Wondai

Wondai is located on the Bunya Highway approximately 230 kilometres north-west of Brisbane.
Wondai Shire was first settled by Europeans in 1844 when pastoralist Richard Jones established a sheep grazing station at Mondure
Wondai Shire has a population of 4,000 and Wondai township has around 2,000 residents.
Wondai is a small, charming town with lush green parklands separating the CBD from the main highway. It has a supermarket, several historic hotels, a hotel-motel, motel, caravan park and bed and breakfast all located within easy walking distance of the heart of town. It also has three restaurants, a cafe, post office, chemist, newsagency and petrol outlet as well as several antique stores and a public swimming pool, golf club, bowling club and RSL.
Wondai is located in cattle and grain-growing country and most of the area around the township is composed of grasslands interspersed with eucalypt forests.

It has a typical South Burnett low-humidity climate of warm summers and cool winters and a very relaxed, friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Extensive refurbishment of the CBD area during the 1990s has also made it one of the cleanest and most immediately pretty towns in the region, with well-tended parklands and picnic areas.
The heart of Wondai is dominated by the South Burnett Region Timber Industry Museum (which is also the home of the Wondai Visitor Information Centre) and the Wondai Shire Regional Art Gallery, both located on the main highway. Both have become major tourist attractions and routinely draw thousands of visitors every month. The Wondai Heritage Museum - another big drawcard - is located immediately behind the Wondai Shire Library a short distance away.

Wondai was founded on the dairying and timber industries but in recent years has seen increasing streams of tourists visit the town on their way to Lake Boondooma or to follow the South Burnett Wine and Food Trail (Wondai has its own cellar door and regional cuisine restaurants). The town is also handily situated almost midway between the two major hubs of the South Burnett wine industry - at Kingaroy to the east and Murgon, Redgate and Moffatdale to the west - making it an ideal base of operations for many visitors who want to undertake a comprehensive tour of both.

Like all South Burnett townships, Wondai has a vigorous sporting, cultural and social life. The Wondai Regional Art Gallery puts on well-attended opening nights at 6:00pm on the first Friday of each month; the town's antique stores are popular destinations for collectors; nearby gemfields are a magnetic attraction for fossickers; and the golf club, bowling club and RSL are all very well patronised. In addition, the Wondai Race Track hosts a number of well-attended meetings each year.

Major annual events include the two-day Wondai Garden Festival (held each April); the Wondai Show (held late each August or early each September); the week-long Wondai Arts Festival (held each October); and the Christmas Eve Carnival (held each December)