Great Itineraries

Great Itineraries

If You Have 3 Days

Fly into Cairns and take a boat out to one of the reef islands for a day, then head up to Cape Tribulation for the next two days to take in the sights and sounds of the rain forest. If you'd rather have a Miami Beach-style trip, fly into Brisbane and head straight for the glitzy Gold Coast, overnighting in Surfers Paradise. You could end the spree with a final night and day in Lamington National Park for its subtropical wilderness and birdlife.

If You Have 5 Days

Spend three days on shore and two days on the reef. Stay the first night in Brisbane, then head up the Sunshine Coast for a hike up one of the Glass House Mountains on the way to Noosa Heads. Apart from beach and surf time, take in the Sunshine Coast's monument to kitsch, the Big Pineapple, and indulge in one of their famous ice-cream sundaes. Then make your way back to Brisbane for a flight to Cairns and either a boat to the reef or a drive to the rain forest north of Cairns, where you can cruise wild rivers, listen to the jungle, relax on the beach, and look into the maw of a crocodile.

If You Have 7 or More Days

Unless you're keen on seeing everything, limit yourself to a couple of areas, such as Brisbane, its surrounding Sunshine and Gold coasts, and the rain forests north from Cairns, and take three to four days in each -- Queensland's warm climate is conducive to slowing down. Extended stays will also allow you to take a four-wheel-drive trip all the way to the top of Cape York Peninsula from Cairns, go for bushwalking expeditions in national parks, spend a few days on a live-aboard dive boat exploring islands and reefs north of Cairns, trek inland to the ancient Undara lava tubes, take the Matilda Highway through the Outback, or just lie back and bask in the heat.