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Queensland |
This is the state I currently reside in.
Queensland: (Area = 1,727,200 kmē) (Population = 3,400,000)
Queensland boasts thousands of kilometres of coastline that contain the type
of beaches that you would only find on a postcard. Combine that with a sub tropical
to tropical climate and you have a superb travel destination.
One particularly beautiful area in Queensland is the Cape Tribulation National Park. This park is made up of the worlds oldest rainforest and is located in the hills of the Great Dividing Range. The rainforest runs uninterrupted right up to the coastline. The beaches contain silica sand, which is made up of ground up coral and appears as white, but some of the particles reflect a silver colour. This area has a World Heritage listing and is located right next to another World Heritage area, the Great Barrier Reef. Infact this part of Australia is the only place in the world where 2 World Heritage areas meet.
Queensland is the second largest state and is home to Australia's third largest
city called Brisbane (pop 1.2 million). The Gold Coast further to the south
is the other main area of population. Northern Queenslands largest town is Townsville.
Tourists do flock to Queensland for these very reasons, but it must be noted
that most of the beaches are not crowded, in fact it is actually possible to
find a beach all to yourself if you are willing to go off the beaten track.
Queenslands most impressive geographical feature is the Great Barrier Reef which
is about 2000 km long.
The reef is the worlds richest area of marine life and contains some of the
best diving in the world. Above the water you will find over 700 beautiful tropical
islands to explore, some have Resorts and others remain completely untouched
to this day.
Queensland also contains vast areas of desert, which Australians call the Outback.
The Outback starts at the western side of the Great Dividing Range, and eventually
runs into the Northern Territory border. You can also cross over the South Australian
Border further south, but you would have to be a hardened traveller to do that,
as there are no roads here, only tracks. To the south you will cross the New
South Wales border.
Queensland is bordered by the Torres Straits to the north and this stretch of
water seperates Australia and Papua New Guinea. This is also where the Great
Barrier Reef ends, due to the rich nutrients flowing into the sea from the rivers
of Papua New Guinea. The Torres Straits contain many beautiful tropical islands.
These islands belong to Australia and the Torres Strait Islanders are Australian
citizens.
