 
Covering
an area of about 1,700,000 square kilometres, or six
times the size of the United Kingdom, and boasting a
population of over 1,400,000, Queensland lies above the
Tropic of Capricorn and is affectionately known as the
“Sunshine State”.
Within it’s borders are the Great Barrier Reef,
numerous resort islands, endless kilometres of golden
sandy beaches, national park forests, vast plains, lush
rainforests, forested mountains and massive wilderness
areas for safari touring.
Brisbane,
the economic hub and state capital of Queensland, lies
on the Brisbane River and has a year round subtropical
climate.
It is the cultural centre of the state which
offers many attractions, and is also the gateway to
providing easy access to adjacent coastal resorts.
The
famous Gold Coast region lies just south of Brisbane,
and it comprises of 42 kilometres of white surfing
beaches.
Theme Parks,
casinos, hotels and restaurants have a strong
presence on the Gold Coast and it boasts year round
sunshine.
Inland from here lies the lush green mountains
and rainforests of the Lamington National Park.
Cairns
is the major gateway to the far north.
As well as the Barrier Reef, there are the
rainforests of the Atherton Tablelands, The Daintree and
the Cape Tribulation National Park.
The charming rainforest village of Kuranda and
the resort town of Port Douglas attract many visitors
and the wilderness area of Cape York Peninsula is the
harsh, untamed area of Queensland.
The
World Heritage Listed area of the Great Barrier Reef is
one of the world’s great natural wonders.
It stretches for 2000 kilometres along the coast
and there is unique plant and animal life to found in
the warm clear waters, with visibility often as deep as
60 metres.
It is here, that dotted along the coast are 25
island resorts that lay on or between the Barrier Reef
and the mainland.
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