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Home  Visiting Queensland? |
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| Central Queensland - Rockhampton |
Bringing together the regions of Capricorn and Gladstone, Central Queensland offers you a lovely blend of laidback country charm amidst diverse natural beauty. With a combination of coastal cities, islands, rainforest and gemfields, you couldn’t ask for anything more.
Visit Rockhampton for a sizzling steak and enjoy a conversation with a friendly local at a country-style pub. Embrace Australia’s heritage on a self-drive tour of the quaint country towns and uncover rainforest studded gorges, stunning lakes, and long unbroken sandy white beaches stretching out to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Bask in the sun at beaches along the Capricorn Coast and experience a true unspoiled paradise full of relaxation, adventure and discovery at Great Keppel Island.
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Pack your swimsuit, walking gear and come discover the Capricorn region. Taking its name from the Tropic of Capricorn, this region is home to many remarkable towns and natural wonders. Explore the Capricorn region and you’ll forge fond memories, not only of the beautiful places but of the friendly locals, who together make this region a lovely cultural mosaic.
Rockhampton is the region’s largest city and fondly known as "Australia’s Beef Capital". Enjoy the history of Rockhampton as you walk down Quay Street, the longest National Trust Heritage Street in Australia.
As you venture north of Rockhampton, you’ll come to the Capricorn Coast, which boasts 13 beaches along the scenic coastline from Yeppoon to Emu Park. Head inland and you’ll come to several amazing natural wonders. There’s Carnarvon National Park with Aboriginal rock art paintings and delicate ferns amidst towering sandstone cliffs…it will leave you breathless.
Then there’s Blackdown Tableland National Park with its 600 metre sandstone plateau with lookouts and picturesque Rainbow Falls. And don’t forget the Capricorn Caves, where tours of Bat Cleft are available at Mt Etna in summer. There’s also Kroombit Tops National Park and Mt Scoria, the mountain that rings like a bell and Byfield National Park where you can see beautiful rainforest, visit local artisans or hire a canoe on the Byfield River. And be sure to leave a little time for fossicking in the Sapphire Gemfields, the largest in the southern hemisphere.
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Rockhampton, the Beef Capital of Australia, lies on the banks of the broad Fitzroy River. A historic city, built on the wealth of gold rushes and cattle empires, its heritage precincts preserve Rocky's grandest architecture while its collection of grand old pubs keeps the character of the city alive.
Gladstone lies on the shores of Port Curtis, Queensland's busiest harbour. It is the site of major industries and home to the world's largest alumina plant. From the parklands to the marina, the gallery to the botanic gardens and the nearby beach communities, there is no shortage of places to enjoy your favourite pastimes.
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Coastal towns are surrounded by beautiful stretches of coastline where warm waters lap the white sands of secluded beaches. Just offshore, the vibrant underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef nestles up against tropical islands. For dramatically coloured reef, Queensland's most northerly surf beaches, and an affordable, rejuvenating coastal holiday, you just can't miss Central Queensland.
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Centre of the Southern Reef - the Gladstone region is a unique area of Queensland - a region where opportunity awaits. This dynamic area basks in a sub-tropical climate with islands, waterways and beaches on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef. So many landscapes, variety and sunshine provide endless opportunities for enjoyment.
At the heart of the region, the city of Gladstone overlooks its natural deep water harbour. To the south lie the shires of Calliope and Miriam Vale with idyllic, secluded beaches and scenic national parks. The Town of 1770 is the first place in Queensland that Captain James Cook stepped ashore. Boyne Island is renowned for its beautiful foreshore parks, while its sister city of Tannum Sands offers long sandy beaches for safe coastal recreation.
The reef islands within the Gladstone region are true coral cays, and day trips are on offer to Lady Musgrave Island and Fitzroy Lagoon where visitors can enjoy diving, snorkelling, fishing, reef walking or exploring the flora and fauna
The region has several impressive national parks which add camping and 4WD to the adventures you can experience in the area. The spectacular cliffs of the Kroombit Tops are cloaked in diverse flora and fauna. Mount Castletower National Park lies at the base of Lake Awoonga with its impressive, yet rugged terrain. Deepwater and Eurimbula National Parks provide the contrast of open eucalypt and paperback forests with lush rainforests and quiet beaches.
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Visit the thriving regional centres of Biloela and Emerald, hubs to the surrounding agricultural districts. Then head further west to the Sapphire Gemfields where you can enjoy the experience of fossicking for sapphires. This area is famed for cattle-rearing and home to some of the state's largest cattle stations. It's also mining country, from the former gold workings of Mt Morgan to the mighty open cut coal fields near Moura.
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