Thin Red Line
The movie, "The Thin Red Line" (starring Sean Penn) tells the wartime story of a US rifle company fighting Japanese forces in the Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands...but most of the filming was actually in the rainforests of Tropical North Queensland

Brisbane river boardwalk and skyline

Queensland

THE SUNSHINE STATE

You'll find it all in Australia's 'Sunshine State'. The spectacular Great Barrier Reef, the virgin rainforest of the Daintree, thousands of pristine white beaches, the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and, of course, the Outback. You'll also find fantastic entertainment, shopping, dining and nightlife in Brisbane, Surfers Paradise and the many tourist towns.

ORIGIN OF NAME:

Named for Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch.

CAPITAL:

Brisbane

FLORAL EMBLEM:

Cooktown Orchid

FAUNAL EMBLEM:

Koala and Brolga

GEMSTONE:

Sapphire

STATE FLAG:

A badge featuring a royal crown.

STATE MOTTO:

"Bold, age, and faithful too".

LOCATION:

Queensland lies in the Northeast of the continent, bordering the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the Torres Strait to the North.

AREA:

Second largest state in Australia; 1,727,200 km².

LANDFORM:

The North Coast is sheltered by Islands and the Great Barrier Reef System. Behind the coastal slopes of the Great Dividing Range and River Flats, are rolling plains. The land then becomes semi-arid desert.

POPULATION:

2,546,400 mostly in four coastal areas. Approximate: Brisbane 734,750, Gold Coast 174,530, Townsville 100,530, Cairns 64,840, Rockhampton 56,520, Mackay 48,760, Mt. Isa 25,020.

CLIMATE:

The climate is mostly Tropical, with two main seasons: Wet and Dry - Queensland is known as "The Sunshine State" because of it's pleasantly warm winters and long hours of sunshine.

CAIRNS:

Cairns is the gateway to some of the most beautiful and exciting diverse parts of Australia. The beauty of the Great Barrier Reef is matched on land by Australia's most prolific flora - the tropical rainforests of the coast, mountains and Tablelands.

Cairns, in the heart of the tropical wonderland is an international tourist mecca. It is a modern colourful city situated on the shores of a natural harbour, Trinity Inlet, with a magnificent backdrop of rugged mountains covered with thick tropical rainforest. The major glamour activity in Cairns is no doubt Big Game Fishing. Cairns is recognized as the Black Marlin capital of Australia with numerous fish over 450kg recorded each year. The game fishing season starts in early September and continues throughout to late November.

THE REEF:

In Queensland's Far North, the continent's marine life reaches its most prolific and colourful form - the northern half of the Great Barrier Reef - 1200 km of reefs hugging the entire east coast and into the Torres Strait Islands.

More information on the Great Barrier Reef.

Also visit Diving Experiences.

KURANDA:

The rainforest village of Kuranda, perched high on the crest of the Great Dividing Range, is no newcomer to the beat of tourist feet. Back in the early 1900's southerners flocked to Cairns by coastal steamer to ride the famous mountain train, see the mighty Barron Falls, and venture into the rainforest kingdom then romantically dubbed "Fairyland". Despite early tourism and the influx of Allied Forces during World War II, Kuranda's old-world charm and leisurely ways have remained unchanged.