QUEENSLAND is where Australians go for their holidays. Which is hardly surprising, as it is hard to beat a combination of hot tropics and warm water, seaside resorts, a great array of islands and the infinite wonder of the Great Barrier Reef.
Indeed, the Sunshine State offers such a variety of holiday experiences that if you want a spell in the sun, Queensland is very likely to have exactly what you are seeking.
Although it is sometimes overlooked in the rush to the beach and islands, Brisbane is a good place to start a Queensland holiday. It is Australia's only subtropical city, so it is always warm and rarely too hot. Evidence of that is the number of city businessmen you see in tailored shorts.
This is a great city to discover on foot and the Brisbane heritage trail shows how well its beautiful old buildings sit among the modern. In keeping with its climate, Brisbane has its share of relaxed outdoor riverside cafes plus the leisure complex of South Bank.
For a break from the city, it is not much more than an hour's drive to Moreton Island - home to a family of dolphins that approach the shore during the early evening to be hand-fed by visitors.
Another excursion option is to experience four-wheel driving on the world's largest sand island. Fraser Island is only four hours from Brisbane and is no mere sandcastle - the island is 125km long and 15km wide. In addition to enormous sand dunes there are huge rainforests within which you will find freshwater lakes.
The 200 species of birds here include sea eagles and ospreys, peregrine falcons and jabirus.
It is a quick run to the coast from Brisbane but the question is: which area to aim for? Travel southeast and you are in the Gold Coast, Australia's most developed coastal strip and the nation's most popular destination.
The Gold Coast is a seemingly endless strip of sand bordered by hotels, bars, restaurants, theme parks and cafes. Out on the streets it seems as if life is in perpetual party mode.
Alternatively, set off to the north and you will soon be on the Sunshine Coast, centred around Noosa Heads. Two decades ago Noosa was a quiet fishing village with a large population of surfers who had discovered the brilliant point break here. They were followed by rich Australians seeking the perfect seaside escape. Now Noosa has its own style of cuisine, houses are expensive and the river and surf still attract anglers and surfers.
Either beach destination would be the perfect place to learn how to surf. You will develop skills in that most Australian of activities under the guidance of expert instructors.
Most of the Queensland coast does not have surf because it is protected from the Pacific breakers by the Great Barrier Reef - more than 1,600km long and one of the world's greatest natural marvels. You can either stay at an island resort or visit the reef on day trips.
Whichever way you see it, the reef is beautiful. From the air it forms myriad patterns across the blue of the sea; through a diving mask you can watch tiny octopus make their way across an intricate coral garden. Whether you use the reef as the impetus to learn to dive or snorkel, or simply view from glass-bottomed boat or cruise ship, it is an absolute highlight of Australia.
Interspersed along it are many resorts that seem as infinitely variable as the reef itself. For some you need only pack a T-shirt and shorts while others are opulent enough to warrant a collared shirt. Several are well suited to singles who want to party till dawn; others are geared to families or themed as romantic getaways for couples.
The greatest concentration of islands is the Whitsunday group of 74. Ten of these have resorts but the Whitsundays are also the perfect place to charter a sailing boat and cruise throughout the whole maze of islands.
And just because there is no surf does not mean there is no beach. Indeed, Whitehaven beach, on the southeastern corner of Whitsunday island, is a 6km stretch of pure white silica sand that has frequently been voted the world's best beach. It is the perfect vision of a tropical paradise.
The city of Cairns, in Queensland's tropical north, is the state's adventure capital. From white water rafting on the Tully or Johnstone rivers and cycling the Atherton Tablelands to every conceivable water sport, including sailing, diving, snorkelling, sea kayaking and cruising, Cairns can provide it all.
It is also the stepping-off point for more substantial adventures - such as a four-wheel drive tour to Cape York. Only a few hours' drive north of Cairns lies Cape Tribulation, a world heritage site with an incredibly rich ecology within the green confines of its rainforest.
Beyond the beach, Queensland also has vast outback. Whether you explore the patterns of mangroves in the Gulf country, visit the birthplace of Qantas or the Stockman's Hall of Fame (both in Longreach), you will see a very different side of Queensland. Some may say that the outback is the real Queensland but this is a state that is much more than the sum of its parts.
David McGonigal
Sunday Times
