitality. The principal towns are Warwick , Stanthorpe , Killa";
FE3[0]="rney, Allora, Inglewood and Texas and Goondiwindi. Whether it's spectacular National Parks situated close to Warwick and Stanthorpe, or a little pampering in a cosy B & B, Queensland Southern Downs and Granite Belt will amaze you.";
FE4[0]=" There are over 48 boutique wineries as well as an abundance of fresh produce and gourmet foods waiting for you to discover. Most of the wineries are in the Granite Belt region. The region holds some of Queensland's most famous ev";
FE5[0]="ents including the Warwick Rodeo, Australian Small Wine Makers Show, Historic Leyburn Motor Sprints, and Red November. Texas is located 101 km from Stanthorpe and 159 km from Tenterfield on the Dumaresq River. It is really a very ";
FE6[0]="small community serving the surrounding grazing area. Like so many of Queensland's rural settlements it spreads and has lots of vacant land within the boundaries of the town. The is only one winery in the area at present. The Lily";
FE7[0]="vale Vineyard is nestled in a crook of the picturesque Dumaresq River which forms the southern border of Queensland, a leisurely 30-minute drive east of Texas on the Riverton Road.  This expansive vineyard enjoys fabulous views of";
FE8[0]=" the foothills adjoining the celebrated Granite Belt & New England grape growing districts.  The site was chosen for its excellent climate and rich soils, perfectly suited to grow Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Se";
FE9[0]="millon and Verdelho varieties.                ";
LA1[0]=" The landscape is generally similar to the Granite Belt, which is the northern most extension of the New England Tableland - and a massive granite intrusion approximately 200 million years old. The hardness of the rock has guarante";
LA2[0]="ed that this landscape stands out above the surrounding country (600 to 1000 metres). The rich soils of the area used to support Tobacco, and the area is used for cattle grazing and more recently Olives. The picturesque Dumaresq R";
LA3[0]="iver is one of the star attractions of the region, it winds through gentle hills and rocks crossed by the historic weirs of Bonshaw, Cunningham and Glenarbon. The fertile river flats are dotted with old tobacco barn relics from a ";
LA4[0]="colourful past where grape vines now flourish alongside orchards, vegetables, peanuts and a myriad of other agricultural crops.";
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CL1[0]=" The climate is generally similar to the Granite Belt.  It is its altitude (over 800 m) which makes this a table wine region, notwithstanding its extreme northerly latitude. The Granite Belt is one of the highest vineyard regions i";
CL2[0]="n Australia with altitude ranging from 700-1200 metres, which creates distinctive seasons with cold frosty winters and warm summers. Spring frosts, cold nights at the beginning and end of the season, relatively high humidity, peak";
CL3[0]=" summer temperatures moderated by sub-tropical monsoon influences, and intermittent heavy late season rainfall all contribute to an unusual climate which has been variously described as cold and as hot, but is undoubtedly warmer t";
CL4[0]="han its late harvest dates would suggest. The risk of fungal disease is quite high, and spring frosts demand careful site selection.";
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HI1[0]=" There was a time when the town was important. It was first settled in 1842 and was named after the nearby 'Texas Station' - the largest landholding in the area. In 1868 George Myles was appointed Sheep Inspector and border customs";
HI2[0]=" officer. In the 1870s the area became a centre of tobacco growing and in 1876 the town had its own factory which converted the tobacco leaves into cakes and plugs. But it was still hardly a town. The famous flood of 28 March 1890";
HI3[0]=" wiped out the tobacco factory and what there was of the town. People were forced to climb trees and wait until the flood waters receded. The town moved 2 km north to higher ground. The town's interest with tobacco continued for n";
HI4[0]="early a century but it started to decline in the late 1950s so that today there is little evidence of tobacco growing. When the tobacco industry started to decline in the 1930s a new industry was starting to take shape. And the hu";
HI5[0]="b of that revolution is just across the road from the Historical Society, the old Rabbit Freezer Works. In its hey day, the Rabbit Works employed 30 men and exported three tons of rabbit meat a week to England. The industry was cr";
HI6[0]="edited with saving Texas during the recession of the 1930s. Plans are in the works for the old rabbit plant to be transformed into a museum documenting this important part of Texas' history. Inglewood to Texas is about 55 kilomete";
HI7[0]="rs south along the Inglewood Texas Road through cattle and farming lands. In the spring months of the year you'll find the landscape is a mass of wild flowers. The Lilyvale Vineyard sits on the Dumaresq River thirty minutes south ";
HI8[0]="east of Texas. Since their humble beginnings in 1998 when 20 hectares of vines were first planted on their 500 hectare property near Texas, Lilyvale has produced many award winning wines. The Lilyvale Vineyard is nestled in a croo";
HI9[0]="k of the picturesque Dumaresq River which forms the southern border of Queensland, a leisurely 30-minute drive east of Texas on the Riverton Road.";