Do you think you’ve been everywhere in Queensland? Hopefully, you’ll find a few new Queensland holiday destinations to explore on this list!
We always like to explore new places. The international and domestic border closures have pushed us to look for Queensland holiday destinations that we didn’t even know existed or were this good before 2020. We haven’t been to all these places on the list (yet!), but I thought sharing my Queensland holiday destinations wish list would be good to inspire my local friends. Hopefully, you’ll also have places to share with me; please leave a comment below!
The numbers on the list refer to the map at the end of the article and are ordered from south to north.
1. Bargara and Woongarra Coast
I wasn’t particularly excited to spend a week in Bundaberg for work. So I chose to stay in Bargara instead, which is on the Woongarra coast and a 15-minute drive from Bundaberg. And I really enjoyed it! It’s a relaxed beach town with many things to do for nature lovers. It’s right between Mon Repos beach, where you can see turtles nesting and hatchlings in summer, and Barolin Rocks, a nice spot for snorkelling and shore diving.
2. Wop-Pa (Great Keppel Island)
Located halfway between Brisbane and Townsville, Great Keppel Island is known by locals but isn’t particularly famous for outsiders. It’s a great destination if you don’t want to move around too much, as it offers many different types of activities for nature lovers: hiking, snorkelling, kayaking… We spent a week there and didn’t have time to do everything we wanted!
3. The Mackay region
I had been to Mackay a few times on my way to the Whitsundays before deciding to stay longer and explore the Mackay region. We had a fantastic long weekend getaway, from the beach to the forest, from wallabies to platypuses…
4. Cassowary Coast: Hinchinbrook Island and Mission Beach
Hinchinbrook Island is perfect for hiking and/or kayaking addicts. We took a week to kayak around the island and hike to its most famous spots. It was the best way to disconnect from everything and enjoy lush nature.
If you’re not keen on overnight expeditions, you can stick to the mainland and spend time on the Cassowary Coast. From the beach to the forest, there are many things to do in Mission Beach and nearby. And you can visit Hinchinbrook Island on a day trip to Zoe Bay and Zoe Falls.
5. Cobbold Gorge
Queensland is not only about the coast and rainforest. Experiencing the Queensland Outback should be on every local’s bucket list. It surely is on mine. We haven’t explored inland in the north, but I often think about it since I saw beautiful images of people doing stand-up paddleboarding in Cobbold Gorge. It’s supposedly Outback Queensland’s best attraction.
