Queensland is one of the most popular travel destinations in Australia for international visitors, who come to see the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, beach hop on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast or discover vibrant, sunny Brisbane.

From luxury island breaks in the Whitsundays to country road trips through Southern QLD Country & the Outback, there’s something for everyone here. With one of the warmest and sunniest climates in Australia, the state is famous for year-round sunshine and beautiful winters. The sunshine state is perfect for visiting year-round.

I grew up in Brisbane and have spent countless weekends and holidays all over the state, but am still discovering beautiful new places to explore.

I acknowledge the First Nations owners of the lands now recognised as Queensland. I pay respect to their Elders, lores, customs and creation spirits. I recognise that these lands have always been places of great natural beauty, culture and community. 

When is the best time to visit Queensland?

Queensland is warm and sunny, year-round. Keep in mind that the tropics (Cairns, Townsville & the Whitsundays) don’t have four traditional seasons, but instead have the wet & dry seasons. The wet season runs from November-March, and can bring tropical storms and occasionally cyclones. The dry season runs from April-October, and this is the most popular time to visit as it’s still very warm. I visited in November, and it did rain a couple of times, but none of the storms lasted very long – we still had lots of beautiful weather.

Brisbane, the Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast are sub-tropical, so while you’ll see some summer storms, particularly in January, there’s no bad time to visit. However, be prepared for some serious heat & humidity from October-March!

Queensland’s best islands & beaches

Queensland has dozens of beautiful islands and hundreds of white, sandy beaches, and visiting at least one is an essential part of any trip to Queensland. Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays has been named the most beautiful beach in the world, but there are plenty of gorgeous beaches down south on the Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast. Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island, and you can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef straight from the beach at Green Island and Fitzroy Island, to name just a few.

How long do you need to visit Queensland?

Queensland is enormous. It’s 7x bigger than the UK and more than twice the size of Texas! You won’t be able to see it all in one visit, but if you’re visiting for the first time, a week is a great start. If you’re on a time crunch, you could give each region you’re planning to visit 2-3 days and still see lots of amazing things in each place.

If you’re an international traveller, I’d recommend spending 2-3 days in Brisbane, 2-3 days on the Gold Coast and flying to Cairns to spend 3 days in the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region.

Getting there & away

If you’re visiting from overseas, you’ll likely fly in & out of Brisbane, however the Gold Coast airport & Cairns airport do receive a handful of international flights from southeast Asia, i.e. from Singapore and Tokyo. If you could fly via Singapore into Cairns, you could start in the north and work your way down to Brisbane or the Gold Coast in the south, and fly home from there.

If you’re arriving elsewhere in Australia first, it is easy to get flights to Cairns, Brisbane or the Gold Coast from any major Australian city.

The best things to eat & drink in Queensland

Queensland seafood

Queensland’s menus are littered with prized local seafood, like Moreton Bay Bugs, Hervey Bay Scallops, Mooloolaba Prawns and tasty Spanner Crabs. You’ll find these easily at restaurants all over the state, particularly in cities and towns along the coast.

Macadamias

Like white gold, these beautiful, buttery white nuts are endemic to southeast Queensland.  Pick them up at a grocery store to eat them on their own, or look out for them worked into the dessert menu at a restaurant.

Lamingtons

Named after Lord Lamington, the eighth Governor of Queensland, Lamingtons are an Australian afternoon tea icon. You can pick some up at any self-respecting bakery.

Bundaberg Rum

Brewed in the regional town of Bundaberg, “Bundy” as it’s known is a dark rum, born in 1888 as a way to put the region’s sugarcane fields to better use than just baking cakes. I’ve never been to Bundaberg, but if you’re there (perhaps to see turtles hatch at Mon Repo), you can visit the distillery & make your own rum. Bundy is popular as “Bundy & coke”, one of the world’s first mixed drinks to be sold, or “Dark & Stormy” which is a pre-mixed drink of Bundy & ginger beer. Bundy is most at home at the local pub, bowls club or backyard BBQs.

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