There’s magic in the middle
Big adventures, breathtaking scenery and friendly locals await in the Sunshine State
WITH the Gold Coast in the south and the tropical delights of Cairns and the Daintree in the Far North, Queensland is bookended by two internationally popular tourist playgrounds. But between them lie a treasure trove of other stories, big adventures, breathtaking scenery, friendly locals and space to breathe in the delights of spring.
Middle Queensland – the tantalising stretch of unspoilt territory from the Sunshine Coast to Townsville – contains a library of unique experiences guaranteed to help you shake off the pandemic blues.
Even places you think you might know well, such as the Sunshine Coast, are still full of surprises.
With the weather warming up and nature showing off its best colours, the Sunshine Coast is laced with walking trails and national parks where visitors can take in all of spring’s vibrancy.
The region is already well known for its food, with a thriving restaurant and cafe scene from Mooloolaba to Maleny and Noosa’s famous Hastings St of course.
But it is also a hotspot for lovers of craft beer and artisan distillers. In fact, the Eumundi Brewery is one of the forerunners of Australia’s craft beer culture, brewing its famous lager on site at the town’s pub since 1988.
Not all the best attractions are on the land in this part of the world. The Sunshine Coast is a renowned scuba-diving hub, and just offshore lies one of the world’s best dive sites, the HMAS Brisbane. The scuttled warship is a must-see if you like your scenery to be under the waves.
One of the compelling features of Middle Queensland is the merging of wildly different landscapes.
Further north around Gladstone, things start to change. The surf gives way to calmer, warmer waters shielded by the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef.
There’s still a wave to be found at Agnes Water, but there’s so much more to see and do in this region that you’ll struggle to find the time to go for a surf.
The historic Town of 1770 is home to the award-winning Larc tours, a much-loved experience where visitors explore the remote beaches and inlets north to Bustard Head and its formidable lighthouse in a pink amphibious vehicle.
One of the reef’s greatest attractions, Lady Musgrave Island, is within easy reach of 1770 and nearby Bundaberg. A coral lagoon paradise, it hosts magnificent snorkelling and opportunities to observe nature both on sand and sea. Take it all in on a day trip or stay overnight at the new Lady Musgrave HQ pontoon opening at the end of this month.
Active kids big and small will love Gladstone’s new Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail. The 32km Dawes Range section, from Barimoon Siding to Builyan Sidings, opens this weekend. The trail, open to hikers, bike and horse riders, passes through six tunnels and offers stunning mountain views.
About 450km north of Gladstone is Mackay, another one of those hidden gems of Middle Queensland. Visitors to this part of the state understandably flock to the gorgeous islands of the Whitsundays a couple of hours drive north of Mackay, but there is plenty to see and do in the city dubbed the sugar capital of Australia.
Speaking of sugar, be sure to visit the Sarina Sugar Shed for a fascinating insight into how the cane crop shaped the region’s history and see how sugar is made.
While Mackay has its own island attractions, notably Keswick and Victor, this is a place where nature really shines.
In the hinterland, Eungella National Park is known as the best spot in Australia to see platypus in the wild. And the sunrise at Cape Hillsborough is breathtaking. This is in part due to the unusual habit of the local kangaroos and wallabies gathering on the beach to greet the sun.
Queensland’s second biggest city, Townsville, is about five hours’ drive north of Mackay and once again presents a changed mix of landscapes.
Here the Outback meets the reef, with dry tropics savanna shaking hands with
lush forests and a thriving modern city. Townsville is renowned for its love of sport, and spring is action-packed with international rugby and professional bull-riding leading the way.
Apart from easy access to the reef and another world-class scuba site, the wreck of the Yongala, Townsville is lucky to have the amazing Magnetic Island as one of its suburbs. And just to the west are the incredible goldfield relics at Ravenswood, harking back to a time when Charters Towers was the gold capital of Australia.