The clear warm waters and blue skies of Queensland make this region the number one dive haven in the world for Queensland holidays.

1. Cod Hole at Ribbon Reefs in North Queensland offers scuba divers a large selection of local potato cod, as well as red bass, emperor and Maori wrasse. Divers can actually see the fish being fed by dive masters. Coral, anemone, giant clams and pyramid butterfly fish abound in this Queensland holidays paradise.
2. Osprey Reef on the Coral Sea in North Queensland has a reputation as one of the most glorious dive sites worldwide is well deserved, for its pristine soft coral and year-round viewing of white tip reef sharks, which are comfortable being around people. Divers can watch from 20 meters deep in a natural amphitheater. Crabs, shrimp, octopus and nautilus are viewed as well.
3. The SS Yongala Wreck in Townsville offers an amazing variety of marine life to the diver in this 110-meter wreck, long considered to be one of the most intact wrecks in the world. Gropers, barracuda, turtles, sea snakes and clown rays are a few of the sea creatures that abound here.
4. Wheeler Reef in Townsville offers one of the greatest biodiversity on this platform reef that offers white sands, bommies, brilliant soft coral, an amazing assortment of fishes and is rated as a superb night dive.
5. Bait Reef at Whitsundays on Great Barrier Reef is an ideal spot for Queensland holidays and is a well-known dive and ideal for snorkelers and scuba divers. Beginners dive to 30 feet, but more advanced divers can explore the true beauties deeper.
6. Hardy Reef at Whitsundays on the Great Barrier Reef is a patch reef, with dives up to 70 feet. An overnight pontoon is available.
7. Heron Island in Central Queensland hosts a nesting ground for green turtles on this coral cay that’s dense with vegetation. Shore and off-shore snorkeling and diving.
8. Lady Elliott Island in Central Queensland is located on the southerly end of the Great Barrier Reef, with 19 dive sites in the vicinity. Coral gardens makes an ideal dive at night, offering a gorgeous bounty of marine life. Manta rays, stingrays, turtles and reef sharks are teaming in this dive. Reef sharks are seen patrolling the reef wall. The Lady Elliott Eco Resort includes reef walks, snorkeling and diving.
9. Wolf Rock on the Sunshine Coast is made up of four volcanic pinnacles for gorgeous swim-through dives to see the black coral trees, soft spiky coral and hard corals, as well as spiral sea whips. Coral trout, perch, cod and travelly are among the fish life in this dive.
10. The HMS Brisbane was sunk in 2005 and is the newest wreck, and sits upright on the ocean floor, 28 meters down. It’s largely been kept in original condition. Access to divers is granted via holes into the forward engine room and boiler room, where divers can view the diverse marine life of sponges, corals, crustaceans and urchins. This dive is restricted to certified divers with a licensed dive tour operator.

photo by gruntzooki

If you are one of those dreamers who has decided to take off on your own epic adventure, you are probably wondering where to go. For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, a country like Australia seems so far away and difficult to get to, but if you are planning an extended trip, making Australia part of your trip makes sense. Time is finally on your site. If you do decided to go to Australia, then you might want to add Melbourne to your RTW trip itinerary.

Melbourne is known as Australia’s cultural capital, and it won’t take long in this city to see why. The variety of architecture around the city is stunning, and there are tons of options for museums, theater, galleries, and shopping. If you are into sports, the you’ve come to the right place as they are fanatical here in Melbourne. Learn Australian Rules Football or catch a cricket match during your time here to really integrate yourself into the culture. There are also plenty of places to explore beyond the city limits, making Melbourne an even more attractive place for RTW travelers.

Photo credit: 1

This is part of the reason why you should consider adding Sydney to your itinerary if you are planning a trip around the world. Long term, RTW travel gives you the freedom of having time, so who cares if it takes you several days of flying to get there. Time is on your side, so traveling to Sydney as part of your RTW trip gives you an opportunity that you may not otherwise have.

Many long-term, round the world travelers are traveling on a pretty tight budget, so traveling in an expensive, western city like Sydney may be rough on the budget. But there are plenty of ways to travel in Sydney and not spend a fortune. Our sister site over at BootsnAll has been updating all their city pages to offer indie travel tips that help travelers get the most of their trips to each city. If you are planning a trip to Australia, then it would be beneficial to check out the indie travel tips for Sydney and find out why you should add this wonderful city to your RTW trip.

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While in the Gold Coast on a media trip, I was given the opportunity to eat at two very nice restaurants, each with differing menus, however, much like in the question this post is posing.

Glass – Glass is a restaurant located right on the Marina Mirage over in Main Beach (a 3 minute walk from Gold Coast Helitours), with seating right on the water. It is classy and laid-back at the same time. Only, the actual process of looking through the menu and deciding what to eat took us far longer than expected given the choice — something I both love and hate at the same time. Since I lack taste buds for liking certain foods that others often love (like mushrooms and seafood), I find that menus heaps of choice make sure I am able to find something that makes my mouth water. On the other hand, it got to a point where I had to just close the menu and decide on the last item I saw because there were too many good options to choose from.

Little Truffle – Little Truffle is a restaurant in Mermaid Beach serving up modern Australian cuisine spiced with European flair – extremely delicious – and with the exact opposite mindset when it comes to the menu. The chef even came out for a chat with us at dinner and explained that their restaurant believed in offering up a few options on the menu, but doing them to the best of their ability. And, what I had was spectacular — confit pork belly with pea and mint puree and caramelized apples — but I definitely had but a few to choose from. It wasn’t an issue at Little Truffle because I liked many of the options, but I have been to certain restaurants where I had to pick one specific dish, and I wasn’t happy about it.

It probably depends on a person’s specific tastes, but I’m curious to hear from you on what your preference is for menu choices: a lot or a little.

Photo credit.

South of Brisbane lies the spectacular Gold Coast, 70 kilometres of coastline that blends sophisticated urban charms with some of the most beautiful natural settings in the world. While there are many state-of-the-art theme parks and amusements throughout the region, the knockout attractions are provided by nature with these 5 a must-see on your Gold Coast holidays.

The Beach at Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise, capital of the Gold Coast, is home to the region’s most popular beach. While there are quieter beaches and surfier beaches and some say even prettier beaches, the broad, powdery sand of Surfers Paradise has it all. Families will feel at home here, as will new surfers seeking gentle swells and helpful instruction. When night falls, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and open-late malls provide the up-tempo vibe Surfers Paradise is famous for.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

A blend of bushland and rainforest, this unique sanctuary features hundreds of Australia’s indigenous animals in natural settings. Visitors can explore on their own or join one of the many guided walking tours. One can also sightsee from the train that circles the park, or via a Segway Safari. There are numerous chances to get close to and feed kangaroos, lorikeets, koalas and other animals, while exhibitions and spots to rest and have a snack make this a complete day’s fun for the whole family.

Lamington National Park

With mountains, gorges, and over 500 waterfalls, this World Heritage park embraces one of the world’s largest remaining sections of subtropical rainforest, including Antarctic beech trees over 5,000 years old. It’s an important regional sanctuary for endangered species, especially several varieties of brilliantly colored birds and butterflies. Trails throughout the park are scaled from short and easy to longer and more challenging, and a special treat is the Tree Top Walk, a chance to explore the forest canopy on a series of walkways 15 metres above the ground.

Cruising

Cruising the coastal waters is enjoyable at any time of year and there are numerous excursions, to choose from. The waterways of a city like Surfers Paradise will treat you to views of sumptuous waterfront homes, while May to November is prime time for whale watching on the ocean. In May, June and July adult humpbacks can be seen heading north to breed in warm waters. In August the humpbacks begin their migration back south, and mothers with calves can often be spotted.

Hot Air Ballooning

Of all the attractions to be had on the Gold Coast, one that consistently gets high marks is hot air ballooning. Balloon tours operate throughout the area, and there’s fierce competition to make each trip memorable. Some tours traverse the coastline while others venture far inland to the Hinterlands, where visitors report being able to spot kangaroos bouncing along on the ground below. One extremely popular excursion sets out just before dawn, and visitors watch the sunrise as they toast the day in with champagne.

While visiting, don’t overlook a significant bonus attraction – the food. The Gold Coast is a hotbed of Mod Oz cooking, a delicious cuisine featuring local ingredients in dishes influenced by the Vietnamese, Thai, Italian and Greek immigrants who’ve come to Australia in the past two generations.

photo by P733

Not only is the hotel comfortable, colorful and inviting on the inside, it just looked like a place you would want to hang out at with your friends on any night out. Plus, there’s the Stingray Lounge, the Yamagen sushi joint and the oh-so-delectable Bazaar restaurant to keep you entertained right on-site.

The hotel is buzzing — buzzing from the designer decor and the people within. There are 297 rooms, done up in hip beach style, that either provide a view of the ocean or the mountains and river behind. Enjoy your welcome homemade lemonade up on your room’s balcony, or head down to the outdoor pool and spa area. Both make for relaxing dips into the world of QT.

The Stingray Lounge

On my stay, we had a room on one of the upper floors with an ocean view. When you opened the door, you could hear the waves crashing onto the beaches of the Gold Coast.

The Hotel Room

What’s even better are the combined hotel and meal packages on offer at QT. You can get your weekend stay, a dinner at the fabulous Bazaar restaurant and breakfast there as well, for one discounted price.

Fresh Lemonade at QT Hotel

Check out the QT Hotel in the Gold Coast. Located at 7 Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise, 4127.

>> Be sure to read about my top hostel picks in the Gold Coast if interested in a more budget stay.

My stay at QT Hotel was provided free-of-charge courtesy of Gold Coast Tourism, but all words are my own.

Or, you might envision yourself walking on the streets of China, picking up barbecue pork buns or fried noodles for an evening meal.

Bazaar sounds exotic and rustic… and enticing. I wanted to eat there from the moment I read through my Gold Coast itinerary and the visions above played out in my head.

We arrived for our dinner at Bazaar on the first night of the trip with eagerness. First impressions: not nearly as rustic as expected. The trendy and modern vibe of the hotel, however, weaves throughout shiny steel workstations adorned with crock pots and baskets set in front of fiery ovens and hot woks. To the left as you entered hung curing meat — whole pigs and salamis just waiting to be used for the next dish.

The first section of Bazaar was set with crock pots of slow-cooked meals, everything from barbecue ribs to duck a l’orange, and side dishes that included made-to-order zucchini flowers. If you want a steak, this is where you ask your working chefs, each manning their stations of the buffet like individual market stalls.

The next section is stocked up with fresh breads and homemade pizzas, laid out next to overflowing baskets of cheeses and fresh fruits. The seafood section looks like a grid of oysters and prawns set out on ice.

Round the corner to find the Asian food section where hot woks are in use to prepare stir-fry and other Asian food delights. Don’t forget about the dumplings and buns being kept warm in their bamboo steamers.

The best part about Bazaar? You can ask the chefs to prepare anything you desire… that is if you can’t find what you like already laid out.

Bazaar could be classified as one of the most surprising buffet dining experiences ever. Even at $60 per person, it is not a tough sell given the class of food on offer in such funky surrounds. You’ll go on a worldwide tour just over dinner with bits of cuisine from here and there, and let’s not forget about dessert, which there is never a shortage of at Bazaar.

My dinner at Bazaar was provided courtesy of Gold Coast Tourism, but all words are my own.

Thanks to Gold Coast Tourism, however, I finally was given the opportunity to take one for a spin over the very scenic Gold Coast. Better than the views was the company, Gold Coast Helitours, that was both jovial and hilarious (just wait until you watch their pre-boarding video).

About My Ride

Gold Coast Helitours, located down at Marina Mirage, whisked my boyfriend and I away on a 15 minute journey over the Gold Coast. We went up towards SeaWorld, back towards the hinterland and out over the beaches and the ocean. It provided the best possible perspective of the deceptively wet area, as well as the overwhelming natural beauty of the landscape.

>> Read about how to get the best views of the Gold Coast

Brooke in the chopper.

We popped on headsets with microphones so we could hear the pilot and we could talk to each other (without them would have been very loud!). And then we took off! Can I just say now that helicopters are very weird machines… and small. There is no steady feeling like you would get in an airplane; instead you feel a little wobbly if that makes sense. We even had a little bit of the sea-leg syndrome when we got back to land.

You might be thinking that 15 minutes is not a very long ride, but once you get up there, you really feel as though that amount of time lets you take it all in. There are, in fact, 5 or 10 minute rides, or even flights that transport you from the Gold Coast to the Brisbane Airport — if you need that sort of service.

More Than Scenic Tours

Gold Coast Helitours has combined a helicopter ride with the ever-popular tandem skydive! The Gold Coast is one of the top places in the country to fall from the sky, so why not add that little feature onto your ride?

For more romantic and special occasions, the company can take customers out to a secluded beach location for a private picnic. Or, they can help you pop the question with banner towing or sand writing.

As mentioned before, they offer airport transfers, as well as corporate charters. It’s a very versatile company!

Check out the Gold Coast Helitours official website.

I received this ride for free as part of a media trip with Gold Coast Tourism, but all words are my own.

The exact landmass covered was not something I really understood until we took to the sky.

The sky is generally always the best way to view any landscape, and I highly recommend two ways to go about it in the Gold Coast: visiting SkyPoint or viewing it from a helicopter.

Get 360 degree views from the SkyPoint Observation Deck.

SkyPoint is an observation deck located on the 77th floor of the Q1 residential tower. Once up there, you can grab a drink or a snack at the bar and then bask in the glory of endless views across the beaches or towards the hinterland.

From SkyPoint, it is easy to see the layout of the land, that containing both lush green foliage and of course the golden sands. The view from SkyPoint is also brilliant in the evening when the lights provide the full effect.

Float above the Gold Coast with Gold Coast Helitours.

Even if only for a short ride, getting into the air with a chopper is a surreal and eye-opening experience. My ride with Gold Coast Helitours was just 15 minutes, but it was a good amount of time to take in the environment. We swooped over the ocean, headed up around SeaWorld and headed back towards the hinterland.

The weaving bodies of water that compose a good percentage of the Gold Coast were in full view, and I was in awe.

Of course, there is also a third way to get a view of the Gold Coast, and that would be by skydiving. Read more about things to do in this adult playground.

I was provided both of these experiences free of charge having been a guest of Gold Coast Tourism. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Mount Tamborine is one popular destination for a getaway in the Gold Coast Hinterland given its secluded vibe, the rainforest surroundings and the artistic attractions. Here are 8 things you can do on Tamborine Mountain when the Brisbane or Gold Coast city life has been a bit too much.

Stroll the Gallery Walk

Gallery Walk is a popular street in Mount Tamborine that is lined with a number of arts and crafts type shops. It’s called a “walk” because visitors are meant to park the car before getting out to explore the 70 odd shops along the way. Check out Long Road for places like Mayfield Chocolates, She Beads, Simply Sandwiches and Capanart Gallery.

Hang at the MT Brewery and the Witches Chase Cheese Company

Obviously the two things go together, so it makes sense that the MT Brewery and the Witches Chase Cheese Company are found in the same building! Right at the end of the Gallery Walk, it is the perfect place to end the stroll — relaxing with a tasting tray of beers and cheesy snacks.

Sip some red at the Mount Tamborine Vineyard & Winery

If beer and cheese isn’t the proper combo for your taste buds, perhaps some wine and cheese will do. The Mount Tamborine Vineyard & Winery is located on Long Road, in the heart of the Gallery Walk. Inside, you’ll find a restaurant, coffee shop and gift shop.

Relax at the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Garden

Located on Forsythia Drive, the botanic gardens covers 11 hectares of land and features several themed garden areas (Japanese garden, Rose garden, Bromeliad garden). It’s the perfect place to bring a picnic, so why not stop of for some treats at the Gallery Walk before heading this way.

Indulge in a sensory dining experience at Songbirds

The Songbirds Rainforest Retreat is located deep in the rainforest of Mount Tamborine, and it is there that you can also dine at the delightful, unforgettable Songbirds Restaurant. The dishes created are full of unique flavors and the atmosphere is open and serene. When you’re done dining, laze away the afternoon in the garden with a nice cocktail or glass of wine. In other words, plan for an extra long outing.

Tip toe in the trees on the Skywalk

The Skywalk is a tree top walk in the rainforest of Mount Tamborine. The path is 300 meters in length and towers 30 meters above the creek in the valley below. The entire walk takes about 1 hour and is pram and wheelchair accessible.

Go chasing waterfalls

Several walks are tracked out on Tamborine Mountain that lead to waterfalls. To get to one, follow the circuits to Curtis Falls, Witches Falls or Cedar Creek Falls, the latter being the easiest of the three walking paths.

Marvel at the Tamborine Glow Worm Caves

The Glow Worm Caves are part of the Cedar Creek Estate Vineyard and Winery. The caves have been artificially constructed and the glow worms implanted a number of years ago to produce a fully functional glow worm experience.

Now, doesn’t a trip to the Gold Coast Hinterland just seem like a lot of fun?

My visit to Songbirds was provided as part of a media trip, but all thoughts expressed are my own.