Queensland

With a stunning coastline stretching nearly 7,000 kilometres, Queensland is famous for its beautiful beaches and idyllic offshore islands. But head inland and you quickly discover the Sunshine State has so much more to offer than surf, sand and tropical climates alone. Queensland is also home to the oldest rainforest in the world, a vast and seductive outback, and some splendid urban destinations to boot. If your Club desires a tour defined by diverse attractions and experiences, Queensland has you covered.

BRISBANE & MORETON

Brisbane, the state’s capital, is the perfect base for your tour of South East Queensland. This vibrant city has evolved into a popular destination for culture, cuisine and a consistently packed calendar of exciting local and international events. Beyond Brisbane, take advantage of all there is to see and do around the wider Moreton Bay Region, which includes Redcliffe, Caboolture and Bribie Island.

Got time for a detour south? Your group will not be disappointed with a trip to the sunny Gold Coast, where golden sand meets green hinterland, not to mention the country’s best theme parks including Sea World.

Wander Brisbane’s bustling CBD and South Bank

The heart of Brisbane offers easy riverside excursions and an array of urban attractions. The iconic Story Bridge is the perfect place to start your visit with photo opportunities in all directions. Across the river from the CBD, clustered in the South Bank cultural precinct, you’ll come across interactive exhibitions at the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre (qm.qld.gov.au) and quality collections at the Queensland

1. The city of Brisbane has a flourishing dining, entertainment and cultural scene

2. Enjoy expansive views of the capital from Mt Coot-Tha’s Summit Lookout

3. The Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art, otherwise known as QAGOMA

4. Step back in time with a visit to Toowoomba’s Royal Bull’s Head Inn

5. Toowoomba quite literally comes to life during its annual Carnival of Flowers Gallery of Modern Art (qagoma.qld.gov.au). Wander along the Clem Jones Promenade to admire the Brisbane River on one side and the South Bank Parklands on the other.

Escape to nearby natural highlights

You only need to travel an hour from the city to take in Brisbane’s surrounding beauty. A plethora of waterfalls, mountains and lookouts make day trips a must. Mount Coot-Tha looms large over Brisbane and provides brilliant views from its Summit Lookout. Another highlight is the Scenic Rim, a rural paradise set in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. Going offshore, you’re a boat ride away from North Stradbroke Island or Moreton Island – think pristine beaches, sand dunes, shipwrecks, and possibly some close encounters with dolphins.

DARLING DOWNS

To the west of Brisbane and Moreton is the Darling Downs, a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. The region has been celebrated in art and literature for its quintessential grassy landscape,

2

3

which traditionally held woolsheds and large pastoral stations of wealthy squatters.

Take a trip to Toowoomba

Take a short trip to Toowoomba, the main city in the Darling Downs, best known for the Cobb+Co Museum with its horse-drawn carriages (cobb.qm.qld.gov.au), the Royal Bull’s Head Inn (nationaltrustqld.org.au/visitorsites/Royal-Bull-s-Head-Inn) – a 19th century homestead built by an ex-convict and featuring colonial-era displays – and the annual Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, held each year in September (tcof.com.au).

See the Southern Downs & Granite Belt

The Southern Downs and Granite Belt – an area comprising the towns of Warwick, Stanthorpe, Killarney and Allora, plus numerous friendly villages – is well worth an inland sojourn. This amazing high country is home to giant granite formations, gourmet food and award-winning wineries.

AT A GLANCE

Queensland Museum and Sciencentre

07 3153 3000 qm.qld.gov.au

Queensland Gallery of Modern Art

07 3840 7303 qagoma.qld.gov.au

Cobb+Co Museum

07 4659 4900 cobb.qm.qld.gov.au

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers

131 872 tcof.com.au

The Royal Bull’s Head Inn

07 5534 0873 nationaltrustqld.org.au/ visitor-sites/Royal-Bull-sHead-Inn

WIDE BAY-BURNETT, FITZROY & MACKAY

Featuring the lovely Sunshine Coast, World Heritage listed Fraser Island, and a few eclectic coastal cities and towns along the way, the Wide Bay-Burnett, Fitzroy and Mackay regions combine to offer a truckload of attractions en route to North Queensland.

Relax on the Sunshine Coast

Stretching north from the coastal city of Caloundra, near Brisbane, to the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park, the Sunshine Coast is renowned for its beach resorts, surf spots and rural hinterland. Check out Australia Zoo, Sea Life Sunshine Coast Aquarium and Eumundi Markets, as well as the boutique shops and walking trails around upscale Noosa Heads.

Head to Hervey Bay & Fraser Island

First-time visitors to this magnificent section of Australia’s east coast are in for a treat. Spend a day or two in Hervey Bay, a great place to observe humpback whales during the July to November migration season. Or take your Club to remarkable Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world where rainforest rises above sand dunes. Everyone will be dazzled by the clear blue waters of Lake McKenzie,

1. The Maheno Shipwreck is just one of the many sights to see on a visit to Fraser Island

2. The Eumundi Markets are renowned for their fresh produce and locally made artisan treasures

3. In Bundaberg, enjoy a tour and tasting at the town’s eponymous rum distillery

4. Expect the occasional balcony intruder on a stay at Hamilton Island before hopping in a four-wheel drive to cruise the unique beach highway that is 75 Mile Beach. It’s also known for its many shipwrecks, including the famous Maheno. If your group is looking for a place to stay on the island, luxurious yet affordable accommodation awaits at Kingfisher Bay Resort Fraser Island (kingfisherbay.com).

Visit Bundaberg, Rockhampton & Mackay

Make your way north through cattle country, stopping at some well-known cities and feasting on ‘paddock to plate’ meals as you go. Don’t miss the home of Bundaberg Rum, the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, for a distillery tour and tasting experience (bundabergrum.com.au/distillery.html). Inside the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens you’ll find the Hinkler Hall of Aviation, an educational centre dedicated to local long-distance pilot and aviation pioneer, Bert Hinkler (discoverbundaberg.com.au/hinkler-hall-of-aviation).

A three-hour drive north of Bundaberg will take you to Rockhampton, a city straddling the Fitzroy River, right in the heart of cattle country. Several bull statues are situated around town. Members can get a taste of local life between 1850 and 1950, thanks to the recreated cottages, woolsheds and antique cars at Rockhampton Heritage Village (rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/FacilitiesRecreation/ Heritage-Village). When your tour reaches Mackay, the sugar capital of Australia, stretch your legs at Harbour Beach or stroll around the adjacent Mackay Marina Village and Shipyard (mackaymarina.com).

2

NORTH QUEENSLAND

Any adventure through Northern, North West and Far North Queensland is one that stays with you forever. From spectacular national parks and gorges to breathtaking beaches and islands, not to mention warm and welcoming local communities at every turn, your members will be in awe of this world-renowned tourist region. There really is something for everyone here, including cruises, wildlife, rainforests, railways, skyrails, waterfalls, lookouts, markets and more.

Enjoy the Whitsundays, Reef & Hamilton Island

When it comes to exquisite natural beauty, few destinations on the planet rival the wonderful Whitsundays – 74 largely uninhabited islands characterised by rainforest and white sandy beaches – or the world’s largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef, a massive stretch of coral teeming with marine life. And a myriad of island and reef cruises are available.

Take the ferry from Port of Airlie or Shute Harbour to gorgeous Hamilton Island, where the group can relish the unspoilt Whitehaven Beach, check out the sea life at Reefworld, and visit Hamilton Island Wildlife to meet iconic Australian animals and many different marsupials (hamiltonisland.com.au/nature-and-wildlife/wildlifehamilton-island).

AT A GLANCE

Kingfisher Bay Resort Fraser Island

07 3032 2814 kingfisherbay.com

Bundaberg Rum Distillery

07 4348 3443 bundabergrum.com.au/ distillery.html

Hinkler Hall of Aviation

07 4130 4400 discoverbundaberg.com. au/hinkler-hall-of-aviation

Rockhampton Heritage Village

07 4936 8681 rockhamptonregion.qld. gov.au/FacilitiesRecreation /Heritage-Village

Mackay Marina Village and Shipyard

07 4955 6855 mackaymarina.com

Hamilton Island Wildlife

07 4946 8635 hamiltonisland.com.au/ nature-and-wildlife/ wildlife-hamilton-island

Check out Townsville & Magnetic Island

Heading north, visit coastal city Townsville to spend some time at the pier and water park along The Strand esplanade. The Museum of Tropical Queensland (mtq.qm.qld.gov.au) has hundreds of artefacts from the HMS Pandora, which sank off the coast of Cape York in 1791. South-east of the city, the Billabong Sanctuary wildlife park is home to koalas, wombats and crocs (billabongsanctuary.com.au). Boost the itinerary with a short ferry ride to splendid Magnetic Island – a tropical island paradise of palmfringed beaches, large granite boulders and more.

Trade Travel’s (tradetravel.com.au) 10-day, 9-night Whitsundays to the North tour takes in the coastal towns of Mackay, Sarina, Airlie Beach and Townsville, with travellers experiencing amazing gardens, homesteads, sugar mills, cruises, reef sea life and the chance to get closer (but not too close!) to crocodiles.

Explore Cairns, Kuranda, Wet Tropics & Tablelands

Continuing further into tropical Far North Queensland, your Club members will be delighted by the laid-back city of Cairns, a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and tropical Daintree Rainforest.

Embark on a journey over and deep into the Wet Tropics with the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from Cairns to Kuranda (skyrail.com.au). Make a day of it by booking a trip on the Kuranda Scenic Railway and browsing the renowned Kuranda Markets (kuranda.org/markets). For those groups keen to experience more of the rainforest, the enchanting Daintree National Park is only 100km northwest of Cairns. You may also choose to travel the Kennedy Highway to the lush Atherton Tablelands, passing through Ravenshoe, the highest town in Queensland at 920 metres above sea level.

Wander through the North West & Gulf Country

Welcome to Gulf Country, home of the Carpentaria tropical savanna – the world’s largest intact savanna woodlands and native grasslands. Around 570km north of Mount Isa you’ll find Karumba, a quaint coastal town in the Gulf of Carpentaria, at the mouth of the Norman River, and the centre of the region’s impressive prawning industry. After a spot of fishing in Karumba, learn all there is to know about barramundi on a guided tour at the Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre, a hatchery and breeding centre where you can even hand-feed ‘barra’ (barracentre.com.au).

Highlights of the Gulf Savannah include Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park and hidden Cobbold Gorge. Venture through incredible countryside on the Gulflander (gulflander.com.au), a 1950 railmotor also known as the ‘Tin Hare’, or board the Savannahlander (savannahlander. com.au), a classic 1960s ‘silver-bullet’ railmotor, for an unforgettable scenic rail journey.

Your Club can experience all this and more on AAT Kings’ 9-day, 8-night Gulf Savannah Wanderer tour (aatkings.com/tours/gulf-savannah-wanderer).

1. Kuranda is a lovely mountain retreat nestled in the rainforest

2. Unlock the hidden secrets of Cobbold Gorge

3. Get a taste of life in the outback on a visit to Longreach

4. Probians stop for a snap at Birdsville with Outback Aussie Tours

More intrepid groups might head all the way up the peninsula to Australia’s northernmost point, Cape York, a remote outpost where you can take a walking trail to ‘The Tip’ of the country.

CENTRAL WEST & SOUTH WEST

Pack your swags, it’s time to head to Australia’s heartland in outback Queensland. Connect with the country lifestyle throughout the scenic Central West and South West regions, a fusion of red sand hills, fabulous flora and fauna, and fascinating Australian history.

Step back in time at Longreach & Winton

Use Longreach as your outback base for soaking up the history and heritage of a truly unique region. Check out the Longreach Powerhouse Museum and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, a tribute to Australia’s outback heroes featuring an array of traditional artefacts, electronic displays, photographs, films and stories of bush life.

Discover Australia’s aviation history, step inside the cockpit of a Boeing 747, and try your hand at flying a cutting-edge plane simulator at the Qantas Founders Museum. For groups interested in the history of the great Australian company, Qantas, or aviation in general, Outback Aussie Tours give guided tours of the Qantas Founders Museum (outbackaussietours.com.au/ destination/qantas-founders-museum). Or you can visit the Qantas Founders Museum website (qfom.com.au)

Winton has a rich history linked to the Great Shearers’ Strike of 1891, while more recent dinosaur discoveries have attracted new visitors to the region. Among many highlights of Winton is a visit to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, which boasts the world’s biggest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils (australianageofdinosaurs.com).

Outside Winton, the home of Australian bush poetry, you’ll find Dagworth Station, where in 1985 Banjo Paterson wrote the lyrics for the famous ballad, “Waltzing Matilda”. He first played the unofficial national anthem at Winton’s North Gregory Hotel. In fact, Combo Waterhole, on the Diamantina River at Kynuna, is believed by some to be the inspiration for the story of Waltzing Matilda.

Journey across the Southern Outback

Some truly unique Aussie outback experiences await your tour group in the Southern Outback. Journey to the spectacular Channel Country and explore remote outback towns and communities filled with legendary outback characters. Retrace the last days of Burke and Wills – the great expedition to be the first European settlers to cross Australia from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria – discovering majestic desert landscapes like nothing you’ve seen before. Dining under the stars in this part of the world is an opportunity to cherish.

Go beyond Roma and Charleville to the remote towns of Quilpie, Eromanga, Cunnamulla and more. Stop for a refreshing beverage at the famous pub in Birdsville, then stay for the Birdsville Big Red Bash music festival held each year in July (bigredbash.com.au/home), or the annual Birdsville Races held in September (birdsvilleraces.com).

One of the best ways to experience Queensland’s Southern Outback is on Outback Aussie Tours’ Corner Country Explorer, a 14-15 day tour taking your group through towns including Roma, Charleville, Thargomindah, Tibooburra, Innamincka, Birdsville, Windorah and Longreach (outbackaussietours.com.au/ tour/2022-corner-country-explorer). ■

AT A GLANCE

Museum of Tropical Queensland

07 4726 0600 mtq.qm.qld.gov.au

Billabong Sanctuary

07 4778 8344 billabongsanctuary.com.au

Trade Travel 10-day, 9-night Whitsundays to the North tour

1800 034 439 tradetravel.com.au

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

07 4038 5555 skyrail.com.au

Kuranda Markets

kuranda.org/markets

Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre

07 4745 2211 barracentre.com.au

AAT Kings’ 9-day, 8-night Gulf Savannah Wanderer tour

1300 300 911 aatkings.com/tours

Gulflander

1800 577 245 gulflander.com.au

Savannahlander

1800 793 848 savannahlander.com.au

Qantas Founders Museum

07 4658 3737 qfom.com.au

Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum

07 4657 0078 australianageof dinosaurs.com

Birdsville Big Red Bash bigredbash.com.au/home

Outback Aussie Tours

07 4658 3000 outbackaussietours.com.au