seamuspie

Im currently booked to go to Airlie Beach in February but have taken a month off work and would like to visit a few places in Queensland. What do you think are the best places to visit other than Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays.

Any tips would greatly appreciated.

Bokhara2

Hi & welcome to Fodors!

Queensland is a big State, as you probably know if you’re a local. By the way, it’s helpful if you include your town/city/State/Country of residence in your profile.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/simoncrerar...vO#.ouYMybw567

Without knowing anything about your interests, & other things like whether you would rent a car to get around, whether you’re looking for a coastal or inland experience, it’s really difficult to make any meaningful suggestions.

I’d suggest you have a look at Visit Queensland, the Destination tags &FAQs here - and come back with some information that will help us to help you plan a great holiday.

February is just about the hottest time you could be in Queensland - and in the far north, it may also be wet/ subject to cyclones. Keep your eye on the weather at Australia's official weather forecasts & weather radar - Bureau of Meteorology.
That’s not to deter you, just to make you aware of the need for flexibility.

if you are not an Australian resident, you will need an ETA/Visa. Get it now, if you don’t already have one.

That’s a start. Hope it’s useful look forward to seeing some more information so we can help you start planning.

tasmangirl

It will be VERY HOT. Where are you from? We live in NZ but as DH has family in Brisbane we go over there often. We went in Jan last year and it was very hot so don't plan high energy activities and hang around the pool a lot.
I love Port Douglas and Cairns but I would not go there in February. The Sunshine Coast is nice if you are 'older' and Noosa is a very lovely beach. Head to the Gold Coast if you are young and like the bars and nightlife.
Seriously I would consider changing the holiday dates and go later in the year. It's okay inside with AC but outside I turned into a hot sweaty mess in seconds and felt like showering and changing my clothes several times a day! Depends if you are used to it or not.

seamuspie

Many thanks for your tips, Im from London uk originally and i have the visa organised. I will add those details to my profile & thanks for the heads up about it being hot I should have probably looked at the weather prior to booking my flights

In regards to my interests i love anything on the water but would also like to see some inland places too. I guess going by the coast though is probably the better option with the heat etc.

I will take a look at visit Queensland too. Im currently booked to go to Whitehvanen beach through this company I found on google but other than that i have no other travel arrangements.

I will check out

Bokhara2

Good idea. Have a look at what’s available, where & come back when you have some thoughts in what you’d like to see & do,

KayF

It really depends on your age and interests. The Gold Coast is popular but I think more suited to people in their teens/20's and families. There are a few theme parks, like MovieWorld, SeaWorld, etc as well as the beaches obviously. Lots to do there. We prefer the Sunshine Coast which is quieter and not as built up. Places you could look into are Noosa, Maroochyodre, Mooloolaba.

The further north you go, the more humid it will be so you might want to factor that in. Also if you haven't already, check distances on Google maps as it will take you a while to get from place to place. As mentioned above, Queensland is a big state. Where do you fly in and out of?

One other thing, the Australian sun can burn you more quickly than in other countries, so wear a hat and lots of sunscreen, also a t-shirt if you are snorkelling will save your back.

Have a great time.
Kay

seamuspie

Ok so have done a little research and this is what my Itinerary as

Arrive in Brisbane on Feb 23th flying up to Proserpine the same day and head to airlie beach
3 nights of relaxing in Airlie to help get over the jet lag
Booked on ocean rafting to Whitehaven beach through this company Sailing Whitsundays Australia
following day a tour to the great barrier reef on Reefworld
Hire a car in Airlie beach and drive to Harvey Bay and spend 6 days there and Fraser island - anyone have any accommodation tips on Fraser?
Drive to Noosa and spend 3 days
Someone told me Eumundi markets are worth a visit?
then 4 days in brisbane and day or two on Moreton island
drive to goldcoast found accommodation in kingscliff-is this any good?
Then to byron bay for a week
then head back up to brisbane for my flight home

Any other tips on places to stop along the way would be great- really excited for my trip and really appreciate the help from everyone

Thanks

Seamus

marg

Kingscliff is very nice, very quiet but it's not the Gold Coast, at least 30 minutes drive away from Surfers Paradise. It would be much better to find accommodation at Broadbeach or Burleigh Heads where you can walk to restaurants, shops etc. I guess it depends on whether you want a quiet relaxing stay or prefer a busy environment with lots to do.
Eumundi market is great and if you love books, walk across the road to the amazing book shop in the main shopping strip. There is usually a market at Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads on Sundays.

KayF

Your plan looks pretty good. Have you checked if there is a one way drop off fee for the car hire? Not much you can do about it if there is one, other than shop around for the best deal. There is loads of accommodation in Hervey Bay, we have stayed a couple of times in a self contained cabin at the Discovery Parks caravan park in Torquay. If you prefer a motel or apartment, there is lots of choice along this strip, opposite the beach. Lots of places to eat along there too.

For Fraser Island, the resort I see advertised a lot is Kingfisher Bay but there are others. I've done a one day tour over to the island a couple of times and they are great. The bus picks you up from your accommodation in Hervey Bay and drops you back. There is a barge out to the island and the tour of the island is interesting. Because it's a sand island there are no bitumen roads so you need a 4WD if you are going by yourself. Six days there seems a lot, think about taking a day from here and adding it to Noosa. There is a lot to see and do on the Sunshine Coast if you have time, Noosa is popular but not a favourite of ours. Also don't forget to factor in driving time between places, the roads can be slow, with only one lane each direction sometimes and you can get stuck behind slow moving traffic.

I agree that accommodation at Burleigh Heads would be much better than Kingscliff, unless you just want to chill. Kingscliff is in NSW, the Gold Coast is over the border in Queensland. You can tell you've crossed the border almost instantly by the lack of glitz in NSW. In Brisbane, the CityHopper is a free ferry that goes between the city, Southbank and New Farm, takes about 40 mins one way, with impressive views. There are other ferries too that you pay for. Southbank is good for swimming, there is a huge free lagoon, also loads of places to eat and lovely paths by the river. The Botanical Gardens in the city are lovely for a walk. Eat Streets Market is popular, all open-air food and entertainment, but not on every day. It's easily reached by CityCat (catamarans). You can also climb the Story Bridge if you join a group, or walk over the lower section on the walkway for free.

Have a great time.
Kay

northie

You definitely need a 4 wheel drive on Fraser Island - the roads are deeply rutted . I wouldn't drive there myself. I would use the 4 wd bus from Noosa to do a trip there . Swimming in the lake there is magical.

alexandra772

Enjoy Moreton island, book a day tour if you can
I love Currumbin Wildlife park, cheap and you get to cuddle a Koala.

Have a great trip!

farrermog

Don't worry, it was a local, not a tourist -

Python surprises teen sitting on toilet, wraps around his leg and tries to bite him - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

and here's what happens to the smaller ones -

Video shows kookaburra feasting on snake in backyard, bashing its head against the wall - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Bokhara2

That is so funny, Farremog. I’d just finished feeding the 4 regular kookaburras on my deck when I read the ABC article. They usually have left over cat food from a teaspoon, but the cat cleaned his plate today, so I had to find them something else. Best I could do was to cut some raw chicken into thin strips ... which, of course, they proceeded to “kill” as they devoured it.

Between the kookas, Maggie’s, butcherbirrds & currawongs, it’d be a brave / lucky snake who stayed for long in my yard

marie_nieves

Queensland has many areas of natural beauty, including the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, home to many of the state's most popular beaches. There’s the Bunya Mountains and the Great Dividing Range, with numerous lookouts, waterfalls and picnic areas; Carnarvon Gorge; Whitsunday Islands; and Hinchinbrook Island. The state contains six World Heritage-listed preservation areas: Australian Fossil Mammal Sites at Riversleigh in the Gulf Country, Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, Fraser Island, Great Barrier Reef, Lamington National Park and the Wet Tropics of Queensland.

If you have a little explorer inside, like I do, then Capricorn Caves are the place to visit. The caves are located north of Rockhampton, in Central Queensland.

If you are staying in Cairns - don’t miss the opportunity to go for a hot-air balloon tour over Far North Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands. Or start from Brisbane and fly over Hinterland. You can take a day trip to Kuranda from Cairns by cableway. Helicopter rides above Great Barrier Reef are also available.

Happy Travels!

farrermog

And keep an eye on your slippers -

Snake mistakes man's slipper for food, undergoes surgery to have it removed - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

georgefowell

Wow, great information about Australia. Now I got the idea about where to visit and where not too.

farrermog

And secure your Nutella -

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...in-nutella-jar

brandarobinson

Queensland is a big state and there are lot of attractions. Airlie Beach is a small coastal part of the country but the best thing is it a doorway to the Whitsundays island which is a attractive tourist destination. Other places like Gold coast and Magnetic island i know. You can see lot of greenry and wildlife you can visit magnetic island and the rest of the Places lies in the Cities which we are familiar with.

farrermog

"The family said the attack was a reminder of the dangers that come with living in Australia and that we all needed to be aware of the threat snakes could pose."

Good advice, but imagine trying to 'keep calm and completely still' ! -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...sland/10722876

(and not a tourist in sight!)

Bokhara2

The epitome of “Keep calm & carry on”, Farremog