Queensland
The Sunshine State claims some of the world’s most magnificent natural environments: ancient tropical rainforests, paradisical islands and beaches, and rugged, red, endless Outback.
Queensland is home to five of Australia’s twelve UNESCO World Heritage natural sites, including the Great Barrier Reef, K’gari (Fraser Island) – the world’s largest sand island – and the Wet Tropics of the Far North.
Then there are Queensland’s urban pleasures, from world-class art and dining in Brisbane to theme parks on the Gold Coast.
Air: Brisbane International Airport serves domestic and international flights. A few international flights also serve the mainly domestic Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cairns airports. Intrastate flights are frequent, affordable and convenient given Queensland’s size.
Bus: Greyhound Australia and Premier Motor Service coaches run between Brisbane and Sydney via the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. Both companies also run a cross-state service between Brisbane and Cairns, with en-route stops including the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton, Mackay, Airlie Beach and Townsville.
Train: NSW TrainLink services connect Brisbane to Sydney. Queensland Rail operates the intrastate train network, including the Spirit of Queensland service between Brisbane and Cairns.
Car: Queensland covers a massive area and driving between destinations within the state can take a lot of time (and petrol). Where distances are great, consider flying and hiring a car once you’re on the ground for exploration.
The Pacific Mwy/Bruce Hwy (M1/A1) follows the Queensland coast, connecting the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast in the southeast to Cairns in the Far North. From the Gold Coast, the M1 continues south into New South Wales towards Sydney. The inland Newell Highway (A39) is the most direct route from southeast Queensland to Melbourne and Adelaide. The Warrego Highway (A2) – which leads to the Landsborough Highway and Barkly Highway – links Brisbane to Darwin.