Central Queensland

Bringing together the regions of Capricorn and Gladstone, Central Queensland offers 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.

Capricorn

Taking its name from the Tropic of Capricorn, this region is home to many remarkable towns and natural wonders.

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 discover several amazing natural wonders. Carnarvon National Park with Aboriginal rock art paintings and delicate ferns amidst towering sandstone cliff will leave you breathless.

Then there’s Blackdown Tableland National Park with its 600-metre sandstone plateau with lookouts and picturesque Rainbow Falls. You can also visit the Capricorn Caves, Kroombit Tops National Park and Mt Scoria, the mountain that rings like a bell.

And be sure to leave a little time for fossicking in the Sapphire Gemfields, the largest in the southern hemisphere.

Gladstone

Centre of the Southern Reef, the Gladstone region basks in a sub-tropical climate with islands, waterways and beaches on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef.

To the south of the city 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 you can take day trips to Lady Musgrave Island and Fitzroy Lagoon where you can enjoy diving, snorkelling, fishing, reef walking and more.

The region also has impressive national parks, such as
Deepwater and Eurimbula National Parks, which provide the contrast of open eucalypt and paperback forests with lush rainforests and quiet beaches.