From the party mecca that is the Gold Coast, to the whale-watching hotspots dotted along the Fraser Coast, Queensland’s vast coastline offers just about anything you could want in a holiday destination.
Sunny Queensland boasts a whopping 6973 kilometres of mainland coastline, with the state’s plethora of picture-perfect tropical islands adding an extra 6374 kilometres of island coastline. It’s therefore safe to say that if you’re looking to explore a coastal paradise this spring, Queensland is the ideal destination. Whether you pick just one area and stay awhile, or you see it all in one big trip, Queensland’s coastal regions are sure to have you coming back for another visit.
Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast
Nestled right on the border of New South Wales and Queensland, Tweed Heads is known as an excellent destination for water-based activities, from snorkelling, kayaking and canoeing, to fishing, surfing and whale watching. You can climb the headland to Fingal Head Lighthouse; learn about local Indigenous history at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre, which adjoins Ukerebagh Nature Reserve; or spot dolphins from Point Danger Lookout, which also offers a great vantage point from which to watch surfers at Duranbah Beach below. If you enjoy a bit more nightlife, then head to the Gold Coast, where you can be part of the bustling cosmopolitan atmosphere at Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach; or relax at one of the groovy oceanfront cafés at Burleigh Heads. If the hustle and bustle is not for you, you can always escape to the rainforests of Mount Tambourine or check out Lamington National Park’s stunning waterfalls.
Sunshine Coast
Located about 100 kilometres north of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast is full of idyllic holiday destinations, and, as the name suggests, it offers superb weather! The Sunshine Coast is also a hotspot for biodiversity, with more than 700 animal species making their home in the region. Almost 30 per cent of animal species in the local area are classed as significant, which means that they are either rare, endangered, endemic, or that the Sunshine Coast forms the boundary of their territory.
Look out for sea turtles, reef fish, dolphins and whales in the region’s coastal waters, while a multitude of birds, koalas, possums, goannas and kangaroos make the rainforests and bushlands home. Paddle in or picnic beside one of the region’s most ecologically important waterways, Pumicestone Passage, stretching 35 kilometres from Caloundra down to Deception Bay, and separating Bribie Island from the mainland. The waterway is a narrow, shallow estuary, taking in a winding maze of channels, sandbanks and islands.
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