Things to do in Queensland
60 places worth stopping for and 24 places to stay on a road trip through Queensland.
See and do
Lake · K'gari
Lake McKenzie (Boorangoora)
A perched freshwater lake with white sand and clear blue water, the classic K'gari swim.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Bundaberg
Mon Repos turtle rookery
Watch loggerhead turtles lay eggs or hatchlings rush to the sea on a ranger-led night walk.
- Lake
Lake · K'gari
Lake Wabby
A green lake wedged against a huge sand dune on K'gari's east coast.
- Beach
Beach · Whitsunday Island
Whitehaven Beach
Seven kilometres of pure white silica sand on Whitsunday Island.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · BoodjamullaHidden gem
Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park
A green oasis in the outback with a gorge you can paddle through.
- Walk
Walk · Noosa Heads
Noosa National Park coastal walk
A coastal track past bays, headlands and koalas, with a swim at Tea Tree Bay.
- Cave
Cave · Undara
Undara Lava Tubes
One of the longest lava tube systems on Earth, visited on ranger-led tours.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Eungella
Broken River platypus viewing
One of the most reliable places in Australia to see wild platypus.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · InghamHidden gem
Wallaman Falls
Australia's tallest permanent single-drop waterfall, plunging 268 metres.
- Walk
Walk · Carnarvon Gorge
Carnarvon Gorge
A sandstone gorge with ferny side creeks, Aboriginal rock art and long cool walks.
Waterfall · Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge
A creek drops through a hole in a rock arch into a cave, glowing with worms after dark.
- Activity
Activity · Lamington National Park
O'Reilly's Tree Top Walk
A canopy walk on suspension bridges high among the rainforest trees of Lamington.
- Walk
Walk · Glass House MountainsHidden gem
Mount Ngungun
A short, steep climb to a bare summit among the Glass House peaks.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · K'gari
Eli Creek
A clear creek on the beach with a boardwalk and a lazy float to the sea.
- Lake
Lake · K'gariHidden gem
Lake Birrabeen
A quiet white-sand freshwater lake near Lake McKenzie, with far fewer visitors.
- Cave
Cave · ChillagoeHidden gem
Chillagoe Caves
Limestone caves in an outback mining town, with guided tours and rock art.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Springbrook
Purling Brook Falls
A 109m ribbon of water seen from a lookout, with a walk down to the pool at its base.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Currumbin ValleyHidden gem
Currumbin Rock Pools
Local favourite creek swimming spot and natural slide in the Currumbin Valley.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Mount Barney National ParkHidden gem
Lower Portals, Mount Barney
A bush walk to a string of swimming pools in a granite creek below Mount Barney.
Walk · Moogerah PeaksHidden gem
Mount Greville
A steep scrub-and-rock summit climb with views across Lake Moogerah and the Scenic Rim.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Montville
Kondalilla Falls
A 90m waterfall with a swimming rock pool above it and a rainforest circuit.
- History
History · K'gari
SS Maheno wreck
The rusting hull of a 1905 liner beached on the east coast of K'gari.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · K'gari
Champagne Pools
Rock pools by the northern headlands that fill with foam as waves break over them.
- Walk
Walk · Bunya Mountains
Bunya Mountains
A high plateau of ancient bunya pines, rainforest walks and friendly wallabies.
- Walk
Walk · Girraween National Park
Granite Arch walk, Girraween
Walk to a giant granite arch among balancing boulders.
- Walk
Walk · Sundown National ParkHidden gem
Red Rock Gorge, Sundown
A remote gorge of red cliffs and waterfalls in Sundown National Park.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Kuranda
Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail
A heritage railway and a gondola over rainforest to a hill-top village.
Museum · Longreach
Qantas Founders Museum
The airline's birthplace, with a hangar, old planes and wing-walking tours.
- History
History · Double Island Point
Double Island Point Lighthouse
A lighthouse on a wild headland at the south end of Fraser Coast with whales passing in season.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Cape Hillsborough
Cape Hillsborough wallabies and kangaroos
Wild kangaroos and wallabies feed on the beach at sunrise.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · TinarooHidden gem
Danbulla Forest Drive
A gravel forest road along Lake Tinaroo with swimming spots and free-ish camps.
- Walk
Walk · Mossman
Mossman Gorge
A crystal-clear rainforest river with swimming and walking tracks, guided by Kuku Yalanji.
History · WintonHidden gem
Lark Quarry dinosaur trackways
Fossil footprints from a stampede of dinosaurs, 95 million years old.
- Walk
Walk · HughendenHidden gem
Porcupine Gorge
Queensland's Little Grand Canyon, with a sandstone pyramid and a creek.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Finch HattonHidden gem
Finch Hatton Gorge
A rainforest creek walk to Araluen Cascades and a deep swimming pool.
- Walk
Walk · Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island Forts Walk
A short walk to WWII forts and a good chance of wild koalas.
- Beach
Beach · Mission Beach
Mission Beach
Long palm-backed beach with rainforest behind and a chance of seeing a cassowary.
- History
History · Mena Creek
Paronella Park
A Spanish-style castle ruin in the rainforest, built by one man for his love of gardens.
Swimming hole · Bartle Frere
Josephine Falls
Natural rock slides and a cool pool at the foot of Queensland's highest mountain.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Millaa Millaa
Millaa Millaa Falls
The classic Tablelands waterfall, a perfect curtain over a swimming pool.
- Lake
Lake · Yungaburra
Lake Eacham
A deep blue volcanic crater lake you can swim in.
- Beach
Beach · Cape Tribulation
Cape Tribulation Beach
Where the rainforest meets the reef, with a beach lined by jungle.
- History
History · LauraHidden gem
Quinkan rock art, Laura
Ancient Aboriginal rock art sites set in sandstone cliffs.
- Museum
Museum · Winton
Australian Age of Dinosaurs
Fossil lab and museum on a mesa, with the biggest dinosaur collection in the country.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Whitsunday Island
Hill Inlet lookout
Swirling sand and turquoise water at the top of Whitsunday Island.
- Activity
Activity · Charleville
Cosmos Centre Charleville
Night-sky tours with a telescope in one of the darkest parts of the country.
Walk · MalenyHidden gem
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve
Subtropical rainforest walks with a view across the Glass House Mountains.
- Lake
Lake · Boreen PointHidden gem
Lake Cootharaba
A shallow, windswept lake on the edge of Cooloola, good for sailing and kayaking.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Crows NestHidden gem
Crows Nest Falls
A waterfall that plunges into a granite gorge, with a bush campground at its rim.
- Winery
Winery · Ballandean
Ballandean Estate Wines
Queensland's oldest operating winery on the Granite Belt, with a cellar door and cafe.
- Beach
Beach · ByfieldHidden gem
Byfield National Park and Nine Mile Beach
Empty beaches, sand blows and rainforest creeks north of Yeppoon, mostly 4WD.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Spicers GapHidden gem
Governors Chair Lookout
A hilltop lookout over the Fassifern valley on the old Spicers Gap road.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Killarney
Queen Mary Falls
A 40m waterfall near Killarney with a rim walk and a track down to the pool.
- Walk
Walk · Coolum Beach
Mount Coolum
A quick summit hike for a coastal view over Coolum, Noosa and the Sunshine Coast.
Viewpoint · Toowoomba
Picnic Point
A lookout over the Lockyer Valley from the edge of the Great Dividing Range.
- Beach
Beach · InnisfailHidden gem
Etty Bay
A small beach where wild cassowaries sometimes stroll across the sand.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · YungaburraHidden gem
Yungaburra platypus viewing
A small platform over a creek, good for platypus at dusk.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Tamborine Mountain
Cedar Creek Falls
A rock pool beneath a creek fall on Tamborine Mountain, reached by a short walk.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Rainbow Beach
Carlo Sand Blow
A huge moving sand dune with views over Wide Bay and Tin Can Bay.
- Walk
Walk · Girraween National Park
The Pyramid, Girraween
A granite dome summit with views over the park.
Food stops
- Pub
Pub · Birdsville
Birdsville Hotel
Heritage-listed pub at the end of the Birdsville Track and a stop before the Simpson Desert.
Bakery · Birdsville
Birdsville Bakery
Outback bakery serving pies and coffee at the end of the Birdsville Track.
Pub · Nindigully
Nindigully Pub
Historic Moonie River pub with camping and an annual pig race.
Market · Eumundi
Eumundi Markets
A big Wednesday and Saturday market in a country village with handmade goods and food.
- Pub
Pub · Boreen PointHidden gem
Apollonian Hotel, Boreen Point
A historic lakeside pub on Lake Cootharaba with a beer garden and relaxed meals.
Café · Yungaburra
Lake Barrine Teahouse
Devonshire tea beside a crater lake, with giant kauri trees outside.
- Ice cream
Ice cream · Cow Bay
Daintree Ice Cream Company
Ice cream made from fruit grown on the same property, with unusual flavours.
- Pub
Pub · HelenvaleHidden gem
Lion's Den Hotel
A tin-roofed bush pub famous for its graffitied walls and live music.
- Farm shop
Farm shop · Millaa Millaa
Mungalli Creek Dairy
Biodynamic dairy with a cafe for cheese, yoghurt and a paddock view.
Pub · NoccundraHidden gem
Noccundra Hotel
Heritage sandstone pub, the only occupied building in an outback town of three.
Farm shop · KenilworthHidden gem
Kenilworth Country Foods
A cheese, ice cream and country-food stop in the Mary Valley.
- Market
Market · Cairns
Rusty's Markets
Fruit, veg, seafood and street food at Cairns' long-running weekend market.
Places to stay
- Campground
Campground · Cape Hillsborough
Smalleys Beach campground, Cape Hillsborough
Camp behind a beach where kangaroos and wallabies feed at sunrise, near Mackay.
- Campground
Campground · Carnarvon National Park
Carnarvon Gorge camping area
Camp at the start of a sandstone gorge with rock art and moss gardens in central Queensland.
- Campground
Campground · Conondale National ParkHidden gem
Booloumba Creek camping
Creek-side bush camping in Conondale NP, 4WD only.
- Campground
Campground · Sundown National ParkHidden gem
Broadwater camping area, Sundown
Riverside camping at the edge of remote Sundown National Park.
- Campground
Campground · CooloolaHidden gem
Harry's Hut camping, Upper Noosa River
Paddle-in or 4WD camping along the Noosa River in Cooloola.
- Campground
Campground · Cape Tribulation
Noah Beach campground
Rainforest camping right on a secluded beach in Daintree National Park.
- Campground
Campground · BoodjamullaHidden gem
Boodjamulla campground
Camp inside the park beside the Lawn Hill oasis.
- Glamping
Glamping · Undara
Undara Experience carriages and campground
Sleep in restored railway carriages or camp near the lava tubes.
- Campground
Campground · Finch HattonHidden gem
Platypus Bushcamp, Finch Hatton Gorge
Eco bush camp with cabins and tent sites beside a rainforest creek and swimming holes.
- Campground
Campground · Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National ParkHidden gem
Chilli Beach campground, Iron Range
Remote Cape York beach camp with coconut palms and a long empty shore.
- Campground
Campground · Eungella National Park
Broken River campground, Eungella
Bush camp in rainforest above Mackay, with wild platypus in the river at dusk.
- Campground
Campground · Bunya Mountains National Park
Dandabah campground, Bunya Mountains
Rainforest-edged camp at 1,100 metres, with parrots and wallabies at the picnic ground.
- Campground
Campground · Lamington National Park
Binna Burra Campsite, Lamington
Rainforest camp at the end of a mountain road in the Gold Coast hinterland.
- Glamping
Glamping · Undara Volcanic National Park
Undara Experience
Camp or sleep in railway carriages near one of the world's longest lava tubes.
- Campground
Campground · Conondale National ParkHidden gem
Charlie Moreland campground
A big, easy-access bush campground in Conondale National Park near Kenilworth.
- Campground
Campground · AmamoorHidden gem
Amamoor Creek camping
Camping beside Amamoor Creek in a state forest where platypus are spotted.
- Campground
Campground · Crows NestHidden gem
Crows Nest Falls bush camping
Small bush campground by the falls with pit toilets and fire barbecues.
- Campground
Campground · Main Range National ParkHidden gem
Spicers Gap camping area
A bush camping area beside the old Spicers Gap road.
- Campground
Campground · Great Sandy National ParkHidden gem
Freshwater campground, Cooloola
Bush camping among the dunes between Rainbow Beach and Teewah.
- Campground
Campground · K'gariHidden gem
Lake Boomanjin camping, K'gari
Camping beside a tea-stained lake in the south of K'gari.
- Campground
Campground · Imbil
Lake Borumba camping
Lakeside camping and boating at Lake Borumba, inland from Imbil.
- Campground
Campground · Girraween National Park
Castle Rock camping area, Girraween
An open, grassy campground for caravans and camper trailers in Girraween.
- Campground
Campground · Girraween National Park
Bald Rock Creek camping, Girraween
Tent and camper-trailer camping beside a creek in Girraween.
- Campground
Campground · Bunya Mountains
Dandabah campground, Bunya Mountains
Camping among the bunya pines, with wallabies hopping through the sites.
Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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