FACTSHEET

CRUISING THE COAST OF

Experience cruising at its best along USEFUL FACTS one of the world’s most stunning coastlines, over the undersea >>Queensland occupies Australia’s north- >>Queensland has 13 cruise ship eastern corner, on the Coral Sea and destinations: , , wonderland of the Great Barrier Reef. Pacific Ocean. Mooloolaba, Fraser Island, Gladstone, Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach, >>Known as “the sunshine state”, Townsville, Trinity Wharf Cairns, Yorkey’s Golden surf beaches and towering cliffs Queensland’s coastal strip is temperate Knob, Port Douglas, Cooktown, and line the coast of Queensland, with a lush all year thanks to warm ocean waters, Thursday and Lizard Islands. hinterland of beyond. Just with a monsoonal wet season in the far offshore, a trail of islands and coral atolls north from November to April. >>The state capital of Brisbane has two leads the way from bustling Brisbane in the terminals – Portside Cruise Terminal >>The state contains six World Heritage south to tropical Cairns in the far north. and Port of Brisbane Grain Terminal. A listed preservation areas: Fossil third - Luggage Point Cruise Terminal - Cruise passengers may spot whales, Mammal Sites, Gondwana , will be in operation by 2019. dolphins and even dugongs, turtles and Fraser Island, Lamington National Park, manta rays from the ship, and on shore the Wet Tropics of Queensland and of >>Brisbane Airport is 9.64km from the take a crocodile tour, visit a turtle hospital, course, the Great Barrier Reef. Cruise Port with daily international, or spot koalas in the trees on Magnetic regional and domestic services. >>As the largest living structure on the Island. Queensland’s Indigenous cultural planet, stretching 2300 kilometres, the >>Cairns Airport is 8km from the Port of experiences range from beach walks to Great Barrier Reef can be seen from Cairns with interstate and domestic rainforest and art tours, to famous dance outer space, but is most spectacular flights as well as flights from Asia- experiences. Talk to your cruise lines when seen up close. Pacific region. about excursions. >>Tourism is Queensland’s leading tertiary >>Time in Queensland is GMT +10. industry with around 650,000 cruise passengers visiting each year and demand growing.

ASK THE EXPERT – WHY CRUISE QUEENSLAND? ‘Cruise passengers revel in the diverse range of experiences that can be had at Queensland’s 13 destinations. The chance to get to know a friendly local and discover what we love about living here, is one of the biggest things that sets us apart.’ Julie O’Brien, Destination and Experience Development Specialist, Tourism and Events Queensland FACTSHEET

MUST SEE DESTINATIONS

Brisbane – Port city Port Douglas – A stopover for some Brisbane is a culturally diverse city with cruise lines plenty for visitors to enjoy, including live Boasting a perfect tropical climate, Port music, theatres, museums and international Douglas is a sophisticated coastal resort cuisine. To the north and south are the village on the doorstep of the World famous beaches of Surfer’s Paradise and the Heritage Listed icons of the Daintree Gold Coast, rainforest vistas, rugged Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. Beautiful mountain ranges, waterfalls, clear mountain beaches, bustling beachside markets, great streams and ancient trees. Guests can tour dining, art, shopping and spa pampering the animal sanctuaries for an up-close are all on offer. wildlife encounter. Cairns/Yorkeys Knob – Port Fraser Island – A stopover for some The gateway to the heart of Tropical North cruise lines Queensland, the Port of Cairns is one of World Heritage Listed Fraser Island is the the country’s busiest cruise destinations. world’s largest sand island with huge Take a day trip out to the Great Barrier dune beaches including Seventy Five Reef and Tropic Rainforest, explore the Mile Beach. Native Aboriginal tribes call food and wine region of the Tablelands, this island K’Gari, meaning paradise. The experience local Indigenous culture or get island is home to ancient rainforests, sand up close with Australia’s famous wildlife. dunes, fresh water lakes and streams, and an abundance of birds and wildlife. Thursday Island – A stopover for some lines by request Hamilton Island & Airlie Beach – A Off Cape York Peninsula lies Queensland’s stopover for some cruise lines hidden gem, Thursday Island, where guests The Whitsundays is in the heart of the are welcomed by the Torres Strait Islanders MUST DO EXPERIENCES Great Barrier Reef, with 74 tropical islands whilst discovering World War II history >>Explore Brisbane from the river on the dotting the Coral Sea, and a lively mainland and an abundance of wildlife, including CityCat Ferry. hub at Airlie Beach. Visitors enjoy sailing dolphins, dugongs and turtles. and island hopping, spectacular beaches, >>Catch a perfect wave at Surfer’s Paradise national parks, snorkelling and diving on the Gold Coast. on the reef, island golfing, watersports, >>Meet a Koala at the Australia Zoo. skydiving and memorable dining. >>Watch wild dolphins swim right by the ship. >>Catch a didgeridoo performance at WHO CRUISES? Tjapukai Aboriginal Park. >>Take an outer reef cruise and snorkel over During summer, international transit ships Ships passing... beautiful coral beds. visit Queensland, stopping at one or several of the state’s 13 cruise destinations. The Carnival: Pacific Aria, Pacific Eden, Pacific >>Visit the pristine white sands and warm main voyages for the domestic fleet are Jewel, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Pearl waters of Airlie Beach. up the Queensland coast, or to the Pacific Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Solstice >>Dine on fresh seafood after sailing Islands or Papua New Guinea. The Pacific Crystal: Crystal Serenity through the Whitsunday Islands. Jewel cruises from Sydney to Moreton Island, Cunard: Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 whereas Pacific Dawn cruises the Pacific. >>Ride over spectacular Barron Falls on the Fred Olsen Cruise Lines: Black Watch Kuranda Scenic Rail or Skyrail. Holland America: Amsterdam The local fleet >>Catch sight of the famous Ulysses Oceania: MS Insignia butterfly in the Daintree Rainforest. Brisbane: Carnival Cruises/P&O Pacific P&O Princess Cruises: Sun Princess, Dawn Dawn, Pacific Aria, Princess Cruises Sun Princess, Sea Princess, Golden Princess Princess (homeported seasonally). P&O: Arcadia, Oriana USEFUL LINKS Cairns: Pacific Eden from Sept 2015 to Phoenix Reisin: The Albatross November 2016. >> Tourism and Events Queensland Royal Caribbean: Radiance of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Legend of the Seas >> twitter.com/teqld