Australia – Beaches, Cities & Resorts View Basket

Creative Holidays' aim is to equip you with a diverse range of holiday options. Once again Creative welcomes the services of Lonely Planet with its expertise, reliable and impartial destinational content and maps.

Creative Holidays understands that everybody has their own unique idea of the perfect holiday and it is this fundamental principle that helps the Creative Holidays team create this guide.

This brochure covers Australia-wide car and campervan hire as well as a huge range of sightseeing, accommodation and resort options throughout Australia.

Contents

Airlines • Maps • Car & Caravan Hire • Southern Queensland • Fraser Coast & Whitsundays • Tropical North Queensland • Sydney • Regional Nsw • Tasmania • Adelaide • Regional Victoria • Canberra • Melbourne • Central Australia • Darwin, Kakadu & Katherine • Perth • Regional Western Australia

Gold Coast

The 35km stretch of beach between Surfers Paradise and the New South Wales border has some of the most intensive tourist development in Australia combined with one of the most beautiful stretches of surf beach in the world. A mere 50 years ago none of this was here. The Gold Coast’s incredible transformation from a string of sleepy seaside towns, to modern multiplex, was attributed to some savvy tourism marketing in the 50’s and 60’s.

These days more than two million visitors descend on the strip every year, drawn by the sand, sea and surf and a whole host of theme parks and other glitzy attractions. This is tourism on a grand scale and if the commercialism does not appeal to you there is a little-visited but beautiful hinterland less than 30km from the beaches, with some excellent national parks, including Lamington and Springbrook.

Southeast Islands

Couran Cove Island Resort, located on South Stradbroke Island, just 40 minutes by ferry from the Gold Coast, and Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort, located on Moreton Island.

Sunshine Coast

Tourism has moved at a much slower pace north of Brisbane, and the resorts of the Sunshine Coast, a strip which stretches from the top of Bribie Island to just north of Noosa, are more low key than on the Gold Coast. That said, the high rise boom is already beginning at the southern end of the strip, so it may only be a matter of time. Caloundra, the first place on the strip is a sleepy beach resort, backed by an interesting area of hinterland. Mooloolaba is next and is pretty relaxed. Tucked away beside an excellent national park at the northern end of the strip is Noosa, the most fashionable and exclusive town on the coast, with lovely accommodation options.

Noosa

Surfers started gathering at this quiet cove at the southern end of the Cooloola Coast in the 1960’s, lured by the impressive point breaks around Noosa headland. Today Noosa is a thriving and modern resort with the surfers joined by throngs of wealthy holidaymakers, who come here to shop for designer clothes and to dine in Noosa’s magnificent restaurants.

Although it is very developed, Noosa is refreshingly low rise, and blends neatly into the surrounding Noosa National Park, which covers a number of peaceful coves around the headland. Most of the action is concentrated on Noosa Heads, at the mouth of Noosa River where you will find Hastings Street. Noosa attracts visitors from all over the world. It has wonderful restaurants, shops, pristine beaches to swim, snorkel and surf in. Noosa is only 30 minutes from the Sunshine Coast airport or a 2 hour drive from Brisbane airport. With mild temperatures all year round this is a great holiday destination.

Hervey Bay & Fraser Island

You need to see the 10km stretch of idyllic beach for yourself to appreciate why Hervey Bay is such a popular holiday destination. It may be best known for its humpback whale watching between mid July and late October, but it has a lot more to offer for its many visitors year round.

Hervey Bay is full of history, beautiful scenery and attractions and 14 kilometers of golden sand beaches. There is no shortage of things to do and see – from relaxing on unspoilt beaches to water sports for those visitors who are a little more adventurous.

Fraser Island is a unique island its unusual formation of sand and rainforest make it a special source of adventure for visitors to explore. Spanning 124 kilometres and covering an area of 163,000 hectares Fraser Island has developed over a period of 800,000 thousand years with fantastic coloured sand cliffs, unique fresh water lakes and diverse flora and fauna. You may not be able to explore every inch of this sand island, so just a small taste will leave you feeling charmed and captivated.

Rockhampton & Offshore Islands

Rockhampton is known as the ‘Beef Capital of Australia’.

There are more than two million cattle within a 250km radius of the city and unsurprisingly this is a great place to tuck into a steak. Rockhampton is located on the Tropic of Capricorn and is 40 kilometres drive inland from the Capricorn Coast and the Pacific Ocean. Queensland’s largest river the the mighty Fitzroy River, flows through the heart of the city, giving it a lush ambience.

The magnificent Berserker Ranges and Mt Archer provide an imposing backdrop to the city. There are some spectacular old buildings around the town, with many situated along Quay Street which runs alongside the river. There are a number of beautiful parks and gardens around the town, including the fabulous Botanic Gardens and Victoria Park in the southern part of Rockhampton, and the Kershaw Gardens in the northern part of Rockhampton.

Rockhampton is one of Australia’s most diverse cities. Surrounded by coastal and rural landscapes, the city truly is the definition of the outback meeting the reef. There are endless attractions, landmarks, wildlife and beautiful scenery to visit, not to mention the unique experience of witnessing a bull ride in the heart of the city.

Whitsundays

This is the stuff postcard dreams are made of. In the heart of the Queensland tropics you will find – cloudless skies, glossy azure seas and a magnificent smear of flawless isles. This half drowned mountain range plays host to coral gardens, sea turtles and countless species of fish. Much of the archipelago and its surrounding turquoise water belong to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and also fall within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area that stretches from Cape York in the north to Bundaberg in the south, ensuring that this huge adventure playground stays as pristine as possible.

There are more than 90 islands sprinkled across the clear blue waters of the Whitsunday’s, most are uninhabited, pristine national parks, a handful have resorts ranging from budget options up to the ultimate in five star luxury. Dive the Great Barrier Reef, sink your feet into the soft white sands of Whitehaven Beach or sail in the crystal clear waters around the rugged green shapes of the Whitsunday islands.

Townsville

Townsville is a sunny, laid back city where the outback meets the tropics on Queensland’s North Coast. Townsville is the states second largest city and is a cheerful and fresh place, with a relaxed, waterfront café scene and an affable population. Offshore sits exquisite and accessible Magnetic Island, with unpopulated beaches and excellent bushwalking tracks. Between the island and the mainland the waters teem with hundreds of varieties of fish and coral that form part of the Great Barrier Reef. As the landscape departs the coast and heads towards the interior, the terrain becomes sun burnt and immense.

Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island is only 8 kilometers from Townsville and roughly triangular in shape. It is full of giant granite boulders, hoop pines and swathes of eucalypts. Half of the island is national park and a haven for rock wallabies, bats and brushtail possums. Bird life bursts out of the bush and it is the largest natural koala sanctuary in Queensland. A good network of trails makes for some spectacular bushwalking and the surrounding waters are also part of the precious Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area.

Tropical North Queensland

Tropical, wild and rugged, Queensland‘s Far North proves the theory that size does not matter. Although small geographically, this stunning destination contains the richest pockets of biodiversity in Australia, if not the world. The dense and ancient rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area coat the landscape, spilling out on to gorgeous beaches. Offshore lies the spectacular Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The highland region of the Atherton Tableland forms a leafy backdrop to the coast, concealing volcanic crater lakes, waterfalls and gigantic strangled fig trees. One of the few places in the world where tropical rainforest meets the sea, Cape Tribulation is part of North Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Known as Kulki by the local indigenous people, Cape Trib is one of the most popular day trips from Port Douglas and Cairns.

Cairns

Cairns shines with the carnival atmosphere of travellers all year round and the city is positively booming. In 2003 the foreshore was given a Hollywood makeover, with lagoons and the spanking Pier Marketplace, equipping Cairns to be a truly international tourist destination. The city is an adventurer’s paradise. It is a centre for scuba diving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, canoeing, horse riding and sky diving. Aside from limitless accommodation and dining options, markets, culture, shopping and seaside atmosphere, Cairns’ big drawcard is its access to the outer tentacles of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s also a good base to discover Port Douglas, the Atherton Tableland, Cape Tribulation and beyond. Cairns has a neat variety of eateries. You’ll find restaurants, cafes and pubs clustered along Shields Street. Your options will range from traditional Aussie tucker served in hefty portions or international cuisines in more manageable amounts.This juicy chunk of far north Queensland will bamboozle you with its awesome natural beauty both on land and sea. With its lush rainforests and stunning reefs, Cairns’ attractions can suit the coddled tourist and the intrepid outdoor types alike.

Cairns Beaches

Holloways Beach

Holloways Beach is only a 10 minute drive north of Cairns. It a small secluded beach with coconut palms overhanging the beachfront. A stinger net is installed over the summer months which makes Holloways Beach a swimming beach throughout the entire year. There are several dining facilities available, including a Cafe with outdoor dining right on the beachfront and also a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor dining, also right on the beachfront. Both overlook the Coral Sea out to the Great Barrier Reef.

Palm Cove

Palm Cove is approximately 20 minutes north of Cairns airport. The charm of Palm Cove’s natural beauty is enhanced by its picturesque village atmosphere where you can dine at one of the many outdoor restaurants or enjoy a leisurely drink looking out on the Coral Sea. There are many things to do in Palm Cove including guided kayaking to nearby reefs, a wildlife nature park, tennis and golf. Great Barrier Reef tours pick up right from Palm Cove jetty at the northern end of the beach and most day tour company’s pick up and drop off in Palm Cove.

Port Douglas

Beautiful Port Douglas is refreshingly low-rise resort town, nestled into a rich green pocket of the far north. Port Douglas outclasses Cairns in the hip stakes. It’s a reef resort with a long stretch of beach backed by palm trees, and an atmosphere far different from its southern rival Cairns. Its streets are lined with expensive eateries and clothes shops, and exclusive resorts. The town has a relaxed feel to it, especially on the weekend when the “down at heel” beer gardens of its pubs fill up with drinkers and its outdoor Sunday markets take over Anzac Park. There is also the gorgeous Four Mile Beach an uninterrupted stretch of palm-fringed white sand beach that stretches as far as your eyes can see. You can make trips to the Low Isles, Great Barrier Reef, Mossman Gorge, the Tableland and Cape Tribulation from here.

Dunk Island

The Island of Peace and Plenty. Located approximately four kilometres off the Tropical North Queensland Coast from Mission Beach, Dunk Island covers 1,000 hectares of golden sands, palm lined beaches, tranquil waters and thriving rainforest.

Lizard Island

Located right on the spectacular Great Barrier Reef and fringed with coral Reefs and 24 powdery white beaches, Lizard Island is one of Australia’s premier island resorts. Featuring 40 elegant villa, the resort offers sensational diving, snorkelling, gourmet beach picnics, sailing, fishing and indulgent spa treatments. Note that children 12 years and under are not catered for.