Stanthorpe acreage property with giant timber maze up for sale
The giant wooden maze at 364 Old Warwick Rd, Glen Niven
Granite Belt Maze owners Craig and Sandra Williams waited seven years for their hedge attraction to grow, only to have it wiped out by Queensland’s catastrophic floods of 2011.
The resilient couple rebuilt 3km of maze by hand from timber, and thousands of visitors to the Southern Downs region have since spent hours navigating the unique installation’s many twists and turns.
The 1.2ha lifestyle property at 364 Old Warwick Rd, Glen Niven is listed with Mark Mauch, of Southern Downs Realty, with a negotiable price tag of $1.175m.
An aerial view of the property, located outside of Stanthorpe in Qld’s Southern Downs region
There are three mazes on the property
Mr Williams, a carpenter by trade, said they purchased the former apple orchard outside of Stanthorpe in 1996, first building a four-bedroom, one-bathroom home on the site before establishing their family-friendly tourist attraction, comprising the original hedge maze as well as a 9-hole mini golf course.
With an elevation of 900m above sea level, the property isn’t affected by rising floodwaters, but the state’s record-breaking big wet caused irrepairable damage to the root system of the hedges.
“We planted the hedges and waited seven years for them to grow and then buggar me, the 2011 floods came along and killed it all,” said Mr Williams, 60.
“We can’t flood here but all the roots got water-logged and rotted.
“My wife and I thought, ‘we’re not going to wait another 7 years’, so we built the whole thing.”
The family attraction also has a 9-hole mini golf course
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The couple, who has three adult children, constructed the mega maze from 400 wooden posts, 1.6km of railing, and 7500 palings, all sourced from the local mill.
There’s also two smaller mazes, one timber, the other an Australiana-themed attraction made from corrugated iron, plus a giant outdoor chessboard, cafe with commercial kitchen, and accessible toilets.
“We were looking to add something to the district that it’s never had. It’s got a lot of farmstays and cheesemakers and wineries but there was not a lot for families so we’ve come up with this idea,” Mr Williams said.
Visitors to the maze each receive a riddle to solve, which has them dashing between dead ends to find clues and eventually make their way through the maze.
The cafe
With an ever-evolving collection of more than 500 riddles, guests are assured of a unique experience every time they visit.
While many visitors have found themselves lost at some point or another navigating the garden game, most make their way out in about an hour.
Mr Mauch said the property had council approval to operate an outdoor recreational enterprise, with the sale including an extensive inventory of items related to the business.
“If you have dreamed of living in this stunning part of the world and being your own boss, then this is the perfect opportunity,” Mr Mauch said.
“But the property is equally suited for people to have as their own private residence and gardens.”
The four-bedroom home where the owners raised their three children
Spacious living room with a fireplace
The kitchen
The land is fully fenced with established gardens and a permanent supply of bore water as well as 5kw solar power.
The Wethertex family home has two living spaces with a fireplace and a covered outdoor entertaining area.
After 17 years in business, the Williams are ready to sell up and travel around Australia.
