"Exotic Queensland - raw, diverse, & beautiful!!!" State of Queensland by GlobalMatt

There are many, many things to do in Queensland. The dominating theme is the great outdoors. Every imaginable outdoor activity beckons you. There's the rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, Aboriginal villages, wonderful wildlife habitats, & much, much more. Here's a shot of the mighty Barron Falls in the rainforest near Kuranda.

The Queensland coastline is gorgeous!! - 2006

If you've ever driven the 101 in Northern California, you will find parts of Queensland to be very similar. Dramatic cliffs and backdrops into the ocean abound along Q'land's coastline...especially between Cairns up to the Mossman/Daintree regions. If you ever visit this area, I would highly recommend renting a vehicle to explore on your own. There are so many wonderful sights and destinations to explore.

Visiting Cairns Night Zoo - May, 2006

Aside from the rainforest & the Great Barrier Reef, I found the many different wildlife habitats to be extremely impressive. It's absolutely fantastic what the dedicated Aussies do for their native animals. I had the privelege of visiting Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, The Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, & the Cairns Night Zoo. The encounters you experience with these magnificent creatures will provide you many wonderful memories. Check out more of my region-specific pages for more detailed info on some of these places.

• Pros:Immense topographical diversity, scenery, wildlife
• Cons:Very humid...bring bug spray...can be a bit pricy
• In a nutshell:Not just the Great Barrier Reef!!!!