Things to Do in Queensland

Imagine an island risen up in the midst of the Great Barrier Reef, surrounded by turquoise waters and tropical coast. Orpheus Island is a private island situated between Townsville and Cairns that is exactly that "” 1,300 hectares of isolated and protected land and national park. At just 1 kilometer wide and 11 kilometers long, the unspoiled island is the perfect base to explore the underwater wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. There are dozens of trails and scenic lookouts perched amongst the hills of Eucalyptus trees. 

Due to the seclusion of the island and a limited number of guests, Orpheus Island has become known for its privacy and luxury. Its beaches and bays are fringed by one of the largest reefs in the world, complete with its colorful coral and nearly 1,100 species of fish. There are also indigenous Aboriginal sites and shipwrecks to explore in the warm waters surrounding the island.

Constructed back in 1868, the Brisbane Parliament House is the active seat of Queensland's ruling Parliament. It was Australia's first Parliament House to be wired with electricity, and remains an architectural gem in Queensland's bustling capital. For a detailed look at inside the building, join an afternoon public tour through the building's exquisite interior, where you'll pass the foyer and grand staircase and see the building's verandah, and view the curious "wind yarn," or Parliament's didgeridoo. When Parliament is in session, you can sit and watch as the laws are made and Queensland's elect are at work, and there are even those who say the building is haunted with political ghosts. Aside from the architecture, regal surroundings, and dose of Australian history, a visit to Brisbane's Parliament house is a way to view the political process that rules the northeastern state.

History comes alive at the Workshops Rail Museum"”affectionately known as The Workshops in Ipswich, Queensland. The site from which the state's very first train ran over 145 years ago, The Workshops celebrates its heritage with a living museum.

Opening as a rail museum in 2002, The Workshops combines hands-on exhibits with the experience of witnessing the oldest continually running railway workshop in Australia. The museum features 15 permanent exhibits, depicting subjects from the introduction of diesel trains, to the great Australian rail journeys, to a children's interactive railway, and more. The Workshops boasts such drawcards as the largest model railway in Australia, the Vice Regal Carriage"”the most expensive built in its time"”and the country's oldest working steam locomotive.