Explore Australia

Mary Valley Heritage Railway Known locally as the 'Valley Rattler', this restored 1923 steam train takes the visitor on a 40 km journey through the picturesque Mary Valley. The train departs Gympie every Wed, Sat and Sun on its way to Imbil, where it stops before returning. Special tours run each Sat. Tickets and information from visitor centre; inquiries (07) 5482 2750.Woodworks, Forestry and Timber Museum: exhibits memorabilia from old logging days including a steam-driven sawmill; closed Sat; Fraser Rd. Deep Creek: gold-fossicking area; permits from visitor centre; Counter St. Public gallery: local and visiting art exhibitions in heritage building; Nash St. Heritage walk: self-guide walk includes the Stock Exchange and Town Hall; details from visitor centre. Trail rides: horseriding through Kiah Park and Mary Valley; details from visitor centre.

Amamoor State Forest Over 120 native animal species find shelter in this protected forest, a remnant of the woodlands and vegetation that used to cover the Cooloola region. See the platypus in Amamoor Creek at dusk or take the Wonga walk or Cascade circuit track starting across the road from Amama. The renowned outdoor music festival, the Country Music Muster, is held in the forest on the last weekend in Aug. 30 km S.Gold Mining Museum: delve into the area's goldmining history. It includes Andrew Fisher House (Fisher was the first Queenslander to become prime minister); 5 km S. Mothar Mountain: rockpools and forested area for bushwalking and excellent views; 20 km SE. Imbil: picturesque town with excellent valley views. There is a market every Sun, and the nearby Lake Borumba offers great conditions for watersports and fishing – especially for golden perch and saratoga. Take the 14 km Imbil Forest Drive through scenic pine plantations just south of town; 36 km S. Mary Valley Scenic Way: enjoy this scenic route through towns of the valley, pineapple plantations and grazing farms; it runs south between Gympie and Maleny, via Kenilworth.

Bjelke Petersen Dam 66 km

Lake Barambah is a 22 sq km water about 15 km south-east of Murgon. It is regarded as one of the state’s best waters for big bass, but also has yellowbelly, silver perch and saratoga. It is relatively shallow for a... Find out more

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Mooloolaba 73 km

It’s 6am on the Mooloolaba waterfront behind Kawana Waters Hotel. The temperature is mild enough to be wearing shorts and a shirt. All is quiet amid the moored boats except for the eager anglers sitting around the... Find out more

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Lake Lenthall 88 km

Anyone who has read about the barramundi boom in Queensland’s impoundments will know about lakes like Awoonga, Faust and Callide. But there are many, less- known waters that also offer excellent fishing, and one of... Find out more

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Hervey Bay 102 km

Hervey Bay and Fraser Island are inseparably linked to each other and to fishing. Variety and quality of species is a true measure of a fishing destination and here you can catch longtails (northern bluefin tuna),... Find out more

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Lake Boondooma 122 km

Situated on the Boyne River to the west of Bjelke Petersen Dam, this lake is about 15 km from Proston. Since its construction in 1983, a variety of species have been stocked here. Australian bass, silver perch and... Find out more

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Lake Wivenhoe 126 km

Impoundment fishing for native species in southern Queensland has enjoyed phenomenal growth and it all began at Lake Wivenhoe. Situated about 80 km west of Brisbane on the Brisbane Valley Highway, Wivenhoe has a surface... Find out more

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Fraser Island 139 km

The world’s biggest sand island, Fraser Island is 123 km long and has become Australia’s most famous beach-fishing venue, albeit one that also offers rock- and offshore fishing. The list of inshore species... Find out more

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Lake Monduran 168 km

Lake Monduran is near Gin Gin, a four-hour drive north of Brisbane on the Bruce Highway. Although it appears narrow, it has a surface area of 53 sq km and a holding capacity of 585 900 ML of water, which is about 1.6... Find out more

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Wuruma Dam 202 km

Situated 35 km north of Eidsvold, this 18 sq km little-known water contains Australian bass, barramundi, saratoga, silver perch, yellowbelly and sleepy cod. A Stocked Impoundment Permit is required. There is a large... Find out more

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Cania Dam 240 km

Located close to Monto, Cania Dam holds yellowbelly, silver perch and Australian bass to 3 kg. Cania’s big drawcard though is the saratoga. Initially stocked with only 200 individuals, the saratoga have bred to a... Find out more

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Cycling the Sunshine Coast and hinterland 66 km

Join a half-day or longer guided bike tour with Bicycle Tours of Queensland, particularly the popular Sunshine Coast ride or Maleny to Glass House Mountains. A back-up bus is included if it all gets too much.... Find out more

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Hiking on Fraser Island 78 km

Fraser Island, with its 1653 square kilometres encompassing 200-metre-high sand dunes, 80 beautiful lakes and pockets of rainforest, is a delight for those prepared to put on a pack. Hikers can camp beside some of the... Find out more

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Whale-watching around Hervey Bay 102 km

Although there are plenty of places to see humpback whales on the east coast, few are as good as Hervey Bay. Many young calves and their mothers rest up here between August and the start of November, before heading... Find out more

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Mount Coot-tha Forest 145 km

The largest natural area in Brisbane, this 1500 hectares of open eucalypt forest holds more than 18 kilometres of walking tracks, 12 kilometres of mountain-biking tracks and a further 31 kilometres of multi-use tracks.... Find out more

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Westlander 147 km

Take the overnight train ride from Brisbane to Charleville or Quilpie, travelling over the Great Dividing Range and through some of Queensland’s rich farming areas.... Find out more

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Cycling and mountain-biking around Brisbane 147 km

Brisbane has a growing network of great cycling trails and some excellent rides for tourists – a five-to-20-kilometre ride along the shores of the Brisbane River comes highly recommended. There is also a great ride... Find out more

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Rock climbing around Brisbane 148 km

Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point is perhaps the friendliest city rock-climbing spot in the country, with views over the Brisbane River, a range of climbs for absolute beginners and upwards, and established anchor points... Find out more

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Tamborine Mountain Distillery 200 km

There is a multitude of chemical-free schnapps, gins and vodkas to try here, many of which come from the fruits grown on the farm. Try lemon myrtle vodka, the multifaceted choc’n’chili liqueur, forest... Find out more

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Noosa Springs Resort 50 km

Laid out across 50 hectares of bushland on the shore of beautiful Lake Weyba, Noosa Springs takes you on a gently rolling journey between rainforest pockets, along the edges of lakes and through bloodwood forest,... Find out more

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Hyatt Regency Coolum Resort 59 km

Resort courses are sometimes labelled, perhaps unfairly, as all being similar to one another: wide fairways, big undulating greens, large bunker schemes, the obligatory drinks cart. Some might even say a round of golf... Find out more

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Twin Waters Golf Club 65 km

By the end of the 1980s, Queensland’s Sunshine Coast had a handful of good member clubs. In the ’90s, as the region became home to Australia’s fastest growing population, more golf courses and more... Find out more

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Pelican Waters Golf Club 84 km

It took 54 years for his dream to be realised, but when Pelican Waters Golf Club finally opened for play in 2000, not even the visionary behind the original idea could have imagined it would turn out as good as it... Find out more

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Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club 105 km

Challenging the best players without alienating casual and beginner golfers is the fine line every course designer treads in coming up with a new creation. One designer who does it better than most is Ross Watson. His... Find out more

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North Lakes Resort Golf Club 120 km

Good course designers have tricks up their sleeves when it comes to spurring golfers to rise to the challenge. They can visually intimidate you with large schemes of bunkers or water hazards encroaching on the best... Find out more

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Royal Queensland Golf Club 145 km

Of all the golf courses in this book, Royal Queensland has undergone the most dramatic changes in recent years. Originally opened in 1920, on reclaimed mangrove swampland on the north bank of the Brisbane River, ... Find out more

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Brookwater Golf & Country Club 165 km

Brookwater opened to considerable fanfare in 2002, with many observers quick to draw comparisons with Augusta National, venerable home of the US Masters. The varied terrain, inventive bunkering and undulating putting... Find out more

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Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club (Pines course) 199 km

Sanctuary Cove’s Pines layout, designed by Arnold Palmer, has reigned for more than two decades as one of the Gold Coast’s best courses. At various stages during that time it has also ranked among the... Find out more

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The Links, Hope Island 199 km

When Hope Island opened for play in 1993 it was a unique addition to Australia’s golfing landscape. Here was a links-style layout seemingly uprooted from Scotland and transplanted on to the sunny northern... Find out more

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Mondo Organics, West End 148 km

Australia’s first organic restaurant when it opened in 2000, Mondo Organics serves a range of organic meats, including beef, chicken, duck and lamb, and the fish is chosen for the sustainability of the catch. The... Find out more

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Sunshine Coast Brewery 65 km

Queensland’s longest-running microbrewery has been operating from an industrial estate on the outskirts of Maroochydore since 1998. It was established by Jim Robinson and Queensland craft-beer pioneer Graham Howard... Find out more

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Castlemaine Perkins (Fourex) Brewery 146 km

The pages of Australian brewing history are littered with take-overs and acquisitions, and while Castlemaine Perkins sounds like a merger, it was, in reality, yet another buy-out. As the name suggests, the Castlemaine... Find out more

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Foster's Group (Yatala Brewery) 183 km

This brewery site, located at Yatala, midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, was established by the Power Brewing Company, which launched Powers Bitter in 1988. Four years later a joint venture between Powers and... Find out more

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Mt Tamborine Brewery 200 km

As we went to press, one of Queensland’s more ambitious craft-brewing operations was about to come to fruition at Mount Tamborine, in the Gold Coast hinterland. The 24-hectolitre microbrewery is the original plant... Find out more

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Burleigh Brewing Company 225 km

Queensland has generally suffered from a dearth of craft breweries so the Burleigh Brewing Company is a welcome and relatively recent addition. Co-owner/brewer Brennan Fielding boasts considerable experience as a... Find out more

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Glastonbury Creek Forest Recreation Area 13 km

This large grassy camping area with a maximum capacity of 120 people is on the south-eastern edge of Booyar State Forest. There is a day-use area with picnic tables and wood barbecues, and open fires are allowed in the... Find out more

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Cedar Grove camping area 21 km

Cedar Grove camping area in Amamoor State Forest has tent and caravan campsites in open grassy areas beside riverine rainforest of white and red cedars, as well as tall open forest and Amamoor Creek.... Find out more

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Amamoor Creek camping area 21 km

A rare find for pet owners, this camp is dog friendly. Take care though, as the creek is home to platypus and a variety of frogs. The flat, grassy campsites are suitable for tents and caravans, and surrounded by majestic... Find out more

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Neebs Waterhole camping area (bush camping) 32 km

Bush camping for self-sufficient campers is permitted at Neebs Waterhole, 8.1 km (3 hr walk) south of Mullens carpark on Rainbow Beach Rd. It is around 12.5 km north of the Wandi Waterhole camping area. Access is walk-in... Find out more

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Wandi Waterhole camping area (bush camping) 36 km

Wandi has clearings for bush camping suitable for self-sufficient campers, around 12.5 km south of Neebs. Access is walk-in only from the Cooloola Wilderness Trail. Carry in drinking water and a gas/fuel stove (no fires... Find out more

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Borumba Deer Park camping area 36 km

There is also the option of powered sites and cabins at this camping area near Borumba Dam, a popular fishing spot. To reach the park from Imbil, 12 km away, follow the signs for Borumba Dam and cross Yabba Creek 5 times... Find out more

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Harrys Hut camping area 37 km

This is the only campground on the Upper Noosa River with vehicle (4WD only) and river access. It is 10 km east of Cooloola Way on Harrys Hut Rd. Campers should be aware that goannas and brush turkeys often scrounge for... Find out more

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Noosa River campsites – nos 1, 2 and 3 (boat-based camping) 38 km

Take a paddle down the Noosa River to this remote campsite accessed only by boat or canoe. There is a maximum of 8 people for each of the 3 campsites. If drinking water from the Noosa River, remember to boil or treat it... Find out more

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Fig Tree Point camping area 38 km

This campground beside Lake Cootharaba has basic facilities and a maximum capacity of 25 campers. It can be reached by boat or canoe from the Noosa River, 2 km north of Kinaba, or a 10 km walk from Elanda Point. Boil or... Find out more

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Noosa River campsites – nos 4, 5, 8, 9, 13 and 15 (boat-based camping) 39 km

If you’re seeking peace and quiet, these isolated waterside campsites are in a gorgeous spot on the Noosa River. Accessed only by canoe (no motorised boats), there are no facilities on-site and a maximum of 8... Find out more

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BIG4 Noosa Bougainvillia Holiday Park 43 km

With good facilities, this is a quality park opposite the Noosa golf course. It is very popular year-round and a great base for spending a holiday in the Noosa area. Bookings are required in peak periods and a... Find out more

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Tin Can Bay Tourist Park 46 km

In a quiet area of Tin Can Bay, this is a good quality park with facilities to suit the discerning tourist. Good value here. Bookings are required in peak periods and a minimum-length stay applies at Christmas and... Find out more

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BIG4 Bonny Hills Holiday Park 54 km

This is a popular beachside spot a short walk from the surf club. The park has a popular coffee shop that sells numerous styles of coffee, or the ingredients. We like it here. Bookings are required in peak periods and a... Find out more

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Coolum Beach Caravan Park 57 km

This is a popular beachfront holiday park just across the road from the centre of Coolum. Walk to the shops and restaurants, swim at the patrolled beach or soak up the sunshine, or do all three! Bookings are required in... Find out more

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Maroochy Palms Holiday Village 64 km

Across the road from the Maroochy River, this very good quality park has much to offer. Book in here and enjoy the facilities, including the kids club, tennis court and pool, or relax and enjoy a cappuccino from the park... Find out more

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Mudjimba Beach Caravan Park 65 km

A quality council-operated establishment, this is a neat and well-laid out park in a quieter area just a short stroll from the beach. Bookings are required in peak periods and a minimum-length stay applies.... Find out more

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BIG4 Forest Glen Holiday Resort 66 km

This award-winning park is set on over 19 ha of parkland. There is a large pool, tennis court, squash court, minigolf and a licensed restaurant. The Bruce Highway is close by and the Sunshine Coast beaches are just 15... Find out more

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Bjelke-Petersen Dam Tourist and Recreation Park (formerly Yallakool) 68 km

This is a large park on the shores of the Bjeilke-Petersen Dam. Modern extensions have seen the installation of ensuite sites. It is an ideal location for breaking the journey, catching up on some rest or catching a... Find out more

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Cotton Tree Caravan Park 68 km

Located along the waters edge at the mouth of the Maroochy River, this large council park has more than 400 tourist sites. It has a selection of eateries and shops immediately opposite the park entrance and is within... Find out more

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Barambah Bush Caravan Park 68 km

This is a bush area with a caravan park. There are good facilities and several kilometres of bushwalking trails. Bookings required at peak periods and a minimum-length stay at Easter and long weekends.... Find out more

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Glass House Mountains Eco-Lodge 86 km

The simple, down-market rooms here include the use of old train carriages for a communal kitchen and group area. An old church has also been recycled, and all greywater and blackwater is used on site to irrigate the... Find out more

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Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island 96 km

With 1000 beds, and a choice of pools, restaurants and bars, this is the largest accommodation place mentioned in this book, but it has a longstanding reputation as being a positive role model for large ecotourism... Find out more

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Emeraldene Inn and Eco-Lodge, Hervey Bay 100 km

The 14 hotel-style rooms here, including two disabled rooms, have solar hot water and an envirocycle treatment system so that all sewage and greywater is treated and reused on site. The lodge has a solid environmental... Find out more

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Brisbane Marriott Hotel 146 km

By no means the greenest accommodation in this book, the Marriott still deserves inclusion as one of the better options in large hotels. It gained the Green Globe Benchmarked Bronze status and is AAA-rated for its water-... Find out more

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Destiny Boonah 206 km

Set on 80 hectares of Land for Wildlife property, this self-contained three-bedroom cottage is solar- and wind-powered. You are encouraged to bring a mountain bike or go bushwalking on the property, which is located near... Find out more

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The Mouses House, Springbrook 234 km

Set in a beautiful rainforest at more than 800 metres above sea level, this luxury resort has 11 self-contained chalets, hot tub, sauna, tennis court and bikes, a sensible environmental policy and eco-accreditation. It... Find out more

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Cottages on the Creek 236 km

This 2-hectare establishment is managed as a Land for Wildlife property and the two, onebedroom spa cottages have composting toilets, protecting Currumbin Creek with its turtles, catfish, platypus and yabbies.... Find out more

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Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat 237 km

Located near Murwillumbah and surrounded on three sides by World Heritage–listed national parks, this secluded couples-only resort on the Queensland border has minimal-impact, self-contained bungalows and cabins.... Find out more

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Chatsworth Rest Area 5 km

6 km N of Gympie (L) or 55 km S of Tiaro (R) Large grassed area just off the highway. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S26 09.01 E152 37.47  ... Find out more

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Six Mile Creek Rest Area 6 km

162 km N of Brisbane (L) or 6 km S of Gympie (R) Large grassed area just off the highway. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S26 13.901 E152 41.849... Find out more

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Gunalda Rest Area 24 km

29 km N of Gympie (R) or 32 km S of Tiaro (L) Large area just off the highway. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S25 59.184 E152 34.259... Find out more

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Tiaro Camp Area 52 km

Middle of town Small area just east of the highway via Inman Street. Limited shade. Toilets at adjacent town park. GPS: S25 43.722 E152 35.059... Find out more

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Petrie Rest Area 53 km

T/O 1 km N of Tiaro (L) or 81 km S of Childers (R) Small secluded area 1 kilometre west of the highway in a pleasant setting on the riverbank. Good shade and facilities. GPS: S25 42.905 E152 34.533... Find out more

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Landsborough Park Area 75 km

83 km N of Brisbane (L) or 85 km S of Gympie (R) Small area located 500 metres off the highway via Landsborough exit. Good shade. GPS: S26 46.409 E153 02.252... Find out more

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Wongi Camp Area 84 km

T/O 36 km N of Tiaro (L) or 42 km S of Childers (R) Large secluded campground located 10 kilometres west of the highway in a native bush setting in Wongi State Forest. Good facilities and shade. NOTE: Unsealed... Find out more

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Coochin Creek Camp Area 86 km

T/O 73 km N of Brisbane (R) or 95 km S of Gympie (L) Coochin Creek campground is located 5 kilometres east of the highway (via Bells Creek Road and Roys Road) in a pleasant forest setting in Beerburrum State Forest.... Find out more

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Apple Tree Creek Rest Area 115 km

6 km N of Childers (L) or 51 km S of Gin Gin (R) Large area just off the highway on the south side of the village. Good shade and facilities. GPS: S25 13.141 E152 14.292... Find out more

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Wallum Rest Area 132 km

26 km N of Childers (L) or 28 km SW of Bundaberg (R) Large area just off the road to Bundaberg. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S25 03.584 E152 13.869... Find out more

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