"A state full of contrast! " a State of Queensland Travel Page by JustinJansen

I travelled twice in the state of Queensland! Once before during and after the milleniun change. And once during few eeks in oktober/november 2002.

Basically I travelled twice the same stretch, between Brisbane and Cairns, but had some additions on both visits to other regions.

The state has an enormous contrast bewteen the barren landscape around Camonweal and Mt Isa to lush green forst on the East coast!

AREA: 1,723,936 sq. km., POPULATION: 2,625,000
CAPITAL: Brisbane (1,200,000)
Queensland enjoys the self-appointed name of the 'Sunshine State', much of which is deserved for its semi-tropical weather, thousands of kilometres of beaches, and easy going life-style.
It may well be called the 'diverse' state, due to the variety of landscape and climate which it constitutes.
In the north the tropical region has rain-forests, gorges, islands, and massive rivers which cut access to many places after rains. Being tropical it is also cyclonic and the extremes of weather can be experienced.
In the south, the climate is more moderate with cooler nights and clearer days. The state is divided east-west by the Great Dividing Range which closely follows the coastline. West of the range the 'Outback' is cattle country with sparse vegetation and in the more remote areas nights will be below zero in winter and days can reach 50ı in summer.
Many of these regions are criss-crossed by a network of rivers including the Diamantina and Cooper Creek which can flash flood after rains many kilometres away and isolate the lonely stations of the outback.
The state is rich in primary industry with copper and lead mines at Mount Isa, opals, gold and precious metals around the state, bananas, mangos and pineapples along the coast. peanuts at Kingaroy, and all types of vegetables and fruits. A wine industry is being established in the south near the border.
Queensland also contains several of Australia's best known and visited tourist attractions in the Gold Coast, and the Great Barrier Reef. In the far north Cape York Peninsula and the Daintree Forest and gaining increasing popularity, and the islands off the coast in the reef are popular holiday destinations for millions each year.
Queensland is high on the list of places to visit for international travellers and there is an International Airport at Cairns in the north and Brisbane in the south. A railway follows the coast between Brisbane and Cairns.

This is Australias State wit the most endemics and the most species to get grips on them in Australia. There are 21 endemincs, and there are at least 70+ species easier to see in this state than else in Australia. Endemics are Buff-breasted Button Quail, Golden Shouldered Parrot, Lesser Sooty Owl, Australian Swiftlet, Totth-billed Catbirds, Golden Bowerbird, Lovely Fairywren, Ferwren, Atherton Scrubwren, Mountain Tornbill, White-streaked Honeyeater, Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Bridled Honeyeater, Eungella Honeyeater, Yellow Honeyeater, Macleayıs Honeyeater, Grey-headed Robin, Bowerıs Shrike Trush, Chowchilla, Pied Monarch and Victoriaıs Riflebird.