Queensland is an Australian state covering the continent’s northeast, with a coastline stretching nearly 7,000km. Its offshore Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, hosts thousands of marine species. The city of Cairns is a gateway to the reef and tropical Daintree Rainforest. The capital, Brisbane, is flanked by the surfing beaches of the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

The Whitsundays, near the midpoint of the Great Barrier Reef, are a 74-island chain popular for diving, snorkelling and do-it-yourself “bareboat” sailing trips. Fraser Island, billed as the world's largest sand island, features immense dunes, old-growth rainforests, freshwater lakes and a pure strain of dingo, or wild dog. Migrating humpback whales, lethal saltwater crocodiles and giant flightless cassowary birds can also be seen throughout the coastal area. Inland, the Outback region is a stark stretch of mostly deserted, arid savannah. It's home to the 1870s gold rush town of Charters Towers.

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