If you’re looking for an Australian luxury vacation package, it doesn’t get much better than a visit to the Whitsundays region of Queensland. Here you can experience the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in as luxurious accommodations as you can afford. The Whitsundays area is home to an amazing seventy-four separate islands, some of which are home to exclusive and private resorts where guests can immerse themselves in luxury while enjoying the unique setting of the Great Barrier Reef.
With warm, tropical temperatures, crystal clear water, and an incredible array of sealife, it’s no wonder that this area has so many resorts. If island life suits you, try the five star boutique hotel, the Beach Club, on Hamilton Island, the area’s largest inhabited island. Looking for something a little more private? Check out the Hayman Island Resort. As the only facilities on the island, this five star resort offers luxurious rooms, lovely gardens, and a unique swimming pool. There is no end of things to do on the island, both outdoor and water activities as well as in the resort’s spa.
If staying on the mainland seems more your speed, the resort town of Airlie Beach offers no end of fantastic accommodation. The Martinique Whitsundays resort is known as one of the best, and its unique architecture was inspired by the French Caribbean style. Just entering the resort is a journey in itself, as guests make their way into the lobby via a walkway over the pool. The exclusive Coral Sea Resort is another fantastic facility with luxury apartments and penthouses, two swimming pools, and unique dining.
Travelers can also enjoy trips to the Great Barrier Reef in utter luxury due to the wealth of luxury cruises available in the area. Whether you wish to travel by yacht, catamaran, or on the fastest vessel in the harbour, the ReefJet, you’ll find what you are looking for here. Helicopter flights over the region are also popular.
The Outback may not immediately come to mind as a great place to take children, but in reality it has much to offer to families and can also be an affordable but exciting roadtrip. Many kids love following the dinosaur trail, and seeing these massive creatures brought to life is enough to awe the most imaginative of minds. For many kids, reliving life in the old west is a dream come true, so visiting a station and learning how to do ranch chores and ride horses is a fun and exciting way to enjoy the region. It can also be great for burning off all the excess energy that kids seem to pack with them! If a stay at a station isn’t quite what you are looking for, try a visit to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, where visitors can learn about the past through interactive displays, and also a show that includes working dogs, horses, mules, and authentic Outback stockmen.
The Min Min Encounter, in Boulia, gives visitors a show unlike any other, complete with fibre optics and special effects. It tells the true story of the Min Min light, a ghostly light that residents of the area have claimed to have seen for more than seventy years. If traveling with smaller children, the Tambo Teddies workshop may be more appropriate. Here you can watch the famous teddy bears being made from scratch. The Bilbies Centre in Charleville is home to Queensland’s most endangered species, a loveable little marsupial that is being bred at the centre as part of the effort to save the animals.
Older children will enjoy the Cosmos Centre and Observatory in Charleville, where they can enjoy films about the universe and at nighttime view the skies up close. The Qantas Founders Outback Museum in Longreach is an aviation museum full of interactive displays that are sure to please children of all ages.
If you are looking to relive the old west, but with a twist, a visit to Queensland’s Western Downs should definitely be on your Australian vacation itinerary. Located in southwestern Queensland, about 140 kilometers from Brisbane, the region is dominated by rolling hills of farmland where you can expect to see wide fields of crops such as cotton and wheat, wineries, and ranches raising cows, pigs, or sheep. It is rural Australia at its best, and can offer visitors a very affordable vacation package.
The area is easily explored by following a few of the major highways that run through the region, particularly the Warrego Highway from Brisbane, the Leichhardt Highway and the Great Inland Way. This network of highways will take you through the major towns, national parks, and historic places in the Western Downs. Highlights of the Great Inland Way include Roma, the town where oil and gas was first discovered in Australia, Hebel, where Ned Kelly and his band of bushrangers hid out from the law, and the Nindigully Pub, one of Australia’s oldest pubs. The Warrego Highway takes travelers across the Darling Downs towards Charleville, a bustling Outback town, and is one of the oldest highways in Australia. If learning more about Australia’s first pilgrims interests you, you’ll find the Leichhardt Highway a great option with its many historical villages and country towns. Highlights in the area include the Carnarvon Gorge National Park, the town of Chinchilla, which is the melon capital of Australia, and the Miles Historical Village in the Murilla Shire. St. George is home to the Nindigully Pub, and is also a place to view uniquely carved emu eggs.
Visitors will find that accommodations are varied throughout the region and include motels, farm stays, and even country pubs! Roma is considered the service centre of the region, and makes a great place to stay while exploring the Western Downs.
