Queensland Attractions

The Gold Coast
Situated in the South East corner of Queensland, the Gold Coast is an ideal holiday destination. The famous Surfers Paradise lies at the heart of this place. The region has a tropical climate and is less than an hour's drive from the state capital Brisbane. The land is bordered on the east by magnificent surf beaches and the west by glorious rainforests (hinterland).

The city offers a variety of attractions from camping, bungee jumping, theme Parks, and water slides to caravan parks. It is also the ideal domain for shopping, world class golf courses and casinos. The place also offers areas for hiking, camping, bird watching and bushwalking.

Fraser Island and Hervey Bay
The island is more famous as the largest sand island in the world. The island has been named after James and Eliza Fraser, resident aborigines. This paradise island is bounded by blinding white beaches, over 40 ancient peats lined, freshwater lakes. The boundaries exceed upto 120 kms in length and 15 kms in width. Heath land vegetation, Banksias and Acacias, as well as the palm forests cover the huge sand dunes on this island.

The island plays abode to 240 varieties of birds, brumbies (wild horses) kangaroos. The land boasts of unlimited fresh water supplies from the hundreds of creeks. This place is accessible by road. The accepted highway at this place is the beach, controlled by the tidal conditions. There are no sealed roads. A regular access by car ferry is available, which is only a short distance from the mainland.

Maryborough
This city is situated on a curve of the broad Mary River. Located 30 kms inland from the Fraser Coast and 260km north of Brisbane in sunny south east Queensland, Australia, it is about three hours drive along the Bruce Highway from Brisbane. Maryborough can be reached in 50 minutes by commuter aircraft, 4 hours by coach and also by electric rail. The city's airport is 38 meters above sea level. This land was first settled by by Europeans in 1847 as a wool port.

It is one of Queensland's oldest cities. At a distance of 500 kilometers to the south of the Tropic of Capricorn, it faces a hot and humid climate, influencing the lifestyles of the residents. The summers in the city are really hot. Hats, cool clothing that protects from the sun and sunscreen lotions are a must in Maryborough summers. Most winter days are sunny and there is rarely any frost.

The Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast is less than an hour's drive north from Brisbane. The place is more famous as it to the locals. It has become a major tourist weekend destination over these years. It offers scenic beauties right from the breathtaking Glass House Mountains, magnificent coastline, rolling hills to the rivers, eventually leading to the Fraser Island. Caloundra, Mooloolabah, Naroochydore, Nambour and Noosa Heads are the major coastal towns in the region. The place offers a wide variety of recreational activities including swimming and sunbathing.

The Glasshouse Mountains offer beautiful rainforest walks, climbing for the more energetic and several national parks in the hinterland. The parks provide spectacular views of the coast and camping grounds. The region plays abode to a variety of flora and fauna, and fishing, here, is unsurpassed. It is a region, renowned for its fine foods and exquisite restaurants. Major areas of attraction are available here, for the whole family to have a wonderful holiday.

Mackay
The place has everything a tourist destination must have and an avid traveler would ask for. Rainforest, mountain and gorge, rich plains and estuarine streams, beaches, islands and the Great Barrier Reef adorn this tropical city of Mackay. The city is renowned for sugar and mines and has become a major tourist destination in the past few years. The tropical Queensland can be accessed and experienced from this place. Adorned with fertile valleys and tropical rainforests, The city forms a perfect holiday destination. The climate of this place is very conducive all year round.

There are secluded beaches where the rainforest tumbles to the water's edge, and windsurfers delight in conquering the waves of the Pacific Ocean. The place enjoys a scenic splendor of its own. The Great Barrier Reef lies under the breaking rapture of the Pacific rollers, beyond the islands. Crystal clear waters, abundant flora and fauna and fresh sunlit areas, form a part of the stunning Reef with its intense beauty. This place is unique and un spoilt and has an aura of its own. The land boasts of old customs buildings, architectures and warehouses, with majestic palms and other tropical trees. The place has thrived due to its fishing industry and the tropical flower market.

Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast
The Tropic of Capricorn runs through the center of Queensland and hence this area is called the Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast, giving this region its name. The city of Rockhampton, affectionately termed as 'Rocky' by the locals, is situated at the center of this area. Rockhampton has galleries, museums, botanic gardens, the Koorana Crocodile Farm and the Dreamtime Aboriginal Culture Centre.

The Carnarvon Park, nearby, features towering sandstone cliffs, a wide boulder-strewn creek, narrow ferny and moss covered side gorges, abundant wildlife and Aboriginal art sites. The Capricorn Coast is located on the Fitzroy River and is at a distance of 726 kms to the north of the state capital Brisbane. It lies between the Fraser Coast and the Whitsundays. Off the Capricorn coast is the Keppel and Bunker group of islands, that comprises of un spoilt beaches and sub-tropical islands. These islands mark the southern extreme of the Great Barrier Reef. The lands are a major attraction for divers, snorkellers and fishing enthusiasts. Some islands also make available, the facility of camping.

The Bunker group of islands also offers a treat to the bird watchers. The Mutton birds, Sooty Turns and the elusive Booby Birds can be seen at this place. To the west of the coast is farming and cattle country in the Rural Hinterland. On the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, lies Gladstone. Being the departure point for the Heron and Lady Elliot Island, this place boasts of a natural deep water harbor and the area is surrounded by National Parks, rainforests and rich farming country.

Chinchilla
Chinchilla is located on the Western edge of the Darling Downs, at a distance of 350 km to the west of Brisbane. The town has been named in 1847 after the aboriginal word 'Jinchilla', meaning to translate to cypresses. The town houses a working steam sawmill and features the first ticket issued by QANTAS. The Barakula State Forest is Queenslands largest commercial plantation. It is located at a distance of 40 km to the north of the town. Fossils and gemstones can be unearthed in the south-west. The primary industry in Chinchilla is farming, mostly sheep & cattle.

Whitsundays
A group of 74 idyllic islands form the Whitsundays, set in the Whitsunday passage off the mainland at Airlie Beach a town. They are at a distance of some 1000 kilometers to the north of the state capital Brisbane. The land is renowned for its safe sailing. The area also boasts of having the safest waters in the world.

The passage is easily accessible to the central section of The Great Barrier Reef and many private and charter vessels take visitors there daily. Many of the islands are national parks and several have facilities for holiday makers. The most popular activities in this region are diving and sailing. Much of the area is a marine national park and has excellent fishing spots and fishing charter services.

Cairns
The Queensland Government founded the site in 1876 and named it after the Governor at that time William Cairns. Cairns forms the gateway to The Far North of Queensland. This place is the key destination for international flights for visitors wishing to explore the region. The area is bounded by the Atherton Tablelands on the West with a fringe perimeter of mountain rainforest. It has stunning creeks with crystal clear waters adding essence to the beauty of the country.

Cape Tribulation
Termed as 'The Pearl in the Australian Oyster', Daintree is located towards the north of Cairns. The area stretches upto an extensive area of 1200 sq. kms, boundary by the ocean and has beautiful rainforests. This mountainous and vegetated terrain has broad white sandy beaches and stretches out as far as the eye can see culminating in the perfection of Cape Tribulation. The route north to Cooktown is via the Bloomfield track and access from the Daintree is through the Alexandra Range. The Cape Tribulation National Park is situated here. The Great Barrier Reef forms a fascinating doorstep into the Coral Sea.

Port Douglas
Port Douglas is famous as an International Resort. It was previously, a tropical town with no industrial development. More economical options are now being held and excellent accommodation houses have been fast established. This destination is ideal for the tourists and the town is famous for its flourishing tourism industry. The tourists are offered a wide variety of places to explore the best of the region. Facilities like four wheel drive safaris, horse riding, a scenic train journey and paddle steamer tours of the river are provided to the tourists. Surrounded by rainforests, the land boasts of its exquisite beauty. Ecologists have developed many facilities to showcase the flora and fauna of the region. The Great Barrier Reef is on the doorstep combining these ecosystems.

Mount Isa
This beautiful place has an aura and a charm of its own. One of the oldest places in the world, this place is at a distance of 1876 kms to the west of Brisbane. Here, one can come across interesting historical fossils displaying the remains of the earliest residents of the earth. The city boasts of having the largest yield of silver, copper, zinc and lead. Majority of inhabitants earn their living as a result of the mining. One can come across a large sandalwood plantation, farmed locally. The timber is then exported to China. The place houses many rainforest regions and water playgrounds at Lake Moondarra and Lake Julius.