The name says it all – sunshine state. The Australian holiday region stretches along the east coast from Cairns to just past Brisbane. There you have the Great Barrier Reef and in the outback the Outback, with areas rich in gold and emeralds.

We travel the Australian continent from south to north, from Sydney to north of Cooktown. At the same time we reach into the area of ​​the Aborigines. After touring New South Wales, we come to the Queensland area.
Australia – Map of Queensland
The hinterland of Brisbane on the southern border is called Darling Downs. Here are behind the Great Dividing Range the most fertile soils in Australia. The biggest places are Ipswich and Warwick.

Winton and Longreach are cities that stand for the Australian for the Outback. The first settlers and Waltzing Matilda and the Quantas as the first Australian airline have their origin here. Longreach is the true home of the Quantas and is also home to Stockmen’s Hall of Fame, Australia’s best-known museum. It shows the history of the colonization of the Australian continent and is indeed worth seeing.

Brisbane has always been a popular city. Once it was considered a retreat for retirees, who liked the warm climate, now it is the third largest city in Australia. Brisbane has also done a lot for it. This is where the 1982 Commonwealth Games and Expo 88 took place. Brisbane is characterized by the Brisbane River and many viewpoints from which you can see the city and the river with its bridges. Also from the City Hall you have a nice overview. However, this is now surrounded by skyscrapers. Another attraction is the Queen Street Mall. Here are hundreds of shops. Several buildings have been awarded by the National Trust (Monument Protection Office). These include the Old Government House, Mansions and Harris Terrace. And one of Brisbane’s first buildings, the Old Windmill and Observatory. In addition to several museums, there is an interesting Hands on Science Museum.

Noosa and all the other villages along this beach are very well known and loved by surfers. In addition, many residents of Brisbane come here on the weekends. In the hinterland of the sunshine coast are the “Glass House Mountains”. They invite to extended hikes and climbing tours. Just off the mouth of the Brisbane River lies the Bay of 365 Islands. Apart from the two large islands “Moreton Island” and “North Stradbroke Island”, there are numerous smaller islands worth seeing. The 35 km long region between NSW and Brisbane is referred to as the “Gold Coast”. This is a very important and popular holiday paradise in Australia. The offer of recreational activities, such as surfing and many theme parks (WB Movie World, Sea World, etc.) are almost inexhaustible. The most famous capital is Surfers Paradise.

Ravenshoe is a small nest that is worth seeing. Here are the Milla Milla Falls, the Zillie Falls and the Ellinjaa Falls. From Ravenshoe a road leads to Mt. Garnet, a small sleepy village. There you can let your dreams run wild and with a little luck find semi-precious stones and gold.

The Atherton Tableland is located in the hinterland of Cairns. It stretches from Kuranda in the north down to Ravenshoe in the south. As far as the eye can see you can see one of the greenest areas of Queensland, with light rolling hills and great waterfalls and lakes. The region is economically influenced by agriculture. In addition, there are many gems, gold and other valuable natural resources, which are mined in open-pit mining. With a bit of luck you can try gold diggers and maybe find a crystal or even some nuggets.

When we traveled to Australia, Cairns was still a small town, insignificant and unimportant. But when it was recognized by the Japanese and Australians, especially in recent years, as a true holiday paradise, the tourism boom began. Today it is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia. Being close to both the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical Cape Tribulation, the region has not earned the reputation of being a popular vacation oasis. Among the guests you will find everything, from backpackers to businessmen.

Many tourists come to Cairns to drive at least once to the reef. The offer ranges from short trips for snorkeling or diving to multi-day turns out to the outer reef. Everyone will find what they are looking for and if it is just a ride to one of the beautiful islands off the reef.

The Cape York is the northeasternmost point of Australia. There are no paved roads, only a very bad development road and you can drive along the telegraph line. None of these routes is easy to drive. Actually, you need a 4WD and a lot of experience in off-road driving. Nevertheless, we dare this route with our RV (not allowed by the RV owner, we drive at your own risk and risk) and almost reach the top of Cape York. Here we are already in the Aboriginal Territory (reserve), where normally white people have no more business. We are totally on our side in this godforsaken area.