| As I was born in tropical North Queensland on the | | | | Coast. The most popular holiday spots range from the |
| Atherton Tablelands, and have worked in and traveled | | | | Gold Coast to Cairns in North Qld, which is a driving |
| to most parts of Queensland, I feel that I can offer | | | | distance of about 1760klms. However, you can fly into |
| some great tips and information for you. | | | | the Brisbane airport in South East Qld, Maroochydore |
| TIP NO 1 WEATHER The weather cycle in | | | | airport on the Sunshine Coast, Hamilton Island airport in |
| Queensland is the same throughout Australia with our | | | | the Whitsundays, Townsville airport for North Qld, or |
| summer months being December, January and | | | | Cairns international airport for a tropical vacation. There |
| February. Autumn months are March, April and May | | | | are about 40 airports throughout Queensland, large bus |
| and winter months are June, July and August. Spring | | | | companies and fast trains available, so getting to your |
| months are September, October and November and | | | | destination is easy. |
| are very pleasant. | | | | Most holiday resorts offer a free courtesy coach to |
| TIP NO 2 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS Queensland does not | | | | take you directly to their door after collecting you from |
| operate daylight saving and local time is always 10 | | | | the airport, railway station or bus depot. There are |
| hours in front of GMT. Other states of Australia do | | | | many online places to choose your accommodation |
| operate daylight saving times from the first Sunday in | | | | from and in all areas of Queensland. Accommodation |
| October to the first Sunday in April, so be aware of | | | | is divided into several classifications including hotels, |
| this if you fly into Queensland from other Australian | | | | apartments, resorts, motels and Boutique |
| states. | | | | accommodation, resort caravan parks and Bed and |
| TIP NO 3 METRIC SYSTEM In Queensland the metric | | | | Breakfasts. As a guide, apartments and cabins tend to |
| system is used so all distances are in kilometres (km's), | | | | have more extensive 'in room cooking facilities' for |
| speed is in kilometres per hour and petrol/fuel is sold in | | | | people looking for a self catering holiday. |
| litres. | | | | If you want to explore a part of Outback Queensland, |
| TIP NO 4 DRIVING IN QUEENSLAND Driving in | | | | hop on a flight to Longreach from Brisbane using |
| Queensland, Australia and hiring a vehicle - Most hire | | | | Qantas (2hrs 25mins), jump on a bus tour to Winton |
| companies will ask to see a valid un-restricted driving | | | | and visit Lark Quarry where 93million year-old fossils |
| license and if this is in English this will usually be | | | | capture a dinosaur stampede. A museum has been |
| accepted. However if you have a licence which is not | | | | built to shelter and protect these dinosaur tracks. |
| in English, you should first obtain a valid International | | | | If you love your comfort, travel in a luxury |
| Driving Permit before you leave your home country. | | | | air-conditioned tour coach or if wanting to be |
| Australia requires a "1949 Convention IDP". And don't | | | | adventurous and drive yourself, hire an air-conditioned |
| forget, drive on the left side of the road. And always | | | | four wheel drive vehicle from Longreach. The 179 klm |
| ask the hire company if you are allowed to drive the | | | | road from Longreach to Winton is sealed but from |
| hire vehicle on a dirt road or you may have your | | | | Winton to Lark Quarry it is a badly maintained dirt road. |
| insurance cancelled. | | | | I learnt the hard way. The red dust seeped into our |
| TIP NO 5 VOLTAGE The nominal mains electrical | | | | 1985 Mazda T3500 bus, which has no air-conditioning, |
| voltage is 230 Volts in Australia. As plug sockets | | | | when my husband and I traveled to Lark Quarry. The |
| require the Australian Standard plug pin arrangement, | | | | dust was quite unpleasant which is why I suggest you |
| travel adaptors can be purchased within Australia, | | | | travel in an air-conditioned vehicle. Still, we enjoyed the |
| usually at airports. | | | | end result and would not have missed the experience |
| TIP NO 6 EMERGENCIES 000 is the National | | | | of the Outback. |
| emergency number in Australia and this is used for all | | | | Winton is known for its water supply which pushes its |
| emergency services including Fire Service, Ambulance | | | | way to the earth's crust from three artesian bores, all |
| Service and the Police. | | | | around 1,200 metres deep gushing at a temperature of |
| TIP NO 7 MOBILE PHONE USE Australia has a | | | | 83 degrees Celsius.(195F) The water comes from the |
| modern telecommunications and mobile telephone | | | | Great Artesian Basin which provides water for almost |
| network which includes 3G services to most parts of | | | | all areas of Australia's Outback. |
| Qld. Check with your mobile company to see if | | | | Accommodation is available in Longreach and Winton |
| "International Roaming" is available and this service can | | | | and most of these places will book your tours. |
| be activated for you whilst in Australia. Phone | | | | Discover attractions like the Stockman's Hall of Fame, |
| companies operating in Qld include Telstra, Vodafone, | | | | Qantas Founders Outback Museum, the Waltzing |
| and Optus. | | | | Matilda Centre and the School of the Air. |
| INFORMATION ON QUEENSLAND Queensland is | | | | A visit to The Sunshine Coast will give you a never |
| home to about 4 million people and is the second | | | | forgotten vacation and you can get to this area on an |
| largest state in Australia. Areas of Queensland in the | | | | air-conditioned coach, by rail or a hired vehicle. It is only |
| interior are vast and sparsely populated, while coastal | | | | about a 1.5 hour trip from Brisbane. Or you can fly |
| areas have a denser population. Tourists love the | | | | from Brisbane directly into Maroochydore airport |
| average summer temperatures of 25 degrees celsius | | | | where you will have a large choice of accommodation. |
| (77F) and the average winter temperatures of 15 | | | | Again, most resorts offer a courtesy coach pick up. |
| degrees celsius(59F). Brisbane is the capital of | | | | When you visit this vast state of Queensland, I hope |
| Queensland with about 2 million people in residence. | | | | these tips and information enable you to enjoy your |
| Queensland stretches from the northern tip of Cape | | | | vacation, in Australia, 'down under'. |
| York to the south east at Coolangatta on the Gold | | | | |