Queensland Top Things To Do

Dive in
Live your waterbaby dream: from surfing (try Surfers Paradise, the Sunshine Coast, and Bribie, Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands) to sailing round the islands and canoeing and sea-kayaking around the Great Barrier Reef, or simply lazing on a perfect tropical beach.

Bushwalk and tree climb
Bushwalk around the cooler southern regions: Lamington National Park has a well-maintained, graded track system in the McPherson Range, which features tall rainforests, waterfalls and gorges. Or take a walk on the Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway in Wooroonooran National Park.

Skyrail adventures
The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway (www.skyrail.com.au) just outside Cairns spans nearly 8km (5 miles) of rainforest, allowing you 90 minutes of canopy cruising with stops at Red Peak, Barron Falls and Kuranda stations.

Adventure sports
Seize the moment in the adventure sports capital of Australia: you can practise paragliding and parasailing all along the coast; abseiling is possible in Lamington and Carnarvon National Parks; the Sunshine Coast and Mount Tamborine are the main destinations for hang gliding.

Wintermoon Festival
This four-day music extravaganza is held over the long weekend in April/May and promises a unique experience in the foothills of Eungella National Park, watching a wonderful programme of music, dancing, song and verse (www.wintermoonfestival.com).

Fraser Island
Motor over to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world and 4-wheel drive to your heart's content. The dense tropical rainforests, gorges and freshwater lakes shelter a diverse ecology. You can often spot whales, sharks, dolphins and turtles offshore.

Theme parks
Unleash your inner child and visit a fun (or tacky, depending on your disposition) theme park, such as Sea World (http://seaworld.myfun.com.au), Movie World (http://movieworld.myfun.com.au), Dreamworld (www.dreamworld.com.au) or WhiteWater World (www.whitewaterworld.com.au), all situated along the Gold Coast.

Great Barrier Reef
Learn to dive and experience the subterranean splendour of the Great Barrier Reef (www.dive-queensland.com.au), with visibility often as deep as 60m (200ft). Heron and Lady Elliot Islands are coral cays renowned as the best diving spots on the reef.

Gold Coast
Party hard on the yellow sand along the Gold Coast (www.verygoldcoast.com.au). Surfers Paradise is a Miami-style high-rise strip overlooking a crowded beach. Zoom into the Gold Coast hinterland, one of Queensland's best wilderness areas.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.