Hi, guys. My name is Jessie (Ji-yeon) and I currently work as an intern in the Marketing department of Langports. I am from Korea and came to Australia 6 months ago as one of the Gap Year students to promote Queensland. Four other students and I have travelled around Queensland doing a lot of cool activities as well as studying English. Today, I would like to introduce the cities that I visited to give you more information to plan your wonderful journey in beautiful Queensland.
- Noosa
Noosa is about 2 hours away from Brisbane by car or bus and has beautiful beaches. Whenever I feel exhausted from daily stress, I pack my bag and head straight there! Noosa is clean, peaceful and so relaxing. Mainbeach is a great place to learn how to surf on small waves. It is not hard to learn and safe if you are with instructor; so you will regret if you miss the chance to ride a surf board on the blue ocean. If you are afraid of the water, you could instead go to Australia Zoo which is really nearby.
- Cairns
Cairns is located in Northern Queensland where it sometimes can be very hot and humid. The best time to visit Cairns is between June and August. Cairns is well known for the Great Barrier Reef and the Rainforest. Cairns is a unique city and has a different atmosphere from Brisbane or Gold Coast. One of the must do in Cairns is of course to snorkel or dive on the Great Barrier Reef. I saw the most amazing corals, colourful fish, and turtles while I was scuba diving there. The Kuranda Skyrail is a great walk to do if you wish to have a beautiful view of the Rainforest. Another fun activity is Jungle Surfing! You actually go into the rain forest hanging from one rope to another! It actually feels like you are flying in between trees!
- Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is one of the most touristic cities of Australia! Who doesn’t like to take a nap on the beach while hearing the sound of the waves breaking on the beach? There are heaps of things to do besides going to the beach after school. One of them is to climb Q1 SkyPoint. Q1 is the highest tower in Australia and you can actually go on the roof of the building to admire the stunning view of the Gold Coast! There are also great theme parks on the Gold Coast. Also, if you would like to learn more about aboriginals’ life, music and arts, there is also a great place near Burleigh Heads.
- Brisbane
Brisbane is the biggest city in Queensland and is a very multicultural city. Tall buildings, lots of people and beautiful river view at night are not everything that Brissy has to offer. Besides the Art Gallery, State Library and museum, you can also experience rock climbing, abseiling and kayaking at Kangaroo point! You can book online for the activities and they are easy and fun enough to make your weekends very special. Also, you can try to climb the Story Bridge. It is very safe and fun!
I only visited the 4 cities listed above but there is so much more to see in Australia. So, don’t be afraid to pack your bag and head to other cities to explore this beautiful country. Colour your life in Australia with all different colours and enjoy and see as much as you can. Study harder on week days to improve your English and play harder on weekends since you are here to discover new places! I hope my information helped you to plan your new unforgettable trips in Queensland. Have fun!