Helpful Travel Information - Queensland

Queensland has the "great Australian lifestyle" Sun, sand and surf on the coast, a warm tropical climate and the vast Aussie outback in the west. With a massive 1.7 million square kilometres to explore there's outback cattle stations, cosmopolitan cities, world heritage tropical rainforests, country pubs and thousands of kilometres of coastline.

A hugely popular holiday destination, QLD is home to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef - the largest coral reef in the world. It's easy to understand why so many backpackers make the pilgrimage up the east coast of QLD and love it.

SAFARI PETE'S 'DON'T MISS' LIST

Diving in the Great Barrier Reef:

One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef is spectacular and has 400 types of coral and 1500 species of fish. Don your togs, grab a snorkel (or even better, learn to dive) and explore this amazing incomparable underwater world.

Cruising the Whitsundays:

Fancy yourself lazing onboard a maxi yacht in the sun, stopping off at some of the most beautiful beaches you'll ever see?? Head to the Whitsunday Islands - you won't regret it.

Fraser Island:

A world heritage listed site, the pure natural beauty of Fraser Island is up there with the big ones - Uluru, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef. Made entirely of sand, the sand blows (large drifting dunes) are magnificent as is the dense forest.

Cape Tribulation:

Cape Tribulation has some of the most beautiful country in the world. It's famous for its long stretch of beaches and being the only place in the world where two world heritage areas meet (Cape Tribulation and the Great Barrier Reef).

SAFARI PETE'S QUICK FACTS

Size:

1 727 200 sq km.

Telephone Area Code:

Time:

GMT plus 10 hours. Queensland operates on Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Population:

3 670 500

Capital City:

The capital city of QLD is Brisbane with population of 1.6 million.

Climate:

Queensland is invariably fine and sunny - its catch cry 'beautiful one day, perfect the next' isn't too far wrong. In the south, summer is humid and hot (mid 30's) and winter is mild (low 20's). Two thirds of the state (above Rockhampton) is in the tropics and summer is wet and hot (high 30's) while winter is hot and dry (25 to low 30's).

GETTING ABOUT

Getting to QLD

Train/Coach: All interstate and regional buses and trains arrive at the Roma St Transit Centre in Brisbane (the Transit Centre is only 600 metres from the Brisbane YHA). The major bus companies arrive in Brisbane from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Cairns as well as towns up and down the Queensland coast.
Plane: Both domestic and international flights arrive into Brisbane. The separate international airport (16km from the CBD) is a busy arrival and departure point for flights to New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, North America and Asia. The Domestic Airport (18km from the CBD) has services to southern capitals and major Queensland destinations. The new Airtrain provides a rail link from the airport to Roma St (taking 20 minutes) and the YHA is just a short stroll away. Cairns and Townsville also have busy airports.

Getting around QLD

Keep in mind that QLD is massive! There are numerous options for getting around this huge state ranging from driving yourself to catching buses or trains. McCaffertys offer a good value Aussie Pass and Queensland Rail's Traveltrain services link Brisbane with destinations throughout the state. Citytrain connects Brisbane with the Gold Coast.

EVENTS IN QUEENSLAND

January:

Cockroach Races: Held every Australia Day at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. 26 January.

April:

Brisbane International Comedy Festival: Laugh yourself silly watching some of the best local and international comedians.

June:

Brisbane Music Festival: Brisbane's biennial music festival is held in June 2003.

July:

Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF): Brisbane's premier film festival (BIFF) is held for 12 days each July.

August:

Brisbane River Festival: River jazz, river feasts, river concerts, river cruises, river walks - a celebration of all things river! www.riverfestival.com.au.
EKKA: The Royal National Agricultural Show (or the 'EKKA') is held at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds in mid-August.
Hervey Bay Blessing of the Fleet: The start of the whale watching season is celebrated early August at Urangan Marina, Hervey Bay.
Isa Rodeo: One of the biggest rodeos in the world - bareback bronco riding, bull riding, steer wrestling and rodeo clowns. Held early August. www.isarodeo.com.au

September

Brisbane Arts Festival: Brisbane's major festival of the arts is held over two weeks mid September.

October

Livid: The alternative rock festival Livid has awesome Australian and international bands playing on different stages throughout the day.
Indy: The Indy Car Race burns up the asphalt at the Gold Coast.