Moreton Island is the third largest sand island in the world, situated to the northeast of Brisbane, and 95% of the island is protected as a national park. There are no roads here, and popular activities include sand tobogganing, kayaking, surfing and snorkelling amongst the shipwrecks just offshore.

Sunny Townsville is a great introduction that everything that Queensland has to offer, sandwiched between palm-fringed beach and rugged outback. It’s a friendly and walkable city, with a fascinating museum and an aquarium that gives you a taste of the Great Barrier Reef.

Cairns is a buzzing tourist hub, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. A snorkelling trip out to the reef is the most obvious excursion to take here, but other options include riding the Skyrail cableway over the rainforest canopy or swimming in the croc-free saltwater lagoon.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s true natural wonders, a remarkable marine habitat stretching for some 1,600 miles along the coast of Queensland. This string of idyllic islands and colourful reefs offers some of the best snorkelling and diving on earth, along with stunning beaches and pristine rainforest.

More of a large town than a city, Darwin is less about what’s contained within the city limits and more about the huge expanse of wild landscape that’s outside it. Closer to Jakarta than Sydney, the city really does feel remote in its tropical perch.

Komodo Island is situated within an area of spectacular natural beauty, home to the famous Komodo dragon. The stunning beaches are tinged with pink thanks to the high concentration of red coral just offshore, and the waters draw intrepid divers from all over the world.