Queensland in Australia

With its magnificent beaches and the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland is one of the most popular destinations for international visitors to Australia. With huge tracks of pristine beaches and warm temperatures year round,

Queensland is known as the “Sunshine State” to international visitors and locals.
Queensland provides major contrasts throughout its huge area of 1.7 million square kilometers and it stretches from inland desert through to the magnificent coastline.
Inland deserts give way to tropical rain forests, huge tracts of lush sugar cane plantations and highly productive farm lands.

Queensland’s most famous geographical feature is one of the modern wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef.

The largest coral structure in the world, it stretches off the coast of Queensland for nearly 2,000 kilometres. The reef and its offshore islands are accessible from cities such as Townsville and Cairns and offer a host of activities such as snorkeling, yachting, windsurfing and fishing.

Queensland’s largest city is Brisbane, home to 1.5 million residents and built either side of the imposing Brisbane River.

Brisbane is now a cosmopolitan city with sophisticated dining and nightlife and a diverse range of cultural attractions. South Bank on the Brisbane River is home to art galleries, museums and performance venues. An hours’ drive south is the Gold Coast with its theme parks and iconic surf beaches.

The Gold Coast consists of more than 40 kilometres of beautiful white sandy beaches stretching from Coolangatta in the south to Main Beach in the north.
Surfers Paradise is the best known of the Gold Coast beaches and is the accommodation and entertainment centre for the area. This is the glitter strip for Australia and it’s where the rich and famous from all around the world come to play.

Events such as the Magic Millions horse sales and professional women’s golf and tennis tournaments are major draw cards for Australian and international celebrities.

But for most visitors, the Gold Coast is theme park capital with Dream World, Sea World and Movie World drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the coast each year. There’s also a huge range of shopping options for visitors including Versace, Gucci and other internationally recognizable names.

North of Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast, a series of towns which offer a more laidback alternative to the glitzy Gold Coast.

Towns such as Noosa, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Coolum are popular summer destinations and they offer a more relaxed style for visitors.
The Sunshine Coast is home to Australia Zoo, the wildlife sanctuary and theme park created by the late Steve Irwin.

The Queensland weather is the major draw card, especially during winter when it is usually fine and dry with daytime temperatures usually in the 20s. Summer can be hot and humid, especially in northern Queensland where tropical conditions can result in cyclones or significant flooding.