Best places in Queensland

I have been asked the question "What are the best places in Queensland?" Well, tourism is not my specialty and I could not possibly do the topic justice. I am happy to give a brief overview about Queensland, but then I would rather elaborate a bit more on my own favourite place which is Cairns in the Far North, my chosen place to stay for the rest of my life.

Hopefully, it will be enough to tickle your curiosity and lurking desire for some adventure. Check out http://www.visit-queensland.com/ (Tourism Queensland), or www.queenslandholidays.com.au, or google your own. Get the whole picture of what Queensland has to offer, it is certainly worth the effort! I have also added some great photos provided for free download by Tourism Queensland to promote our beautiful state.

Queensland is covering the north-eastern corner of Australia. It has lots of special and very different landscapes and attractions to offer, so what the best places are really depends on the visitor's preference. For information on all the places below and more, go to www.queenslandholidays.com.au.

There is something for every taste, for example

• Brisbane, the capital city
  
• Endless stretches of gorgeous coast line featuring countless beaches to hang out or catch a boat to the magnificent Great Barrier Reef
• Theme parks, motor car races and great shopping at the Gold Coast
• Lush rainforests and swampy areas full of wildlife up the Far Northern end
• Vast national parks
• Impressive rock formations, and last but not least
• Dusty desert landscapes in the outback.

Now don't tell me there isn't something you want to know more about. Go find it and start planning your next holiday!

Cairns! What can I say about Cairns. Nothing negative, that's for sure. For me it was love at first sight when my new husband and I touched down and set foot on Cairns ground for the first time during our honeymoon in 1990. Coming from icy-cold Switzerland, the temperature felt like a warm embrace. I breathed in the mellow, fragrant air and was instantly lost. Adding to this initial soul-pleasing experience, on the way from the airport to the hotel the taxi driver kept on gushing about what a wonderful place Cairns was. He came from abroad himself and got stuck in Cairns after traveling the world far and wide. That evening, my husband and I walked along the Cairns Esplanade, watched the birds, the stars and the moon, and felt so utterly at home that the plan practically hatched itself.

Four years later, we arrived to stay for good (or at least for a very long time). My other half was ready to go back to where we came from a few times when the business side of things wouldn't work out as planned, but I stood my ground and wouldn't budge. He eventually made a fundamental career change, turned his life-long passion for music into a job, and everyone is happy. Our two children are lucky to grow up in a place where they can walk or ride to the beach whenever they please, have lots of affordable opportunities to develop their artistic talents, feel safe around the neighbourhood, don't ever have to wear winter clothes, and are surrounded by nature's wonders everywhere.

Not convinced yet? Okay, I'll tell you more about what Cairns offers to visitors (visit www.cairns.com.au). First of all, there are many things to enjoy that don't cost anything (apart from a few dollars for a bus fare or so). For example, the numerous Northern Beaches (Machans Beach, Holloways Beach, Yorkey's Knob, Trinity Park, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Ellis Beach) are all gorgeous and offer different styles from somewhat hippy-like to local-casual to more tourist-oriented to elegant and opulent. Again, there is something for every taste. Every beach features council-operated gas barbeques that are free to use and are cleaned on a regular basis. There is nothing more relaxing than a peaceful beach breakfast, lunch or dinner.

In addition, the Esplanade Lagoon in Cairns city is most inviting and offers free swimming, showers and toilets, frequent free entertainment, and, of course, again lots of barbeques (www.cairnsesplanade.com.au). The free entertainment features exciting events and places where aspiring as well as established artists can showcase their talents. For more information on entertainment and events in the area go to www.entertainment.cairns.com.

For those who prefer to to stay in the shade, why not visit the beautiful Cairns Botanic Gardens (www.botanicfriendscairns.com.au), the rainforest boardwalk to the centenary lakes, the blue or red arrow walk, or the Tanks Art Centre for some tropical artistic inspiration (www.tanksartcentre.com). Be sure to visit the Tjapukai Cultural Park (www.tjapukai.com.au) for an excellent display of Indigenous Australian culture, including a movie and stage theater, food demonstrations, and boomerang and spear throwing.

To cool down in the simmering summer heat, there are several locations offering swimming in the rainforest, for example the Crystal Cascades or the Babinda Boulders (see photo). Now, while these are absolutely beautiful, they can also be somewhat dangerous and have claimed lives and caused injury in the past, so make sure to do the right thing, read the signs, and be safe.

Of course, animal lovers will be delighted to check out the numerous opportunities to see our magnificent native Australian wildlife species. There are several places around Cairns to stroke a koala and cuddle a crocodile (or was it the other way round?). For a list, go to www.cairnsattractions.com.au/cairns-family-wildlife-parks.php. One of our favourites is Kuranda Bird World (see picture below).

And while in Kuranda (www.kuranda.org), which is located up the range about 25km from Cairns, it is a must to explore the rest of this charming gem of a place, for example the market with its awesome relaxed atmosphere, or the beautiful walking tracks and the Barron Falls lookout. Do not miss it!!! You can get up there gliding over the rainforest on the magnificent Skyrail cableway (www.skyrail.com.au) and/or with the scenic Kuranda railway (www.ksr.com.au) that boasts the most beautiful railway station in the world (see pictures below).

Okay, folks, this is it for now. I'm sure I left out a great many things that should have been included. Feel free to leave comments and add your own favourite places.

I do hope this inspires large numbers of people to come and visit Queensland, and especially Cairns, the most beautiful place in the world (at least in my humble opinion).

See you soon,

Yvonne