17 emerging experiences in Queensland

Journey with our writers as they take you into Queensland’s top emerging travel experiences from our 100 Emerging Destinations and Experiences series.

1. The Sunshine Coast’s under-the-radar hinterland town

Travelling with: Celeste Mitchell

It’s a drizzly Friday afternoon when I step onto the deck of Mapleton Public House, the rouge-hued old dame of the tiny hinterland town. And she’s flush with company. The pub has been presiding over Flaxton Drive with views barrelling down the hill to the Sunshine Coast’s beaches since 1910. But it’s only in the past eight months that punters have been making a pilgrimage – many from Brisbane – for a chance to eat from a refined menu, with produce plucked from the farm run by the pub’s new owners, Jessica Huddart and Ben Johnston.

Mapleton has always played third fiddle to Maleny and Montville in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland but with a bounty of walking trails, waterfalls and now this culinary dance card, it’s firmly on the map for foodies looking for an indulgent escape.

Diners of many of Brisbane’s best restaurants – Gerard’s Bistro, Agnes, Essa Restaurant – may have heard of The Falls Farm, whose highly acclaimed regenerative produce is used in menus across the city. In sidestepping to pub ownership, Jessica and Ben have landed on a way to take their mission of regenerative farming to produce nutrient-dense food a step further than a home-delivery box.

“I want to spread the word about the style of farming that we’re doing and I think that by having a dining experience that’s in a location like this, which is the hub of a town and something that all kinds of people are already coming to, then maybe we can have a bigger impact,” says Jess.

It’s not a secret but also not shouted about that celebrated chef Cameron Matthews (ex-Spicers Retreats) is at the helm, working in a yet-to-be-renovated kitchen without a working oven. You wouldn’t know it. Recently, inspired by ginger and turmeric from the farm and locally caught spanner crab, he turned out a delicate chawanmushi (Japanese custard) in an unconventional way. “Normally you do it in a steamer and it’s one of those things that’s really finicky, and we just cook ours in the pie warmer,” he tells me with a chuckle.

Beyond the nourishing, beautiful dishes being plated up, the pub has had small cosmetic upgrades too, one of the most positive being the decommissioning of its pokie machines. An avid Facebook Marketplace hunter, Jess is slowly bringing in vintage pieces – a meat safe, the kitchen hutch – and re-painting some spaces.

As I sit on the deck, tucking into sustainably caught snapper – pan-fried and placed in a flavourful puddle of dill oil and potato cream, with an incredible potato salad made with Dutch creams from the farm – I feel any allegiance with the other ‘M’ towns of the Sunshine Coast hinterland drop away. A meal this good, in a setting so incredibly homely, with people so passionate and an underlying drive to make change? That’s more than worth a drive.

Later, I take the short but scenic drive to my bolthole for the night. Bitumen gives way to gravel and Mapleton National Park towers to my right, leading the way to Round Hill Retreat.

The architecturally designed cabin at Round Hill Retreat is set on a 14-hectare property surrounded by trees and seems to float above the lush green countryside.

The leaves of the olive trees dance in the breeze as I crunch across the courtyard where a pizza oven and concrete plunge pool await. Inside, warm biscuit tones and a sleek fireplace on a floating bench seat compete for attention with the view through floor-to-ceiling glass.

Through to the bedroom, I push back the sheer linen curtains and large glass doors to forest bathe from the vintage tin bath filled with rainwater from two large tanks adjoining the cabin.

Owners Chloe and Alex have provided a guide to secret local hikes but I find there’s not enough incentive to leave. With board games, books and even pizza dough and fresh sugo provided, I prioritise taking things slow. Maybe it’s best that Mapleton stays under the radar, I decide, for it is in these moments of solitude that true satiation is found.

2. Golden hour in Yeppoon

Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

In the subtropical coastal town of Yeppoon, everything feels tinged with gold – from the honeyed sunlight to the sand and the golden cane palms that flank the roads. Perched on Queensland’s Capricorn Coast, Yeppoon is a beach town with the gravitas to make you envision packing up and making tracks for a sea change.

You wouldn’t be the only one, though. The town has been heralded as the new Byron Bay thanks to its idyllic surroundings, hippie community spirit and gateway position to some of the Great Barrier Reef’s most beautiful islands.

3. Seeing Noosaville anew

Travelling with: Christine Aldred

Industrial areas on the outskirts of towns are having a heyday and the spacious backstreets of Noosaville are no exception. Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has been dubbed the craft beer capital of Australia, so you’ll naturally find three breweries in Noosaville (one with a distillery attached).

Healthy eaters will relish the organic market, a foodie enclave featuring fruit and veg, a butcher, bakers and a local coffee roaster. Pâtisserie legend Adriano Zumbo has joined the scene with a pop-up to please sweet tooths while Blue Plum dishes out Japanese fare and gyozas. Shoppers are spoilt for choice with a mix of retail outlets boasting homewares, fashion, locally made pottery, galleries and vintage wares. You can even get yourself a made-to-measure wetsuit from Zee Wetsuits for hitting the surf.

4. Queensland’s best-kept secret: The Scenic Rim

Travelling with: Craig Tansley

When Queensland’s Scenic Rim became the only Australian destination to make Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022 list, many Australians wondered where it even was. Perhaps Mount Tamborine – the biggest town on the Rim – has a following. But Boonah, another well-populated town? Even people in Brisbane hadn’t heard of it – and it’s only an hour’s drive away.

Much of the Scenic Rim is covered in rainforest, but Boonah and its surrounds are part of south-east Queensland’s biggest food bowl, all bordered by mountain ranges that look like they belong in a Western.

You’re more likely to share roads with farmers on tractors than cars, but don’t go thinking you can’t get a fancy feed. Country pubs round here, such as The Roadvale Hotel, boast chefs including Dan Groneberg, who has spent more than 20 years honing his skills in both Australia and Europe. And Jack Stuart – who worked in the UK’s Michelin-starred institution The Forest Side – opened an intimate 20-seater, Blume, in Boonah’s main street that’s become an acclaimed regional destination diner.

There are also wineries, craft breweries and farm gates. It’s easy to find them – just drive. Go during the week and you’ll have them to yourselves. There’s also Eat Local Month, which features a program of events, culinary experiences and mini food festivals in June if you fancy company.

There are luxe accommodation options too, set in big, old homesteads, within working farms and in eco retreats built on the edge of mountains, such as Ketchup’s Bank Glamping. Like everywhere rural post-Covid, Boonah is changing as city folk still look to flee. But for now – especially if you go midweek – this place is still the best secret Queensland has managed to keep.

5. Townsville reinvented

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

Nowhere in Australia in the last few years has been updating and revamping itself with as much style as Townsville North Queensland. From being a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, to the blossoming food scene to luxury stays – this city has lots to offer.

Snorkel through the Museum of Underwater Art, experience fine-dining precinct The Ville or keep it casual with plenty of incredible cafes and food trucks, such as Wagtails. Visitors are also spoilt for accommodation choice, with Orpheus Island Lodge offering a more under-the-radar GBR stay and Pelorus Private Island joining its ranks before the end of the year, alongside Ardo, a new $88 million luxury hotel in town.

6. The new precincts revitalising Brisbane

Travelling with: Emily Murphy

With the 2023 summer Olympics on the horizon, Brisbane is soaring to new heights as striking precincts enliven the city. In the CBD, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct will merge state-of-the-art contemporary architecture with heritage buildings, securing itself as a world-recognised destination.

Four new luxury hotels, more than 50 wine-and-dine experiences, a new pedestrian-only bridge connecting to South Bank and a 100-metre-high Sky Deck are just the beginning. Rivermakers Heritage Quarter in the city’s east, a once-hidden gem, has transformed into Brisbane’s newest lifestyle precinct.

It’s a hub of dining, entertainment and creativity with Low n Slow Meat Co, Revel Brewing Co, Bavay Distillery and Mas & Miek Ceramics calling it home.

7. Outback Queensland lodgings jump up in style

Travelling with: Quentin Long

Outback Queensland has seen a steady stream of ultra-premium experiences and lodgings open in the last three years. At the top of the luxury charts, with six exclusive tents, is Rangelands Outback Camp, just 20 minutes from Winton. The campsite sits on the edge of an outback ‘jump-up’ and each of the tents (and its en suite shower) is positioned to make the most of the astonishing views of the outback Savannah plains. Inside, the indulgent king-size bed creates an oasis of calm and relaxation.

Camp hosts prepare your gourmet dinners and breakfasts from the on-site Airstream with premium wine, spirits and beers included. The ideal stay is three days exploring outback icons in Winton and Longreach including the Waltzing Matilda Centre, the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, the Qantas Founders Museum and Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame – plus the jump-up and rifts of the campsite. Do it in complete style with a private heli tour. Other new premium accommodation options to consider include Mitchell Grass Retreat in Longreach and Shandonvale Station outside Barcaldine.

8. A gourmet escape to the Granite Belt

Travelling with: Lara Picone

It’s not quite often Queensland springs to mind when hunting an intimate oenophilic escape. The Sunshine State is usually called upon for its sun-bleached beaches. But, let us shake the snow globe of your expectations for a moment and allow the sparkles to settle on Stanthorpe in Queensland’s Granite Belt. Here you can hop between cellar doors, dine on incredible local produce, hunt for truffles, ogle blossoms, marvel at sculptural rock formations and even sleep in a wine barrel (yes!).

Astonishingly, the region is one of Australia’s highest wine-growing locales. Punctuated by the natural beauty of Girraween National Park and the agrarian charm of vineyards and apple orchards, Stanthorpe is a destination worthy of far more attention than it reaps.

New and noteworthy for your maiden itinerary is the previously mentioned Barrel View Luxury Cabins, which indeed look like giant, luxury wooden wine barrels. Add to that a sip at the new Art of Krupinski cellar door; a hunt for a French Perigord truffle at The Folly Truffles; and a class at Cooked from Scratch Cooking School, and you have the makings of mini-break heaven.

9. Kickstarting Queensland’s outback for every generation

Travelling with: Quentin Long

The population of Julia Creek, the tiny outback town three hours east of Mount Isa swells from 400 to 3000 deliriously happy revellers over a weekend in April.

The Dirt n Dust Festival is a celebration of the Outback Queensland spirit. Festivalgoers can take on the Adventure Run – the mud bog obstacle is the highlight – and don their party frocks or fancy dress (after a quick scrub-up) for a day at the outback races. The party continues every night as cowboys battle broncs and bulls at the rodeo and music takes the party well into the night.

The outrageous Australia’s Best Butt competition anoints a duo of cheeky winners after two nights of tushy shaking. While the festival is a world of fun, it is crucial for the long-term health of the local community; it brings the town a much-needed injection of funds at the end of a long, quiet summer. And more importantly, Dirt n Dust is managed by and attracts the next generation of outback community leaders who will carry the spirit of Queensland’s outback forward.

While Dirt n Dust kicks off the season, the entire outback winter calendar is crammed with events. Highlights include the Outback Festival (biannual September school holidays), Festival of Outback Opera (Winton and Longreach in May; below), Birdsville Big Red Bash (July), Boulia Camel Races (July) and Mount Isa Rodeo (August).

10. Live la dolce vita in Cairns

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Salami operates as its own currency in Tropical North Queensland. And visitors to this year’s Cairns Italian Festival will get to decide which homemade version is the best at the Salami and Sausage Competition.

Feasting, folk dancing, fireworks, cooking classes and cultural talks are at the heart of the 10-day festa, set to return for its second year in 2023. The festival is a celebration of the influence of many Italian migrants, including my late nonno and nonna, who came to TNQ in search of a better life.

Highlights of the festival include Opera on the Reef, Carnevale Gala Ball and La Festa, where you can purchase everything from handcrafted biscuits to sweet, rich passatas.

11. Regenerative adventures on the Gold Coast

Travelling with: Taylah Darnell

If you’re looking for adventure, ditch the theme parks for a Gold Coast dive trail, which showcases 11 dive sites that remain hidden in plain sight. Check out Kirra Reef, protected on three sides by land for macro marine life or Southport’s Seaway, which has three unique spots flaunting everything from seahorses to sharks.

The golden child of dive spots, however, is Wonder Reef off the coast of Main Beach, which was opened in June 2022. The $5 million site features nine enormous regenerative structures anchored to the ocean floor that sway in the current like kelp. Known as the world’s first buoyant reef, the site has eight, 18 and 30-metre descents for divers of all abilities.

12. Bundaberg is an ECO Destination on the rise

Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

Bundaberg is best known as Australia’s rum capital. Surrounded by swathes of sugarcane, there’s plenty of things about Bundy, as it’s known among locals, that are totally sweet. For one, as of January this year, the Queensland region has been certified as an ECO Destination, meaning it offers up quality nature tourism experiences with a commitment to sustainability.

Just a 15-minute drive from town, Mon Repos Turtle Centre supports the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland. And from next year, visitors will be able to stay at the Mon Repos Turtle Sands Nature Retreat, a new ecotourism experience that will immerse guests in the world of turtle conservation.

13. Fraser Coast is recognised as a Marine Mecca

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Queensland’s Fraser Coast is being billed as a Marine Mecca in a bid to highlight the wide range of magical experiences to be had around its pristine and protected waterways. The Fraser Coast has in recent years evolved into a prime spot for whale watching.

But the potential of this ancient meeting place puts everything from wreck and reef diving to bareboat sailing charters, fishing adventures, jet-ski tours, K’gari Adventures’ eco excursions and Indigenous cultural adventures in the limelight. The temperate subtropical climate also establishes this section of Australia’s East Coast as a year-round holiday destination.

14. Time in the sun for Brisbane’s low-key island gem

Travelling with: Susan Gough Henly

Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island or Straddie to the locals, might live in the shadow of its big sister, K’gari (Fraser Island), but this beach getaway surrounded by aquamarine waters is a closely held secret. When Sydneysiders and Melburnians cram into Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine coasts during the school holidays, those in the know keep this low-key gem to themselves.

While it may be only one-sixth the size of K’gari, this 37-kilometre-long sliver of sand is the second-largest sand island in the world with a mind-boggling array of powdery white beaches. It’s just 45 minutes across Moreton Bay from the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland and once you get off the ferry, you’re on ‘Straddie time’.

The Traditional Owners, the Quandamooka people, have a long unbroken history on Minjerribah and artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins beautifully showcases their totems in weavings and artwork at her shop in Dunwich on the western side of the island. There’s a lot to love on Straddie. Take the North Gorge Walk to Point Lookout, one of the world’s best land-based whale-watching sites. You’ll also spot dolphins, manta rays, turtles, ospreys and sea eagles throughout the year.

The lawns around the Point Lookout Surf Club are a favourite spot for sundowners and a hangout for eastern grey kangaroos. You’ll also see koalas, dolphins and all manner of birdlife at Amity Point. Manta Lodge and Scuba Centre offer dives in summer to see manta rays and speckled leopard sharks, and you can listen to whale song underwater in winter.

Stay at the refurbished Beach Hotel, glamp at Bradbury’s Beach or rent one of the many Brisbane architect-designed holiday homes; pick up local prawns from Rufus King Seafoods; and savour Straddie’s own homemade gelati at Oceanic Gelati & Coffee Bar with its majestic view of the ocean.

15. Eco exploration in Mission Beach

Travelling with: Taylah Darnell

The quiet stretch of Tropical North Queensland known as Mission Beach has been thrust into the spotlight. Netflix miniseries Irreverent unfolds here, bringing this little slice of the Cassowary Coast to the small screen.

Yet fame shan’t tinge the heart of this sleepy beach town, which is full of genuine locals, palm-laden shores and outdoor adventures. Think hidden swimming holes, waterfalls, island-hopping and diving tours.

The Cassowary Coast is currently on its journey towards ECO Destination Certification, which means visitors to the region can take solace in the fact that the gorgeous environment they’re exploring is sustainable, nature-based and protected.

16. Fly in the country’s first Indigenous-owned hot-air balloon

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Outback Queensland’s Yagurli Tours has launched the first 100 per cent Indigenous-owned hot-air balloon experience in Australia. What started as a fishing charter service in Burketown in 2017 has now grown to include sunset cruises, history and cultural tours, and now hot-air balloon flights over the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Soar over the country’s largest salt pan with views of the Albert River and the ocean, and learn about the rich cultural heritage and local flora and fauna of Gangalidda and Garawa Country. As well as sunrise flights, the company is set to offer afternoon and evening flights, the first and only location in Australia to do so.

17. An immersive Indigenous tour debuts in the Scenic Rim

Travelling with: Craig Tansley

“Sorry… I ran out of breath,” Kruze Summers (aka Gurruhmun) stops playing his didgeridoo mid-song and speaks slowly through a grin. “I’ve been practising all morning.” His Yarriba Dreaming tour is new and he’s a little anxious, but that’s part of the charm of it: it’s a fresh look at a region we know little about.

We’re in Queensland’s Scenic Rim at Mt Barney Lodge, beside the second-tallest mountain in south-east Queensland. Summers – a Ugarapul and Bidjara man – takes guests on the first Indigenous tour in the region, allowing guests to connect with nature on a walking tour using knowledge passed down to him by his grandfather, a significant local Elder; yarriba means walking together.

First introduced as a three-day tour last year, Summers is now offering half- and full-day versions of the tour. I’m staying in a homestead that’s more than a century old (that was once part of a dairy farm) within the grounds of the lodge.

Summers’ tour offers an immersive look into the lives of thousands of generations of his ancestors. He takes me to a sacred birthing waterhole, tells me the laws of the place and paints a picture of how life was here. “This was a special place,” he says. “Life began here, men were not allowed without permission. This is a woman’s world.”

We collect bush tucker, such as the bulrush that lines the river banks, and we sit awhile and study the animals of the bush; Summers explains which of them are sacred to his people. “A lot of culture in this area was decimated with colonisation,” he says. “All our secrets, all our totems, all our laws, they were never written down. There’s so much knowledge passed down; I’m just trying to pass it on.”

At dusk we gather round a fire that we light without matches to sit under a million stars eating Y-bone steaks cooked in a stew on its embers. “There’s not one story that explains everything at any place,” Summers says. “I’m just telling you my version, passed down by my grandfather, by his grandfather before. There’s a complexity to all of it. There are stories I don’t know, but that’s the beauty of this place.”