Fast Facts

State Capital: Brisbane

Population: 4.26 million (43% in Brisbane)

Area: 1,727,200 sq km (666,876 sq miles)

Geography: Queensland has four distinct geographical regions, stretching north to south and running parallel with the coast. The Coastal Strip incorporates the Great Barrier Reef, beaches, bays, islands and rainforest. Next in from the coast is the Great Dividing Range, a range of mountains that continues south into New South Wales and Victoria. Further inland are the tablelands, largely flat and given over to agriculture. Finally, comes the Outback, stretching to the state border with the Northern Territory.

Climate: Hotter and wetter in November/December and April/May, though the peak of the rainy season comes in the northern coastal areas between January and March. Further south, the rainfall peaks in January to March, and year round temperatures rarely drop below 20 degrees.

Time: GMT+10 hours

Getting To Queensland

Both Brisbane and Cairns have international airports, so you can begin or end your Australia holiday in Queensland.  Several international airlines operate flights into Brisbane, including Qantas and Air New Zealand.  Domestic airlines such as Qantas and Virgin Blue operate flights from all other Australian state capitals as well as from other major centres.  Within Queensland, Brisbane also has links with Cairns, Mount Isa, Townsville and many other smaller centres.  It is also easy to travel from Cairns or Townsville to other cities in Australia.  

You can travel from Sydney to Brisbane and Cairns on the Great South Pacific Express, a luxury train service run by the Orient Express Trains and Cruises company.  By road, the Bruce Highway runs down the East Coast of Australia from Cairns, through Brisbane and down to New South Wales.

Getting Around Queensland

By Air: Like all Australian states, Queensland is vast (around seven times the size of Britain!), so flying between destinations can be a good idea.  

By Rail:  However, there is also a good rail network serving the state - the main routes are the Sunlander and the Queenslander, which link the coastal towns between Brisbane and Cairns.  Other services include the Inlander, the Westlander and the Spirit of the Outback, which travel inland into the Outback regions of Queensland.  There are also tourist rail services including Kuranda Scenic Rail from Cairns, and the Gulflander.  Rail passes are available - the Sunshine Rail Pass offers unlimited train travel  on all Queensland's train routes, and can be bought for 7,14 or 21 day durations in either first or economy class.  Alternatively, the Sunshine Road Rail Pass offers 10 journeys over a 60 day period or 20 journeys over a 90 day period.  Brisbane has a good city train service.

By road: Generally speaking, roads in Queensland are of a high standard and offer relatively easy drives between the major centres.  The Bruce Highway joins Cairns and Brisbane (788 miles).  Heading inland, the Capricorn Highway links Rockhampton with Winton, the Flinders Highway links Townsville with Mount Isa and the Warrego Highway links Brisbane with Charleville).  However it should be noted that  a number of other roads inland from the coast are unsealed which makes them only suitable for 4WD vehicles. 

Top Ten Things to Do and See in Queensland

1. Great Barrier Reef: No trip to Queensland would be complete without exploring the great natural wonder that is the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel, dive, sail, cruise or even view it from the air, just make sure you don’t miss it!
   
2. Diving: There can be no better place on earth to learn to dive than on the Great Barrier Reef! But diving in Queensland is not just restricted to the most popular sites in the Tropical North and Whitsunday Islands; there are also numerous other dive sites around the state, including in Southern Queensland, where you will see dolphins, turtles and dugongs, and the Coral Coast, east of Bundaberg at the reef’s southernmost tip, offers some great accessible shore diving.
   
3. Island Stays: Along the length of the Queensland coast are dotted idyllic islands, ranging from near deserted to fully serviced resorts. For a true taste of luxury, opt for Lizard, Hayman, Bedarra or Orpheus, all offering fine accommodation and dining; Heron Island is a coral cay, meaning you don’t need to travel to the reef, it is all around you; Brampton, Green, Dunk and Hamilton Island feature lots of activities and are suited to all types of guest; Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, is great for adventure; Moreton Island is home to Tangalooma Resort, famous for its year round visiting dolphins.
   
4. Sailing and Cruising: There are numerous cruise operators offering trips out onto the reef, and vessels vary in size, and itineraries vary in length. If you are an experienced sailor and fancy taking to the seas yourself, there are plenty of opportunities.
   
5. Rainforest Retreats: Explore deep into the ancient rainforests of both the Tropical North of Queensland and Lamington National Park and experience some unique lodge accommodation
   
6. Aboriginal Culture: Queensland is full of opportunities to learn more about the ancient Aboriginal history and culture. The award-winning Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park is a wonderful starting point – it has theatres, museums and interactive displays charting the Aboriginal history of the state. Cape York in the far north of Queensland is home to the 40,000 year old traditions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; or visit one of numerous rock art sites, including the Jowalbinna Rock Art Safari Camp at Laura (cape York Peninsula), the epicentre of Quinkan Aboriginal Rock Art, and Canarvon Gorge National Park in the central highlands.
   
7. Outback: Just to prove that Queensland really does have it all, there are numerous Outback destinations to explore, including the spectacular lava tubes at Undara, and the Rock Art sites on the Cape York Peninsula.
   
8. Adventure sports: White water rafting on the Tully and Barron Rivers, hot air ballooning, sky-diving, quad biking, 4WD tours, sand-surfing and much, much more – all on offer in Queensland.
   
9. Beaches: Queensland boasts some of the best beaches and resorts in all Australia, from near deserted tropical beaches  to the high rise resorts of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts.
   
10. City life: Brisbane has the reputation for being one of Australia’s most laid back cities, but it is also great for shopping, eating out, the arts and entertainment. As the main international gateway to Queensland, most visitors’ journeys will start here, and it is well worth spending a couple of days here to explore all that this vibrant city has to offer.