THE SUNSHINE STATE

QUEENSLAND

Queensland Map

Travel tips:

Great Barrier Reef North QLD Central QLD Townsville to Hervey Bay. Brisbane Sunshine coast South QLD  Other places in southern QLD

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Lonely Planet Queensland

More than half of Queensland, or 'the sunshine state' lies above the Tropic of Capricorn and the boasts thousands of kilometres of coastline that contain the type of beaches that you would only find on a postcard. Combine that with a sub tropical to tropical climate and you have a superb travel destination. Tourists do flock to Queensland for these very reasons, and there are more than 60 international hotels and resorts in between the Gold Coast and Cape York, but it must be noted that most of the beaches are not crowded. In fact it is actually possible to find a beach all to yourself if you are willing to go off the beaten track.

It is also here in the northern half of the state that we find one of Australia's greatest assets, the Great Barrier Reef, a 2000 km long, yes in fact the worlds largest, marine park..

 Queensland also contains more than just beaches, although these are the states biggest drawing cards.  Vast areas of desert, or 'Outback' as it is called, stretches from the western side of the Great Dividing Range all the way to the Northern Territory border as well as south to South Australia.

Queenslands most impressive  geographical feature is the Great Barrier Reef which is about 2000 km long.
The reef is the worlds richest area of marine life and contains some of the best diving in the world. Above the water you will find over 700 beautiful tropical islands to explore, some have Resorts and others remain completely untouched to this day.

Island in the Great Barrier Reef 

The atmosphere, and particularly up north,  is quite contagious. The welcome is as warm as the weather. The lifestyle is laid-back.
Northern Queenslands largest town is Townsville, but often Cairns is the first stop for visitors to this region. 

One particularly beautiful National park  in Queensland is the Cape Tribulation National Park. This park is made up of the worlds oldest rainforest in the hills of the Great Dividing Range, and the rainforest runs uninterrupted right up to the coastline. The beaches contain silica sand, which is made up of ground up coral and appears almost silver in colour.

Cape Tribulation

Other areas of interest:

Brisbane
The capital of Queensland. During the last 10-15 years Brisbane really has managed to shirk off it’s reputation of being an overgrown country town and is now Australia’s fastest growing city. Particularly hosting the world expo in 1988 gave a good reason to develop South bank, now one of the city’s nicest waterfront parks. The compact city centre is built along and between the looping meanders of the river, making it easy to explore on foot.

Brisbane's central location also serves as a good jump station for shorter visits up north to the Sunshine Coast as well as down to the Gold Coast. 
Within a few hours drive from the city you can find yourself surfing in Surfers Paradise or whale watching in Hervey Bay.

Gold Coast
In the southern end between Brisbane and the New South Wales border lies Queensland's most populous tourist area - the Gold Coast, including Surfers Paradise. Over three million visitors come to the Gold Coast each year to enjoy its 35 kilometres of sun-drenched golden beaches. Very atypical for Australia, the Gold Coast has a high concentration of high-rise hotels, entertainment industry and theme parks. 
Although the area has been 

Climate & Weather 

Although know as the sunshine state, weather conditions vary greatly between the coastal plain and the inland. Inland, the days are warm and sunny but the nights can be cold and even frosty. Particularly in the south. Queensland's wet season is from December to March, when the northwest monsoons sweep down from Asia and cyclones are most prevalent.
Annual rainfall can exceed 4,000mm in the north. Inland, Mount Isa averages less than 400mm.

When to go?
While Brisbane doesn't suffer the stifling humidity you'll find further north, it's still most pleasant in winter (June to August) - the days are warm and sunny, the nights cool, and it's a delightful contrast to the chilly miserableness further south. However, winter is also the time everyone from Sydney and Melbourne heads north to escape that chilly miserableness, so expect a crowd. Easter and Christmas are also pretty hectic. If you prefer a bit of peace and quiet, try May or October, when the humidity's still OK but the crowds have diminished.

Sailing boats in northern Queensland

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State Capital: Brisbane
Population: 3,217,000

Average Temperatures:
Brisbane:
January maximum, 29.2 C
 July maximum, 20.6  C.

Average Annual Rainfall - Brisbane: 1,190 mm