Queensland, your way

By Alexis Buxton-Collins
Published: Wednesday, November 25, 2020

From ancient rainforests to turquoise lagoons surrounded by glittering white beaches, Queensland is full of natural wonders.

Whether you want to dive right in or see the sights at a more relaxed pace, there’s something for every type of traveller. Simply choose your environment, then start exploring.

Beach

Like sparkling diamonds scattered across a turquoise background, the Whitsundays are the picture of a tropical paradise. There are 74 islands in total, boasting uninhabited national parks and seriously luxurious resorts. Surrounding waters are aquatic playgrounds where you can snorkel, sail and scuba dive until your heart’s content.

The stunning Whitsundays. Image: Getty

For couples

Plenty of hotels boast about their location, but it’s hard to beat a pontoon floating directly above the Great Barrier Reef. Spend the day exploring a colourful underwater world, then enjoy having the reef and brilliant night skies all to yourself.

Find out more and book through RAA today.

For families

See a different side of Queensland with a Whitsunday Paradise Explorer tour, exposing you to the rich culture of the Ngaro traditional owners through stories, rock art sites and traditional foods.

For solo travellers

Explore the northern end of the archipelago on a restored 63-foot wooden ketch. Stop along the way to snorkel and paddle on inflatable kayaks that let you discover secret spots along the shore.

Find out more and book through RAA today.

Rainforest

Visiting North Queensland’s Daintree is like wandering into another world where nature rules and man-made structures are dwarfed by ancient rainforest. Immerse yourself in an unspoiled environment full of hidden waterholes, roaming cassowaries and vegetation that reaches all the way down to the ocean.

The Daintree Jindalba Boardwalk. Image: Getty

For couples

Disappear into one of Daintree Ecolodge’s teetering treehouses. Enjoy a treatment at the spa, harnessing the onsite waterfall alongside a range of wild Australian botanicals.

For families

Swim in a secluded waterhole before cruising up the stunning Daintree River. Dinner will be served on the beach, where the rainforest meets the reef.

Find out more and book through RAA today.

For solo travellers

Venture deep into the rainforest by drifting with the current down a small (croc-free) creek where fish, turtles and kingfishers play beneath the ferns. Join a River Drift Snorkelling tour and let your aquatic adventure begin.

Outback

In a remote spot near the NT border, Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park rises out of the dusty savannah like a mirage. Spectacular creeks of emerald green water cut through a vast red sandstone plateau in the main section of the park. The nearby Riversleigh area has rich fossil deposits that date back 25 million years.

Lawn Hill/Boodjamulla view from Duwadarri lookout. Image: Getty

For couples

Watch the sky narrow to a sliver as you canoe between vertical walls of red sandstone to a secluded waterfall on the palm-lined Lawn Hill Gorge Canoe Trail.

For families

Venture back in time on a walk past fossils of giant flightless birds and crocodiles that used to populate this landscape. See why Sir David Attenborough called Riversleigh “one of the great wonders of the palaeontological world” in Lawn Hill Gorge National Park.

For solo travellers

Cast a line just outside the national park, or head downriver to the barramundi capital of Burketown. Here, Gangalidda and Garawa traditional owners can give you the benefit of countless generations of fishing experience.

Island

With lakes of gin-clear water surrounded by powdery white sand, towering rainforest and beaches where purebred dingoes roam and whales swim offshore, it’s easy to see why Fraser Island’s traditional owners named this place “paradise”.

The clear blue waters of Fraser Island. Image: Getty

For couples

The best way to appreciate this island’s serene beauty is on foot, with Fraser Island Hiking’s pack-free walks letting you take in the sights and smells of the rainforest. When night falls, camp right next to the island’s famous lakes.

For families

Every winter, the sheltered waters of Fraser Island are transformed into a nursery for thousands of humpback whales, allowing you to see mothers swimming with baby calves that weigh up to a tonne when they’re born.

Find out more and book through RAA today.

For solo travellers

Fraser Island has only a few hundred metres of paved road. If you don’t have a 4WD, you can join a 2-day tour that lets you swim in lakes and freshwater creeks, visit a scenic shipwreck and follow guided walks through several types of rainforest.

Find out more and book through RAA today.

City

With a temperate climate year-round, Brisbane is a green city that rewards outdoor exploration. And with parks, beaches and islands in every direction, you don’t need to go far to find spots of exceptional natural beauty.

Brisbane's stunning skyline at night. Image: Getty

For couples

Surrounded by bush, just 12km from the city centre, the calm waters of heritage-listed Enoggera Dam are the perfect spot to try stand up paddle-boarding (or even SUP yoga) for the first time.

For families

Spend the morning spotting some of the 700 bottlenose dolphins that play with turtles and dugongs in the shallows surrounding nearby Moreton Island, then snorkel around 15 shipwrecks at the centre of a subtropical reef.

For solo travellers

Swap your morning coffee for a shot of adrenaline by abseiling down the vertical 20m walls of Kangaroo Point Cliffs above the Brisbane River. Remember to stop halfway down for a unique view of the CBD.

Find out more and book through RAA today.

Ready to relax in the Sunshine State?

Speak to an RAA Travel expert and start planning your next Queensland holiday.

Find out more