Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

6
Queensland & the
Great Barrier Reef
by Lee Mylne
With a landscape three times the size
of Texas and a population that hugs
the coast but embraces the Outback,
Queensland is a treasure trove of stunning
scenery, fantastic yarns, and
eccentric personalities. Its most famous
attraction is the Great Barrier Reef . . .
hardly the only thing worth seeing.
Great beaches, tropical weather, and
the mystique of the Outback make
“where to go” one of the most difficult
decisions for visitors.
White sandy beaches grace almost
the entire coast, and just offshore are a
string of the beautiful islands and
coral atolls. At the southern end, just
north of the New South Wales border,
travelers head for the Gold Coast
beaches and theme parks. In the
north, from Townsville to Cape York,
the rainforest teems with unique flora
and fauna.
The fertile coastal fringe and tropical
climate is perfect for cultivating
such fruits as bananas and pineapples
and the warm, wet coastline hosts
enough sugar cane fields that the area
produces a significant amount of the
world’s sugar.
Brisbane is the state’s amenable capital
(see chapter 5). Less than an hour’s
drive south is the Gold Coast “glitter
strip,” with its 35km (22 miles) of surf
and sandy beaches. To the north of
Brisbane lies the Sunshine Coast—
more white beaches, crystal-clear
waters, and rolling green mountains
dotted with villages.
Further north is the Fraser Coast
and South Burnett. Maryborough
will fascinate history buffs, with its
original Queenslander homes and
reminders of yesteryear. The majestic
pines of the Bunya Mountains provide
a lush backdrop for the South Burnett
Valley, an area rich in history, agriculture,
wineries and country towns.
No one should miss the stunning
wild beauty of the largest sand island
in the world, World Heritage–listed
Fraser Island. Each year from August
to October, humpback whales come
to frolic in the sheltered waters
between Fraser Island and Hervey Bay.
Inland, the gold, peanut, beef,
wine, and emu country offers another
insight into Queensland country life.
Inland are rich farming areas and the
gemfield towns of Sapphire, Emerald,
Rubyvale, and Anakie, which attract
modern day miners keen to seek their
fortune—beautiful gems can still be
unearthed by lucky fossickers.
The Town of 1770 marks the spot
where Captain James Cook and his
crew came ashore from the Endeavour
in 1770. The clear waters and pristine
coastline have changed little since
then. Nearby Gladstone boasts many
industries as well as a large yachting
marina and good seafood restaurants.
Gladstone is the gateway to Heron
Island, an idyllic coral cay, where you’ll
find a turtle rookery and other wildlife.
Around Rockhampton, the beef
capital of Australia, more than three