Sights in Queensland
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Paronella Park
Mena Creek’s main claim to fame is the unusual Paronella Park, which features the ruins of a Spanish castle hand-built in the 1930s. Floods, fire and moist tropics have rendered these mossy remains almost medieval. Entry includes free camping in the adjacent caravan park and a night tour at 6.20pm and/or 8.30pm.
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Lake McKenzie
Lake McKenzie is a 'perched' lake, formed by water accumulating on top of a thin impermeable layer of decaying twigs and leaves. Here you can exfoliate your skin with the mineral sand and soften your hair in the clear water. Lake McKenzie is possibly the most spectacular of Fraser Island's lakes, but Lake Birrabeen is also amazing, and usually less crowded.
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Lake Birrabeen
Lake Birrabeen is a stunning 'perched' lake, formed by water accumulating on top of a thin impermeable layer of decaying twigs and leaves. A lovely option when Lake McKenzie is too crowded.
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The Pinnacles
These coloured sand cliffs are a photographer's delight.
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Treasury Building
At the western end of the Queen St Mall is the magnificent Italian Renaissance–style Treasury Building. Behind the lavish facade you won't find pin-striped bureaucrats and tax collectors, but rather spruikers and an entirely different kind of money spinner: Brisbane's 24-hour casino.
Opposite the casino across a grassy plaza stands the equally gorgeous former Land Administration Building, which has been converted to the five-star Treasury hotel.
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Lake Wabby
About 4km north of Eurong along the beach is a signposted walking trail to Lake Wabby. An easier route is from the lookout on the inland track. Wabby is surrounded on three sides by eucalypt forest, while the fourth side is a massive sandblow, which is encroaching on the lake at a rate of about 3m a year. The lake is deceptively shallow and diving is dangerous - in the last decade several people have been paralysed by doing so.
You can often find turtles and huge catfish in the eastern corner of the lake under the trees.
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Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
A 35-minute bus ride south of the city centre, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is set in attractive parklands beside the river. It is home to 130 or so koalas, as well as kangaroos, possums and wombats. The koalas are undeniably cute and most visitors readily cough up the $16 to have their picture taken hugging one.
To get here catch bus 430 ($4.70, 43 minutes, hourly), which leaves from the Queen St bus station. Alternatively, Mirimar II cruises to the sanctuary along the Brisbane River from North Quay, next to Victoria Bridge. It departs daily at 10am, returning from Lone Pine at 1.45pm.
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South Bank Parklands
This beautiful smear of green park, skirting the western side of the Brisbane River, is home to cultural attractions, fine eateries, small rainforests, hidden lawns and gorgeous flora. The standout attractions here are Streets Beach, a funky artificial beach resembling a tropical lagoon, and, behind the beach, Stanley Street Plaza, a renovated section of historic Stanley St, with shops, cafes and a tourist information centre.
On the eastern edge of the parklands is the Queensland Maritime Museum, which has a wide-ranging display of maritime adventures (and misadventures) along the coast. It's worth shelling out a little extra to tour the dry dock – the museum highlight is…
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Cairns Foreshore Promenade
The undisputed highlight of the Cairns Foreshore Promenade is the 4800-sq-m saltwater swimming lagoon, a feat in landscape architecture bringing the beach-cum-swimming experience to the heart of the city. Fitness enthusiasts blade, cycle or just walk the 3km Esplanade Walking Trail, and travellers meander lazily up and down the Esplanade, popping into restaurants and shops until the wee hours.
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Sciencentre
Often packed with school kids is the Queensland Museum's very fun Sciencentre, a hands-on science exhibit with interactive displays and optical illusions. Blast out of the blocks and check your speed in the 10m interactive dash or make your own whirlpool at the water world exhibits – it's an educational funhouse.
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Eli Creek
After rainfall this becomes a fast-moving, crystal-clear waterway that will carry you effortlessly downstream. About 2km from Eli Creek is the wreck of the Maheno, a passenger liner that was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935 while being towed to a Japanese scrap yard.
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St John’s Cathedral
East of Roma St Parkland heading towards Fortitude Valley is St John’sCathedral, a fine example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture. The building was recently completed according to its original design, 102 years after construction commenced.
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Billabong Sanctuary
Just 17km south of Townsville, this eco-certified wildlife park offers up-close-and-personal encounters with Australian wildlife – from dingoes to cassowaries – in their natural habitat. There are feedings, shows and talks every half-hour or so. Transfers are available from Townsville with Abacus Tours.
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Castle Hill Walking
If the temperature's right (ie the asphalt's not melting) it's worth scrambling to the top of this striking 286m-high red hill (an isolated pink-granite monolith) for the view. Walk up via the rough 'goat track' (2km oneway) from Hillside Cres. There's also a road (via Gregory St or Stanley St), if you're driving.
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Noosa National Park
You'll find the main entrance to Noosa National Park on Hastings St. The 2km-long park has fine walks, great coastal scenery and a string of popular bays for surfing on the northern side.
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Central Station
In the middle of the island is Central Station, the starting point for numerous walking trails. Signposted tracks head to the beautiful McKenzie, Jennings, Birrabeen and Boomanjin lakes.
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Maheno Wreck
The Maheno was a passenger liner that was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935 while being towed to a Japanese scrap yard and is now a major tourist attraction.
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Bundaberg Arts Centre
In town, the Bundaberg Arts Centre is a small gallery displaying local and travelling exhibitions.
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That's Awesome
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Paronella Park
At Mena Creek, eco-certified Paronella Park is a rambling garden with the enchanting ruins of a Spanish-style castle hand-built in the 1930s. Floods, fire and the moist tropics have rendered these mossy remains almost medieval. Tours, featuring indigenous dancing, run regularly and there's a caravan park attached.
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Brisbane Forest Park Information Centre
North-west of Brisbane lies the D'Aguilar Range, which includes Brisbane Forest Park. Hidden within this 28,500 hectare natural bushland are remote gorges, expanses of subtropical rainforest and scribbly-gum woodland. The birdlife is prolific and Brisbanites come here by the dozen to take advantage of this natural playground. There are numerous walking trails varying in length and degree of difficulty. The Information Centre sits at the park entrance and has information about bush camping (per person/family $5/19) and maps of walking trails, but it does not sell camping permits. If you plan to camp then you must get your permit through the EPA (ph 13 13 04;…
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Hard Times Mine
Coastal Queenslanders will tell you there's only one reason to make the 1200km plus trek to Mt Isa, and it is to visit the Australian tourism award–winning Outback at Isa . Ancient history comes alive at this museum, which is a one-stop educational stop for Queensland's outback history, from pioneering to mining to local cultures. Get kitted out in fair-dinkum mining attire and head lamps at the Hard Times Mine . You descend a purpose-built mine complete with fuming, roaring and rattling machinery. The fascinating Riversleigh Fossil Centre is also here. It features a re-creation of Australia's prehistoric fauna, and actual fossils. The centre also houses the Isa…
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Proserpine River wetlands
A leisurely cruise through saltwater croc country mightn't be everyone's idea of relaxing holiday entertainment, but the Proserpine River wetlands are a unique and often breath-taking ecosystem.
While the Whitsunday islands and coast deservedly claim most people's attention, the littoral wetlands formed by the estuaries of the Proserpine River are also well worth a look. They are home to the feared saltwater crocodile, a living relic from the time of the dinosaurs that inhabits waterways across Southeast Asia and Australia's tropical north. Yes, 'salties' (which can grow beyond five metres and weigh over 750kg) can be extremely dangerous creatures, but companies such as…
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Conway National Park
When you've had your fill of Airlie's maritime diversions, turn inland and explore the forested gullies of the Conway Peninsula.
Spread out over 22,500ha (55,598 acres) of the Conway Peninsula, this stunning swatch of lowland rainforest is traditionally home to the Gia and Ngaro tribes. The landscape of hoop pines, rocky escarpments and lush gullies is identical to that found on the Whitsundays themselves; they were cut off from the peninsula by rising sea levels around 10,000 years ago. While there are a few local inhabitants to be wary of (including scrub mites, red-bellied blacksnakes and (honestly!) stinging trees), and jellyfish make swimming unsafe from October to…
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Springbrook National Park
Springbrook national park is perched atop a 900m (2952ft) high plateau, which, like the rest of the McPherson Range, is a remnant of the huge volcano that once centred on Mt Warning in NSW. The park's vegetation is cool-temperate rainforest and eucalypt forest, with gorges, cliffs, forests and waterfalls, numerous walking tracks and several picnic areas.
The village of Springbrook is balanced right on the edge of the plateau, with several waterfalls (when there's enough rain) that tumble more than 100m (328ft) to the coastal plain below. There are several places where you can get the giddy thrill of leaning right out over the edge, including Purling Brook Falls, at the…
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