Queensland Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

Brisbane
Sightsee in Australia's fastest-growing city, Brisbane, with its year-round warm subtropical climate. The Gallery of Modern Art (www.qag.qld.gov.au) is superb and sits alongside the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum (www.qm.qld.gov.au) and Queensland Performing Arts Center at South Bank (www.qpac.com.au).

Queensland's beaches
Enjoy some of the best beaches in the world. The Sunshine Coast has miles of untouched wilderness and beaches with surf. Mission Beach has 14km (9 miles) of white sand, while the expanse of sand and sea around Fraser Island is heaven sent.

The McPherson Range
Appreciate nature in all its glory from lush green mountains to rainforests and scenic wilderness areas. Nature lovers will enjoy Lamington National Park in the McPherson Mountains, the volcanic plateau of Tamborine Mountain and the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary.

Daintree Rainforest
This World Heritage-listed tropical rainforest is the place to visit for eco-tours, crocodile cruises, mangrove boating or 4-wheel drive trips. At Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the reef, guided jungle walks bring you into contact with amazing plant and animal species.

Aboriginal Rock Art
Examine excellent examples of Aboriginal rock art among the escarpment country near Laura in the Cape York Peninsula. In Brisbane there are many places to appreciate and buy indigenous art including galleries in New Farm and the city.

Koala sanctuaries
Spot koalas dozing in gum trees in bush areas such as Noosa National Park, Magnetic Island and the Daisy Hill Koala Sanctuary near Brisbane. Hand-feed a kangaroo or cuddle a koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (www.koala.net), home to 130 of the furry eucalyptus-munching marsupials.

Great Barrier Reef
Be gobsmacked by the beauty and size of the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's great natural wonders. Stretching for 2,000km (1,200 miles) along the Queensland coast, it offers great views from both above and below, with unique plant and animal life.

Australia Zoo
Steve Irwin's legacy lives on at this unique wildlife park in Beerwah, 60km (37 miles) north of Brisbane. It's home to Asian elephants, a Sumatran tiger and, of course, a few crocs (www.australiazoo.com.au).

Top Things to Do

Dive in
Live your waterbaby dream: from surfing (try Surfers Paradise, the Sunshine Coast, and Bribie, Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands) to sailing round the islands and canoeing and sea-kayaking around the Great Barrier Reef, or simply lazing on a perfect tropical beach.

Bushwalk and tree climb
Bushwalk around the cooler southern regions: Lamington National Park has a well-maintained, graded track system in the McPherson Range, which features tall rainforests, waterfalls and gorges. Or take a walk on the Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway in Wooroonooran National Park.

Skyrail adventures
The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway (www.skyrail.com.au) just outside Cairns spans nearly 8km (5 miles) of rainforest, allowing you 90 minutes of canopy cruising with stops at Red Peak, Barron Falls and Kuranda stations.

Adventure sports
Seize the moment in the adventure sports capital of Australia: you can practice paragliding and parasailing all along the coast; abseiling is possible in Lamington and Carnarvon National Parks; the Sunshine Coast and Mount Tamborine are the main destinations for hang gliding.

Wintermoon Festival
This four-day music extravaganza is held over the long weekend in April/May and promises a unique experience in the foothills of Eungella National Park, watching a wonderful program of music, dancing, song and verse (www.wintermoonfestival.com).

Fraser Island
Motor over to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world and 4-wheel drive to your heart's content. The dense tropical rainforests, gorges and freshwater lakes shelter a diverse ecology. You can often spot whales, sharks, dolphins and turtles offshore.

Theme parks
Unleash your inner child and visit a fun (or tacky, depending on your disposition) theme park, such as Sea World (http://seaworld.myfun.com.au), Movie World (http://movieworld.myfun.com.au), Dreamworld (www.dreamworld.com.au) or WhiteWater World (www.whitewaterworld.com.au), all situated along the Gold Coast.

Great Barrier Reef
Learn to dive and experience the subterranean splendor of the Great Barrier Reef (www.dive-queensland.com.au), with visibility often as deep as 60m (200ft). Heron and Lady Elliot Islands are coral cays renowned as the best diving spots on the reef.

Gold Coast
Party hard on the yellow sand along the Gold Coast (www.verygoldcoast.com.au). Surfers Paradise is a Miami-style high-rise strip overlooking a crowded beach. Zoom into the Gold Coast hinterland, one of Queensland's best wilderness areas.