Batholith. They are typically sandy loam to clay loam surface soils with clay or parent rock at depth. Towns The town of Dalveen is in the north of the Granite Belt. Other villages include Applethorpe, Amiens, Ballandean, Glen Aplin, Passchendaele, Thulimbah, Pozieres, and Wallangarra, in the south at the border with New South Wales. Liston is a small village in New South Wales that is considered part of the Granite Belt. Attractions Stanthorpe and the surrounding Granite Belt and Granite Highlands area of South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales are the centre of a booming winery and national parks tourist destination. There are more than 50 wineries in the Granite Belt area. The Granite Belt national parks are Girraween, Bald Rock, Sundown, and Boonoo Boonoo. The region operates its own wine and tourism marketing body named Granite Belt Wine Country. There is a wide range of restaurants, accommodation places and other tourist venues. Backpacking is popular and there is large demand for fruit and vegetable pickers from November until May each year. The area is Queensland's premier wine region and home to the Queensland College of Wine Tourism. Many of the fifty-plus wineries in the region have enjoyed significant success with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay for some years. Recently Verdelho has performed very well and many wineries are experimenting with alternative grape varieties, including Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Petit verdot. Part of the Granite Belt is reserved as Girraween National Park, which features granite outcroppings such as the Pyramids, and an abundance of fauna and flora. 'Girraween' can be translated as "place of flowers" in the Aboriginal language from which it is taken. The latter are particularly in evidence in spring, when wildflowers explode into evidence. The area is home to at least 800 species of flowering plants. The botanical group known as the Stanthorpe Rare Flower Consortium has been established as a result of the region's significant floral heritage. Some of these plants include ground orchids, rock roses, pea-flowers and native bluebells. Further east towards the coast is the Bald Rock National Park and Boonoo Boonoo National Park. Towards the west of the district is the Sundown National Park. The granite boulders of the region attract rock-climbers, and bush-walkers like to explore the little-known Underground River. The possibility of experiencing snow on the ground in Queensland is another tourist attraction for the region. History The district