Best Weekend Breaks in Queensland | Australian Traveller

A dose of Vitamin D and sea is the ultimate weekend restorative, and something the Sunshine State has in ample supply. Here, the best weekends away in Queensland for your hit list.

Bunya Mountains

Never heard of Bunya Mountains? You are probably not alone, but once you look into this slice of pristine nature you are going to wonder why it was not at the top of your bucket list for weekends away before now.

Located on the Great Dividing Range equal distance from Kingaroy and Dalby, a driving time of just three hours from Brisbane makes it easily accessible.

Once there, you are going to find endless natural wonders to explore. The landscape is blanketed with sub-tropical rainforest, eucalypt forests and woodlands teeming with soaring bunya pines.

Add to this wildlife everywhere you look, from 215 different species of birds to cute swamp wallabies and red-necked pademelons, and you are starting to get the picture.

There are lots of holiday rentals to choose from off Bunya Mountains Road; once settled in, strike out on bushwalks (rise early to see the surrounds covered in an ethereal early morning mist) and, if you have timed it right, to browse the markets that spring up on the last Saturday of every month.

Stanthorpe

Heading north out of Brisbane, it takes three hours to reach the gracious rural town of Stanthorpe. And it’s perfectly proportioned for exploring, sitting within the state’s majestic and fascinating Granite Belt.

The town itself is characterised by its grand heritage buildings, which line the main street, while its surrounding countryside is renowned for its produce and wineries (there are more than 50).

During summer, you can expect endless sunshine and warm nights, but it is the cool winter temperatures that surprise those from interstate who assume everywhere in Queensland is warm all the time: Stanthorpe has been anointed as the coldest town in Queensland, and the occasional light dusting of snow is not unheard of.

While there, visit its wineries, eat at its restaurants, many of which champion local produce, and spend time in the expansive landscape of Girraween National Park, with its quizzical giant balancing boulders and native fauna (such as the short-beaked echidna).

A short-beaked echidna in Stanthorpe. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Bribie Island

Bribie Island might be the smallest of the three major sand islands in the Moreton Bay region, but this doesn’t result in any compromise on its attractions or sights.

There are plenty of holiday rentals and resort rooms available on the island or for something a little more basic you can always pitch a tent behind the dunes at Ocean Beach for absolute water frontage.

Then, get into the island groove by beach hopping, learning to surf, taking to the water to spot dolphin and turtles or kicking back with a beach read and/or a poolside cocktail.

Beautiful Bribie Island. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Cobbold Gorge

OK, so Cobbold Gorge is a tad more than five hours’ drive from Cairns, but the time you invest in getting there will be well worth it when you view the stunning outback landscape and take to the eerily still waters that meander through its deep chasms.

Book into one of the comfortable cabins with en suites on site, indulge in a spot of stand-up paddleboarding or get a bird’s-eye view of the gorge and its ruggedly dramatic surroundings on a helicopter flight.

Visit Cobbold Gorge — The beauty of Cobbold Gorge is worth the drive from Cairns. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Toowoomba

Queensland’s largest inland country town might just be its most surprising, boasting as it does a thriving cafe culture and street art scene that would leave capital cities for dead.

The best way to approach a stay here is to spend a few days in town – may we suggest booking into the conveniently located Quest Toowoomba or Oaks Toowoomba Hotel – sampling the cosmopolitan vibe, and then heading an easy 20 kilometres out of town to Mount View Homestead for a station stay on a 263-hectare working cattle stud and grain growing property.

And, if you are planning ahead, opt to visit town during the colourful and fragrant annual Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in September.

Cairns

The fact that Cairns is well serviced with flights from most capital cities means this far-flung city of some 150,000 people in Tropical North Queensland is easily doable for a weekend or short break. The lure here is the sunshine, the sparkling waters that look out over the Great Barrier Reef and the coastal chic lifestyle.

But there are still some off-the-beaten-track discoveries to be made on a visit here, including the delightfully named Fairy Falls. This picturesque waterfall is ensconced in thick rainforest a 20 minute drive from the city; it takes roughly 30 minutes to walk there and back but on the return journey you can stop for a spot of wild swimming and forest bathing in the equally lovely Crystal Cascades.

Fairy Falls, Cairns. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

North Stradbroke Island

Any exploration of short breaks in Queensland was always going to include a number of islands, and while the ones in the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays grab most people’s attention, North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) offers the kind of casual, unaffected feel that most people are looking for, with the bonus of being an easy trip from Brisbane.

Explore North Straddie's Main Beach and rock pools. — Explore North Straddie’s rock pools. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

This really is the sort of getaway where you can do as little as possible, visiting the beach on a daily basis and sitting under the stars at night with a cold beer and a couple dozen fresh prawns from the Prawn Shack.

Top it off by staying in one of Minjerribah Camping’s glamping tents and you have the very definition of an Australian coastal escape.

Brisbane

The capital of Queensland deserves recognition as an increasingly desirable weekend getaway thanks to its expanding roster of cool destination hotels – to tell the truth, we all want to stay at The Calile Hotel – award-winning dining options and buzzing hip hoods such as Fortitude Valley and New Farm.

If you haven’t been to Brissie in a while, make sure to head to Howard Smith Wharves with its diverse eating and drinking establishments, the open-air market precinct of Eat Street Northshore and Fish Lane in South Brisbane for street art and food.

The Calile Hotel — Step inside the Calile.

Lamington National Park

Nature doesn’t come much more pure than at Lamington National Park, in the southeast of the state within the aptly named Scenic Rim.

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforest area, which boasts the most extensive stretches of subtropical rainforest in the world, an escape here involves immersing yourself in the lush, close vegetation and indulging in nature.

Take the Treetop Walk, with its 500 metres of steel walkway tucked into the canopy some 20 to 30 metres above the ground, learn about the wildlife on a guided bird walk and, at the end of the day, settle into the famed O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.

Booyong Walk in Lamington National Park — Booyong Walk… explore one of the many trails in Lamington National Park.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

Ultimate weekends away in Queensland