In 1960, celebrated author John Steinbeck, himself in his early 60s, packed his standard poodle Charley into a converted pick-up truck and travelled around the United States, reacquainting himself with the people.

Feeling somewhat out of touch, he just hit the road.

Though my trip was somewhat shorter – from Brisbane to Nanango – I think we have a couple of things in common.

We shared a desire to see more of our countries and chose the same companions – I packed my standard poodles, Raff and Murphy.

From Brisbane CBD, Nanango is about 200km up the road – a comfortable two and a half hours’ drive.

Heading north west along the D’Aguilar Highway, we passed through Kilcoy, Moore, Blackbutt and Yarraman.  

Markets are held in Nanango on the first Saturday of each month.

The dogs and I stopped for coffee at the Kai Lounge at Moore (literally on Main Street).

There’s a park across the road which Raff and Murphy appreciated and restroom facilities for human convenience.

Motoring on to Blackbutt, I recommend visiting the Art Gallery on Coulson Street, which features the work of local artists and artisans.

There are a couple of things to look out for on the outskirts of Nanango.

On the left is the Nanango Peanut Wagon, which is worth stopping for. There are peanuts of all flavours and a surprising range of other nuts and treats.

Kingaroy, Australia’s peanut processing capital, is just up the road from Nanango, after all.

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Raff wanted to ‘hang out’ with the galahs on the side of the road, but if you know big, goofy dogs, it wasn’t the best idea for the galahs.

Then, on the right, there’s a recent welcome addition – a pop-up (drive-through or sit-down) coffee shop in a renovated, white shipping container.

The coffee was excellent and it came with a friendly chat.

I planned my trip to coincide with the Nanango markets at the showgrounds on the first Saturday of each month.

These make for a fantastic morning – large and diverse; there’s even a livestock section.

You’ll be surrounded by chooks, ducks, quail and ‘you name it’, not to mention a brekky hall with live music.

 After purchasing a serving platter hand-painted by a First Nations artist, I sat under cover for a bite and enjoyed some live country music.  
There are two must-dos in the Nanango town centre.

First, enter a lost world by visiting the fabulous Bookshop and Curios on Drayton Street.

It’s the most well-stocked, second-hand bookshop I’ve ever been in.

I’d searched for a particular book in similar shops for ages and, very serendipitously, it was right there in Nanango. (You might’ve guessed it was Travels with Charley by Steinbeck.)  

Secondly, you must visit the South Burnett Energy Centre, which doubles as the Tourist Information Centre on Henry Street.

The South Burnett Energy Centre in Nanango.

It has an extraordinary interactive display of energy and its conversion to power – great for kids, adults and science buffs alike.

Often on market day, about 11am, the centre fires up the 1935 Ruston and Hornsby 4VER diesel motor, which once powered the butter factory and even parts of the town.

And if that’s not enough, there’s an array of educational gifts for kids.

I struck it lucky right before Christmas and purchased a fabulous build-your-own bee hotel kit for a few littlies.   

Finally, if you need recuperation like I was, for the princely sum of $3.50 you can indulge yourself at the Aquatic Centre, which has a hydrotherapy pool, a sparkling 25m lap pool and a wading pool for the kiddies.

If you’re staying over, there’s the full range of accommodation options, but if it’s a market weekend, book early.

I chose to eat dinner at the RSL, much to the dogs’ chagrin, as they clearly couldn’t come.  But I didn’t forget them, of course.

Travel companions Raff and Murphy take a break.

I surprised them with some tasty morsels from my handsome meal and all was forgiven.

Nanango provides easy access to neighbouring towns.

For a relaxed Sunday round-trip, I travelled to Kingaroy, stopping at the Pottique Lavender Farm.

I brunched at the Hunter Gatherer in Kingaroy; then I motored on through Murgon to Goomeri, where I sampled one of the best pies in south east Queensland from the local bakery.

It was then just a 40-minute trip back to Nanango.

And did I mention it’s Nanango’s 175th anniversary this year?

There are activities planned for every month.

Too much to do and not enough time to do it all.