Queensland attractions

One of Australia’s biggest marine parks, Sea World Gold Coast is home to dolphins, rays, sharks, polar bears, and seals. The family attraction has thrilling rides, educational exhibits, and daily live shows, and it’s also involved in marine life rescue and rehabilitation efforts along the Gold Coast.

Central Station is one of the most picturesque attractions on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island. Originally a culturally important site for Indigenous Butchulla women, Central Station saw a forestry camp established in the mid-20th century. Now visitors come here to learn about the island’s flora and fauna.

The Agincourt Reefs are part of the larger Great Barrier Reef, sitting toward the northern end of the reef system and at its outer edge. Off the coast of Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation in Northern Queensland, the Agincourt Reefs are popular with divers, and there are around 16 different dive sites.

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has devoted itself to wildlife conservation since 1927 and is of the best places to spot native Australian fauna. The sanctuary is among the oldest and largest of its kind in the country, with more than 130 resident koalas, plus kangaroos, wombats, emus, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, and platypi.

Infinity is an immersive multimedia experience that engages all of the senses. Experience its surreal atmosphere as you walk through maze-like environments of special effects and illusions. Sound fields, lights, music, and visual trickery challenge the mind and may ignite your imagination when navigating this Surfers Paradise funhouse.

The beating heart of Scenic Rim town Tamborine Mountain, Gallery Walk boasts more than 60 arts and crafts shops, galleries, boutiques, and candy stores. Highlights include the Tamborine Mountain Distillery, the airy Gallery Café, and eco-friendly and alternative stores.

The Strand is Townsville’s 1.3-mile (2.2-kilometer beach, stretching from Kissing Point Fortification in the north to Breakwater Marina in the south. As well as clean golden sands and the warm sea, visitors can enjoy fishing, kids’ playgrounds, open-air pools, a waterpark, dining with a view, walking along the promenade, and more.

With its sandy shores fringed by verdant bushlands, rocky headlands, and turquoise ocean, 75 Mile Beach is the star attraction of Fraser Island. Stretching 75 miles (121 kilometers along the eastern shore of the island, the natural wonder is also an official highway—the 75 Mile Beach Road—as well as an airplane landing strip.

The colored sand cliffs known as the Pinnacles are a spectacular site on the east coast of Fraser Island and are one of the reasons why the island has a UNESCO World Heritage listing. Formed over hundreds of thousands of years as minerals leached through the sand, experts have identified 72 different colors in the Pinnacles, mostly reds and oranges.

The Town of 1770 was renamed in 1970 to commemorate the 200-year anniversary of James Cook and his crew landing in Australia. Today, travelers flock to this destination on Queensland’s Discovery Coast in the Joseph Banks Environmental Park to enjoy its proximity to the Coral Sea, Bustard Bay, and Agnes Water.

The largest of Noosa’s six lakes—about 6 miles (10 kilometers) long—Lake Cootharaba sits on the southern cusp of the Noosa Everglades and the Great Sandy National Park. A popular vacation spot, the lake offers bushwalking trails, water sports, and other activities centered around the water.

Queensland’s Barron Gorge National Park extends from the town of Lake Placid, and the surrounding lowlands, all the way to the high Atherton Tableland. The area—which is full of beautiful forests, waterfalls, gorges, and wildlife—is easily accessible from the city of Cairns and is one of the most popular outdoor areas in the region.

Streets Beach is a favorite with locals and visitors alike–located in the heart of Brisbane’s South Bank neighborhood, the outdoor swimming lagoon overlooks the Brisbane River and the sparkling skyscrapers. The artificial beach comes to life in the summer as families picnic in the shade and cool off from the Australian sun.

Between the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay, south of the Great Barrier Reef, is Fraser Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Queensland’s most popular beach getaways. Stretching 76 miles (122 kilometers) long, it’s the largest sand island in the world, covered with beaches, sweeping dunes, and dense rain forest.

Set minutes from the Gold Coast beaches, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the best places in Queensland to see native Australian animals. Founded in 1947, the sanctuary encompasses 27 hectares (66 acres) of rain forest; its resident fauna includes kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and rainbow lorikeets.

Arguably Queensland’s most popular dinner shower, Dracula’s Cabaret on the bustling Gold Coast is an evening of sexy, scary, and spectacular burlesque theater and comedy. The adventure begins the moment you enter the soaring, Gothic style castle, where gargoyles peer down from six stories up and fruit bats circle overhead. Ride the ghost train into the theater and prepare for a scare at each turn, before perusing a menu of ghoulish cocktails and settling in for the show. The entertaining wait staff, or “Draculettes,” keep the humor flowing throughout dinner, and set the stage for a wild evening of scary and sexual comedy. Aside from the vaudeville cabaret and intricate, detailed costumes, the visual effects are out of this world and are accompanied by live, fast-paced music that will have you on the edge of your seat. Add in death-defying aerial performers and mind-bending optical illusions, and Dracula’s Cabaret is an unforgettable evening of fun on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

With its powder-white silica sands, gleaming turquoise waters, and fringe of lush rainforest, it’s little surprise that Whitehaven is one of Australia’s most photographed beaches. Stretching for almost 3 miles (5 kilometers) along the coast of Whitsunday Island, it’s a magnificent sight and an idyllic spot for swimming and snorkelling.

Winding through ancient rainforests, dramatic gorges, and the UNESCO-listed landscapes of Queensland’s tropical north, Kuranda Scenic Railway is a top Australia train journey. The route runs 23 miles (37 kilometers) from Cairns to Kuranda. It passes through 15 tunnels and across 37 bridges and affords views of Barron Gorge National Park.

This spectacular national park, covering an area of some 15 square miles (40 square kilometers), beckons visitors away from the surf and sunshine of Noosa Heads, offering miles of coastal walking trails, secluded beaches, a rugged coastline, and the chance to spot dolphins to one side and koalas to the other.

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures introduces visitors to Australia’s most famous reptiles (and other native species) through an informative and educational day out. Visitors can observe crocs on a cruise through a lagoon mimicking the creatures’ natural habitat and learn how crocodiles are sustainably farmed.

Under the sun-baked soil of Queensland’s outback is a labyrinth of caves waiting to be discovered. The Chillagoe-Mungana Caves, a national park, were created 400 million years ago deep underground. Hike the scenic trails that follow routes overground among high limestone cliffs and wander into the cave network to find Aboriginal art.

Soaring through the treetops of Barron Gorge National Park, the 4.7-mile-long (7.5-kilometer) Skyrail Rainforest Cableway offers an unforgettable outdoor experience. Glide over North Queensland’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed tropical rain forest and enjoy unbeatable aerial views over its forests, gorges, and waterfalls.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, is home to more than 100 freshwater lakes, of which Lake Wabby is the deepest. This small lake is surrounded by forest and deep sand dunes, making it one of Fraser Island’s most picturesque lakes—not to mention that its water is a striking green color.

When it comes to wildlife, the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia got greedy. More than half the continent’s plant species, a third of its mammals and birds, and more than 200 rare and endangered species are packed into an area totaling less than 1% of Australia. Discover their biodiversity in more than 50 UNESCO-protected national parks, forests, and reserves.

Queensland’s Paronella Park is the result of José Paronella’s dream of building a Spanish-style castle. The spacious grounds beside the Mena Creek Falls include the castle building as well as lush tropical rainforest, tennis courts, a suspension bridge (along with other bridges), and a tunnel. Opened to the public in 1935, Paronella Park is a local favorite and has won multiple awards—including eco-tourism awards.

Offering welcome relief from the sweltering temperatures of Queensland’s tropical north, the sweeping plateaus of the Atherton Tablelands lie within easy day-trip distance of Cairns. Covering an area of 20,000 square miles (32,000 square kilometers), the lush landscapes also provide scenic terrain for bush walking and bird-watching.

Located along the eastern edge of Fraser Island on the popular Seventy Five Mile Beach, Indian Head was named by the famous Captain Cook upon his arrival in 1770. Visitors flock to this popular landmark for its incredible 360-degree views of the island, the ocean and some of the country’s most exotic wildlife.Indian Head is one of only three rocky outcrops on the island, and while camping is not allowed here, the area’s towering peaks attract plenty of travelers. On clear days visitors can look out across some 75 miles of beach and may even spot whales, sharks, dolphins and sea turtles from atop Indian Head.

The Sunshine Coast’s famous The Original Eumundi Markets rank among the biggest arts and crafts markets in Australia. With more than 300 stalls including everything from fashion designers and jewelry makers to local art galleries and interior designers, from artisan foods to homemade beauty products—there’s something to suit all tastes and budgets.

Part of Queensland’s Great Sandy National Park, Double Island Point is a beautiful forested headland topped with a lighthouse and adorned with a long white sand spit. There’s no road, so you can reach it by driving along the beach in a 4WD vehicle. You can also hike, mountain bike, or see it from the water on a fishing trip.

The Rainforestation Nature Park is 100 acres (40.5 hectares) of pristine UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest in Kuranda, just half an hour’s drive from Cairns. Here, visitors can get up close to native Australian animals as trained wildlife keepers lead guests along boardwalks where they can experience uninterrupted views of crocodiles, dingoes, wombats, snakes, kangaroos, and wallabies, as well as learn about Aboriginal culture and traditions.