Ever visited “Little Italy” in Queensland?
Yes, you read that right. The warm and friendly town “Ingham” affectionately named “Little Italy” is a cultural treasure trove in Australia’s very own Sunshine State. The cosy spot offers the richest and most authentic taste of Italian food from delis, gelato, espresso, and more, particularly around the annual Italian festival.
Bursting with endearing surprises like these, Queensland, a beach lover’s wonderland in Australia is one of those places where the more you explore, the more magic is unveiled.
It is no secret that the place houses one of the biggest natural landmarks in the world – the Great Barrier Reef. However, beyond the quintessential Queensland wonders, there’s an entire paradise of experiences that few are aware of.
Here we explore an array of unique experiences found only in Queensland and nowhere else in the world. From interacting with humpbacks and Koalas, to enjoying starlit dinners, and going on exquisite “Dreamtime” indigenous guided walks through the rainforest, there’s something for everyone.
Dive into the largest natural wonder of the world – The Great Barrier Reef
The world’s largest coral reef system and UNESCO World Heritage Site – The Great Barrier Reef offers the rarest opportunity to dive into its sparkling waters. Composed of over 2900 individual reefs and more than 900 islands, spread over approximately 344,400 square kilometres, the Great Barrier Reef hosts a range of fun water activities including diving, snorkelling, sailing, scenic flights, day cruises, glass-bottom boat viewing and more. A trip to the Sunshine State would be incomplete without dipping your feet into this natural water wonder.
Explore a World Heritage-listed rainforest
Queensland is home to a spectacular five World Heritage-listed sites, one of which is the Wet Tropics, encompassing the Daintree Rainforest. A trip to the state lets you explore the lush botanicals, rich biodiversity, and exciting trails of this natural treasure. Considered one of the oldest rainforests in the world, it is home to an array of rare plants and animal species many of which are endemic to Queensland. There are many ways to explore the region independently including hiking. If you are up for more interesting and unique ways to explore the forest, the place offers experiences like ‘Dreamtime Walk’ – an indigenous exploration practice encompassing rich traditions of the people, and the Skyrail – a 7.5 km scenic cableway above the wet tropics. Rest assured, exploring the rainforests will be an experience of a lifetime.
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Experience the “moon” beach
Queensland is home to plenty of lovely golden-sand beaches, but the Carlo Sand Blow near Rainbow Beach is one of a kind. Unlike the smooth and soft sands of a regular beach, this little wonder stands out as a peculiar moon-like mass of land. Enjoy the sandy paradise during the daytime or visit during the night and capture the spectacular sky lighting up like a cosmic canvas sprinkled with glitter.
Get up close with humpbacks
Whale watching in Queensland is an unforgettable experience, offering a front-row seat to the majestic migration of humpback whales. From June to November, these ocean nomads travel from Antarctica to the warm waters of Queensland to give birth and nurture their calves.
Hervey Bay is the world’s first Whale Heritage Site. Popularly known as the Whale Watching Capital, it provides calm and sheltered waters where around 7,000 humpback whales stop to rest and play.
In addition to Hervey Bay, a few other places in Queensland also offer the rare opportunity to interact with humpbacks such as Sunreef on the Sunshine Coast where if the conditions and whale temperaments are optimal, you can also enjoy a swim with them, Sea World Cruises, Kokomo, and Whales in Paradise in Gold Coast, and several places in Brisbane.
From going on whale-watching cruises to even swimming with these gentle giants, you get to experience the bucket-list-worthy feat of interacting with one of the largest animals in the world.
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Cuddle a Koala and have breakfast with one at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is well-known for its strong commitment to wildlife conservation. While doing its part in saving the planet’s priceless animals for over 70 years, it also offers opportunities for visitors to hold a Koala and have pictures taken with them. Their ‘Koala Encounter’ is one of the most in-depth experiences where you get to learn all about these cute creatures.
Their unique “Breakfast with the Koalas” experience lets you spend some time in the Koala habitat area and have a gourmet breakfast as well.
Experience the Dreamtime Walk at the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre
The Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre – an award-winning eco-tourism facility in Queensland offers one of the most unique experiences in the world – the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walks, organised by the local indigenous people in the region. The guided tour or walk takes you through private gentle tracks and various culturally significant sites, traditional bark shelters, and cool rainforest streams. In addition to visiting numerous sites in the rainforest, the experience of which is relaxing in itself, the tour also introduces you to a myriad of traditions and rituals, such as ‘smoking’ – a ritual done in the beginning to cleanse your soul, ochre painting, making bush soaps, and having traditional bush tea and hamper at the end.
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Feed the majestic crocs at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures
Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is a wildlife sanctuary and ecotourism park located in Wangetti, in Far North Queensland. The multi-award-winning adventure park spanning over 10 hectares allows you to interact with one of the most famous reptiles in Australia – the crocodile.
From extensive crocodile farm tours to crocodile feeding sessions to even a crocodile attack show, the place offers immersive and informative experiences that not only let you learn more about these majestic creatures but also give you up close interactive sessions with them, an opportunity found nowhere else in the world.
Journey to Heart Reef at Hamilton Island
The iconic Heart Reef, a part of the Great Barrier Reef, is a spectacular composition of coral that is naturally heart-shaped. In addition to its interesting formation, it also boasts an array of vibrant natural colours, the combination of which makes for a sight to behold from above. This is why a journey to the Heart Reef – a 30-60-minute helicopter ride covering Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, and Heart Reef, is a must-do experience in Queensland. Once you’ve reached the Heart Island pontoon, you will be given 90 minutes to explore the lagoon, during which you can either learn about the island or simply relax by the shores and click pictures of the turquoise waters. You also have the option of exploring the waters in a glass-bottom boat.
Stroll with alpacas through vineyards at O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards
O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards, located in the beautiful Gold Coast Hinterland, is an exceptional family-owned and operated multi-award-winning vineyard that features boutique wines, luxury fine-dining experiences and other interesting activities. In addition to an outdoor wine cellar and a luxury white marquee, the property also features the Mountview Alpaca Farm, where you get the chance to talk to alpacas, take them on walks, feed them, and even take selfies with them. Strolling with cute furry alpacas through lush green open fields and creek sides will indeed be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Swim with the Salties at Wildlife Habitat
The Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas in Queensland offers an exquisite and rare ‘Swim with the Salties’ experience – a chance for you to swim eye-to-eye with estuarine crocodiles in their Croc Arena. While it is not for the faint-hearted, the opportunity gives you a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with an apex predator where you will live to tell the story. Being centimetres away from these giant reptiles, with ample training and guidance from the experienced swim trainers at the facility on how to stay safe during the swim, you get to marvel at their sheer size, power, strength, and jaws. If you are up to making some adventurous memories in your Australian holiday experience, this is a must-do activity in Queensland.
Camp at Habitat Noosa on the Sunshine Coast
Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp is the region’s top ecocamping and glamping destination. Awarded “Australia’s Best New Tourism Business” and located 25 minutes from Noosa, the place offers an array of eco-friendly luxury accommodations including powered and unpowered campsites and glamping tents. It also offers several waterfront activities to engage in such as canoeing, wave skiing, paddle boarding, tinnie hire, and disc golfing in a bushland setting. Camping at this fine destination in the Sunshine Coast will give you a unique experience of enjoying luxury amidst a natural setting of 65 hectares of National Park – something found only in Queensland. What’s more, you get the chance to get up close with Kangaroos happily hopping around, right from where you’re living, if you choose to camp out at the natural habitat.
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Spend the night out on the Great Barrier Reef
Reefsuites is Australia’s first underwater accommodation on the Great Barrier Reef. The place offers an amazing opportunity to witness the underwater world of earth’s largest natural landmark – a front-row seat to the miraculous underwater life while being in the safety of a luxury suite. The rare experience comes along with a package offering a day cruise through the Whitsunday Islands, a tour of the famous Heart Reef, and a star-lit dinner on the pontoon where you can enjoy an amazing intimate dining experience before you head to your underwater suite.
Reef Sleep is another more exciting experience where you get to sleep under the stars in a one-of-a-kind overnight tour on the Outer Great Barrier Reef. They offer a luxury glamp-style Reefbed where you can enjoy a lovely starlit night while you immerse yourself in a tropical paradise called Hardy Reef.
Enjoy River Drift Snorkelling With Back Country Bliss
Back Country Bliss Adventures, located 20 minutes north of Port Douglas offers a unique river draft snorkelling experience where you will traverse stunning sceneries of the world’s oldest rainforest through fun and informative trekking, gliding, and explorative activities. Starting at the shallow regions surrounded by the lush rainforest with a river walk, you will get to experience the varying currents and flows of the river while you glide on sledges at the next section. Stirring skillfully through the slow and powerful currents of the Mossman River will be a memory that will indeed last you a lifetime. The activity, however, does have a mandatory requirement of being skilled in swimming.
Talk to turtles
There are not many places in the world where you can directly interact with turtles. This makes the Mon Repos Conservation Park in Queensland one of the most unique turtle sanctuaries with the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles in all of Eastern Australia. The park also houses the largest population of nesting loggerhead turtles in the South Pacific. Area-wise, Mon Repos may not be the biggest or the most prominent beach in Queensland, but considering that it helps conserve close to 50% of the nesting population of turtles, it is indeed an important location to visit, especially if you are an animal lover.
Wrapping Up
Whether it’s interacting with rare wild animals that you enjoy or engaging in unique water activities, Queensland’s myriad of islands and waters gives you a host of options to choose from. When heading out to see and experience the Sunshine State, be sure to tick off at least one of these surreal experiences, as you may not find these anywhere else in the world. Make your travel across the world worthwhile, and create some core memories while you’re at it.
Book all-inclusive Queensland tour packages to maximise your Australian holiday experience.
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