Queensland: A place to take home happy holiday memories
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When you visit Queensland, it's hard to dispute the "Beautiful one day, perfect the next" tag. The golden beaches with various theme attractions make Queensland Australia's most popular holiday playground. Invited recently by Qantas Airline and Tourism Queensland on a seven-day media trip to the region, The Jakarta Post'sRendi A. Witular got the opportunity to experience the attractions that make it an alluring destination for families and honeymooners. ----------------------------------------------
About 65 kilometers southeast of Queensland's capital, Brisbane, lies a tourist mecca, a 42-kilometer-long coastline blessed with a subtropical climate with 300 days of sunshine a year.
Clean, uncrowded beaches with rolling waves suitable for surfing and a dazzling nightlife may be the main thing visitors are looking for in a holiday -- and the Gold Coast has them all in abundance.
"The Gold Coast is a combination of nature's best and a range of theme attractions and events. Visitors spend an average of five days to go through all the attractions here," said Michael Ladd, the owner of tour operator Australia Greet and Meet.
More than three million visitors flock to the Gold Coast each year on vacation, with more than a quarter of them coming from overseas, mainly from Asian countries.
Accommodation on the Gold Coast ranges from backpacker hostels and camping reserves to apartments and the ultraluxurious Pallazio Versace Hotel, rated a "six-star" hotel.
Cruising on the Adventure Duck, the largest amphibious bus ever built, is the most adventurous way to see the best the Gold Coast has to offer.
This unique tour starts on land at Surfers Paradise beach, the heart of the Gold Coast, to head to Main Beach, providing a close-up view of multimillion dollar boats and stunning views of canals and waterfront mansions owned by Australia's billionaires.
The tour, which takes about one hour, provides information about the area's history and key developments.
Back on land, visitors can start on the excitement of the day at the Dreamworld fantasy park. The park, which is a two-day packed adventure for the whole family, is home to the wildest rides and attractions in Australia.
Visitors also get to scream themselves silly on the Runaway Reptar Rollercoaster, and brave the Guinness Book of Record's Giant Drop, the Tower of Terror and Cyclone. Dreamworld is also home to seven rare Bengal tigers.
At the northern end of the Gold Coast is Sea World -- Australia's most comprehensive marine zoological park. It provides visitors with unique entertainment and an educational window to the underwater world.
At Sea World, sea lions and dolphins keep children and adults on the edge of their seats as the creatures go through a series of complicated and entertaining jumps, flips and rolls.
The park also has a series of exciting rides, such as the Corkscrew Roller Coaster and Bermuda Triangle.
If that's not enough, visitors can see real movies being made and enjoy a variety of stunt shows at the Warner Bros Movie World.
Aside from "virtual reality" experiences of movie characters such as Batman, Robin and Austin Powers, scary rides like Lethal Weapon, Scooby Doo and the Wild Wild West Ride, make it a day to remember.
A short drive south is one of the Gold Coast's oldest family attractions and the home of one of the world's largest collection of Australian native animals -- the Currumbin Sanctuary.
Prominent among the sanctuary's attractions are the huge flocks of mountain parrots arriving for morning and evening feedings, and a close encounter with koalas and kangaroos for cuddling and patting in natural surroundings.
A dining experience on the Champagne Sailing Cruise will put honeymooners in tune with romantic holiday atmosphere. With a complimentary glass of champagne in hand, nothing is more enjoyable to end a day on the Gold Coast, sitting on the deck of a 5-star luxury yacht as the lights come on in high-rises along the Gold Coast's Surfers Paradise beach and the sun sets over the water beyond.
For families who have visited the theme parks and are looking for something different, crab catching aboard the Tweed Endeavor Cruise is something not to be missed.
The cruise, meandering down the beautiful Tweed River through the lush cane fields and wildlife sanctuary rain forest, is a favorite with international visitors from Japan, South Korea and China.
It's a unique experience of trapping crabs, fishing, looking for yabbies (a type of crayfish) and pelican feeding. The highlight of the cruise is dining on a freshly caught mud crab.
Ending the trip on the Gold Coast, visitors can proceed to Caloundra, only a one-hour drive north of Brisbane, to relax in a friendly coastal township.
Caloundra on the southern tip of the Sunshine Coast has become a favorite destination for families who want an authentic beach holiday, full of the simple pleasures of swimming, strolling sandy beaches, picnics by the sea and games of cricket on the beach.
The Sunshine Coast's most famous seaside town is Mooloobala, which not only offers long, sandy surf beaches but also the marine zoological park UnderWater World. Catch an eyeful of sharks, ancient lungfishes, giant barramundis and other beautiful phantoms of the deep through the air-conditioned underwater walkway.
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Visitors may plan their visit to the Gold Coast to coincide with one of the following annual events:
* January: The Honda Magic Millions horse race.
* February: Australian Ladies Masters Golf at Royal Pines Resort.
* March: Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Kurrawa Beach.
* May: Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, the largest display of on-water vessels at an Australian boat show.
* May: Celica International Billfish Tournament at Sanctuary Cove.
* June: WinterSun Festival, the largest nostalgia Rock 'n' Roll/Car festival in Australia.
* October: Gold Coast Indy car race.
Source: Tourism Queensland