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Queensland

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Hill Inlet estuary and rainforest in Queensland.

©Matt Munro/Lonely Planet

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Overview

Queensland is Australia's take on paradise. Warm, laidback and heartbreakingly beautiful, its sweep of pristine beaches, luxuriant jungle and ethereal peaks conjure a southern Shangri-La.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Aerial view over Hill Inlet at Whitsunday Island with the world renowned Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday's, Queensland

    Whitehaven Beach

    The Whitsundays

    One of of Australia's most photogenic and hyped beaches, Whitehaven is a pristine 4.3 mile-long (7km) stretch of blinding sand (at 98% pure silica, some…

  • Anzac Memorial, Rockhampton Botanic Gardens, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

    Botanic Gardens

    Rockhampton

    These Heritage-listed gardens, begun in 1873, are a beautiful escape from often-sweltering Rockhampton, with tropical and subtropical rainforest,…

  • Queensland, Australia - December 2019: Tourists inside a cavern explore the ecosystem of the Capricorn Caves. Photography difficult due to very low light.

    Capricorn Caves

    Rockhampton

    Riddling the Berserker Range some 24km north of Rockhampton, this vast cave complex is one of the Capricorn Coast's foremost attractions. Technically not…

  • South Bank Parklands

    South Bank Parklands

    Brisbane

    Should you sunbake on a sandy beach, saunter through a rainforest, or eye-up a Nepalese peace pagoda? You can do all three in this 17.5-hectare park…

  • Cairns, Australia - July 8, 2017: Zhanjiang Chinese Friendship Pavilion at Cairns Botanic Gardens

    Cairns Botanic Gardens

    Cairns

    These gorgeous gardens are an explosion of greenery and rainforest plants. Highlights include a section devoted to Aboriginal plant use, the Gondwana…

  • People by the pool at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon with the fish sculptures in the background in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

    Cairns Esplanade, Boardwalk & Lagoon

    Cairns

    Sunseekers and fun-lovers flock to Cairns Esplanade's spectacular swimming lagoon on the city’s reclaimed foreshore. The artificial, sandy-edged, 4800-sq…

  • Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia - December 27, 2017. Exterior view of Dreamtime aboriginal cultural centre in Rockhampton, QLD, with vegetation.

    Dreamtime Cultural Centre

    Rockhampton

    The stories of the local Darumbal people and Torres Straits islanders are well-conveyed here. Self-guide through exhibits such as 'The Vanishing Culture…

  • Queensland Cultural Centre

    Brisbane

    On South Bank, just over Victoria Bridge from the CBD, the Queensland Cultural Centre is the epicentre of Brisbane’s cultural confluence. Surrounded by…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

From sampling wine from cellar doors to hiking through national parks, here are the top things to do in southeast Queensland’s stunning Scenic Rim.

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