Queensland

Queensland is the Sunshine State and its natural assets seem expressly designed to go hand in hand with the sun.

Brisbane is a friendly city with an easy charm that welcomes visitors to all the top-class amenities you'd expect in a state's capital: great shopping, a thriving nightlife, arts and entertainment and excellent restaurants. Swim, sail, dive and fish in Moreton Bay, or visit one of the local islands: Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie.

South of Brisbane is the Gold Coast, Queensland's holiday capital for those who want glitz with their natural attractions. 70kms of surfing beaches are backed by the rainforest of Lamington, Tamborine and Springbrook National Parks. In between, you'll find the constant buzz of a highly-developed resort, with theme parks such as Movie World, Sea World and Wet 'n' Wild, and casinos and a buzzing nightlife to keep you entertained.

The Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane is equally blessed with great beaches and enticing hinterland areas. It has the reputation of being one of the more up-market destinations on the Queensland coast. Further north is Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world and a place of outstanding natural beauty.

North of Fraser is the start of the Great Barrier Reef which, to many, is quintessentially Queensland. Photographs look almost like clichés, but the reality is quite breathtakingly beautiful, from the coral itself to the white beaches and the aquamarine water.

The most famous of the reef islands are the Whitsundays - a playground for sailors, divers and holiday-makers - but there are many other islands well worth investigating.

Tropical North Queensland is where the rainforest meets the reef. The Cape Tribulation section of the Daintree National Park between Mossman and Cooktown is the only place on earth where two World Heritage areas stand side by side – the Wet Tropics and the Great Barrier Reef.

The gateway to this region is Cairns – a laidback tropical paradise, with a wild nightlife. From here, you can venture out on one of literally hundreds of tours to explore the Reef, Cape York, the Atherton Tableland and plenty more, by foot, 4WD, yacht, helicopter and others.

If Cape York's your choice, then be aware that this is not a trip for the inexperienced to take alone or unprepared. This vast and magnificent area of untouched wilderness is rugged and sparsely populated. It's a fantastic experience – but help is a long way away. Join a tour, or do your research well.

If you can drag yourself away from the better known attractions of the coast, there's plenty to see in Queensland's Outback. Visit the remote Channel Country in the southwest, home to Birdsville - the northern end of the Birdsville Track and the gateway to the Simpson Desert.

Explore the birthplaces of some of Australia's most famous living icons including Waltzing Matilda (Winton), Australia's international airline Qantas (Winton and Longreach) and the Australian Labour Party (Barcaldine). Visit the famous mines at Mt Isa, the incredible lava caves at Undara, or step back in time to the dinosaur era with the fossils at Lawn Hill National Park.

The Barrier Reef may be Queensland's top drawcard, but don't stop there. The Sunshine State has infinitely more to offer than just that.

QLD map