Queensland

Ribbon Reefs
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland

Queensland is Australia’s second-largest state and offers numerous idyllic holiday destinations. Myriad islands, cays and atolls are scattered along Queensland’s 6973-kilometre coastline. The Great Barrier Reef offers the ultimate in diving. There are 2000 species of fish, dugongs, turtles and extensive coral gardens all protected by World Heritage.

By contrast, the arid west gives visitors a chance to experience some of Australia’s unique outback in towns such as Winton, established by those searching for the lost Burke and Wills expedition. Winton also has a special place in Australian folklore as the location of Dagworth woolshed where Banjo Paterson wrote the iconic ‘Waltzing Matilda’ in 1895.

Two-thirds of Queensland lies above the Tropic of Capricorn. In the monsoonal Far North, visitors can venture into magnificent ancient rainforests, like those of the Daintree, where cool respite lies in the boulder-strewn Mossman Gorge.

South of Brisbane is the famous Gold Coast. With more waterways than Venice and 300 days of sunshine each year, it’s the perfect place for swimming and surfing. The theme parks here will terrify and astound, while in the hinterland, an emerald-green paradise allows visitors to soak up magnificent views among waterfalls and 4000- year-old rainforest trees.

Captain James Cook and his crew were the first Europeans to unexpectedly enjoy the Queensland coast after they ran aground on a reef near Cape Tribulation in 1770. Dutch explorer Willem Jansz had sailed along the western side of Cape York 164 years earlier, but received a hostile reception from the local Aboriginal people.

European settlement of Queensland occurred quite late compared with the rest of Australia. In 1824 a convict station was built near Moreton Bay to cater for the most intractable prisoners from southern gaols, but after a year of active resistance by Aboriginal tribes it was abandoned and relocated to where Brisbane stands today.

In recent years Queensland has shaken off its reputation as a quiet backwater. This modern state is fast becoming the envy of the rest of the country with its stunning natural features, relaxed pace and languid lifestyle, all enhanced by a climate close to perfect.