Queensland, Australia - A Look at a Beautiful, Sunny State

Queensland is a sunny state in the north east of Australia. The state encompasses 1.72 million km, forming 25% of Australia's land mass. this area consists of lush rainforests, rough outback and gorgeous beaches.
Queensland has an average of 300 sunny days a year - Temperatures range from 10 to 30 degrees with rare extremes forcing the gauge up to 35 degrees or an occasional 40.
The winters are generally mild in this subtropical destination with few areas getting snow. The one exception is the granite belt which occasionally gets snow. Most parts of Queensland rarely get more than a heavy early morning frost during winter.

Queensland was first landed by Dutch explorer William Jansz in 1606. Original settlement of the Queensland area didn't begin till the late 1700's and only as a penal colony for convicts from England. 
Until 1851 Queensland didn't exist in its own right - it was considered a part of New South Wales. In 1851 Queen Victoria gave permission for Queensland to become a state in its own right.
June 6 is now the day celebrated as the birth day of Queensland.
Promises of new land brought nearly 25,000 settlers to the new state and gold discovered in Rockhampton allowed Queensland to survive the 1866 depression.
The current Queensland flag design was officially adopted in 1876.

Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland and is home to an estimated 2 million people.
The city is perched on the Brisbane river which was named after governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane.
Brisbane is based on a large wheel concept with the centre of the wheel constituting the large central business area with many shops, casinos and activities.
Brisbane is only a few hours drive from the popular Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

Each year Queensland takes on its neighbour state, New South Wales in a series of Rugby League games known as the State of Origin. 
The series began in 1980 and consists of a shield granted to the winners state for the following year. The champion must win two out of the three games. If the game is tied, the previous year's winner keeps the shield.
The State of Origin has evolved into a well known yearly event with fierce but friendly competition between the two states - Queensland, dressed in maroon, are effectionately known as the toads and NSW, dressed in blue, as the cockroaches.

Australia has some of the best beaches in the world - over 10,000 of them. Queensland boasts some of the countries best.
The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are popular tourist destinations that have many beaches to choose from. The beaches are clean and most have suitable water for surfing as well as trained lifeguards. Some beaches boast beautiful rock pools and scattered shells.
The coastal towns surrounding these beaches also offer plenty of variety for the visitor including large shopping centres, quality accommodation and a variety of theme parks and entertainment.

Australia is one of the largest producers of raw sugar and Queensland produces nearly 95% of this export.
The raw sugar is is extracted from a tall tropical grass that is grown in many areas of north Queensland. The sugar cane must grow for over a year before it can be harvested.
Harvesting the sugar cane involves either cutting it while green or burning it before the raw sugar is extracted and turned into quality sugar.

The great barrier reef was made a world heritage site in 1981 and allows limited human use and interaction. However it is a popular tourist location for those wanting to dive, snorkel and take photos of the gorgeous underwater life.

The great barrier reef is the world's largest reef system and stretches over 2,600 kilometres. The reef has a diverse range of colourful fish and other sea life that thrives in this unique environment.

The Whitsunday islands are a group of 74 islands off the Queensland coast that boast gorgeous beaches, natural rainforest and plenty of tourist attractions. 
The islands are located near the great barrier reef and features plenty of activities including boating, diving, scenic walks and quality accommodation.