Perfect beaches, abundant wildlife, theme parks galore - and of course, the Reef

Spectacularly bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean, Queensland is home to UNESCO-listed wonders Fraser Island, Gondwana Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. This diverse and magnificent landscape lures holidaymakers to Cairns, the Gold Coast (aka 'Goldie', the country's theme park capital), Hervey Bay, Port Douglas, the Sunshine Coast, the Whitsunday islands and the lush Daintree Rainforest. Brisbane, the buzzing state capital, is just 100km north of neighbouring New South Wales. 

Resource-rich Queensland is a paradise of tropical fruits: bananas, pineapples and mangoes are the state's bounty, along with grains, cattle, cotton, sugar cane, wool and a laundry list of precious metals and minerals. Native fauna can be found in abundance at Alma Park (Logan City), Currumbin Sanctuary, David Fleay Park, Kumbartcho Sanctuary, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo and UnderWater World.

'Banana benders', as Queenslanders are affectionately known to the rest of Australia, are passionate about rugby league, union and cricket (in that order). The rugby State of Origin series is widely considered a religious experience.