QLD or Queensland is one helluva place to go. You can't do enough here or spend enough.
My buddy Burnsy did a trip at the Great Barrier Reef. He booked it in Cairns. He picked up
a sleazy backpacker named Sue in Brisbane and did her friend Brenda on Fraser Island. The Daintree
is an ecosystem unto itself. Learn how to sail in the Whitsundays.
Queensland (QLD)
Sunshine State/Smart State/Rent
A Condo And Lie On A Beach State
"'Where are you going in
Australia?' I asked a tourist, many times through a
Korean/Japanese/Chinese interpreter. 'Queensland,' they answered.
'And after that?" I continued. 'Queensland,' they repeated.
Many a foreign visitor flocks all the way to Australia to rent a condo
and lie on a beach the entire time."
Doug Knell,
Doug's Republic
We know why Queensland is nicknamed the Sunshine State. It
gets a lot of sun and models itself off Florida, America's Sunshine
State, going so far to borrow some of its theme parks. We know why
it's called the Smart State, too. It's combination of sun, surf,
and the infrastructure to match brings in cartloads of tourist revenues.
That's smart, isn't it? A place known as the Dumb State would have
to offer swamps, malaria, and dungpits, complete with horrid roads and
transport, and lose money.
In the 1990's, Queensland had Australia's fastest growing state economy.
Today, Queensland has Australia's fastest growing population.
1,500 people move to the state per week, and it's estimated that by the
late 2020's, it will become Australia's second most populous state.
By now, there must be plenty of native Queenslanders reminiscing when
prices were cheap. As recently as 2003, Queensland's
capital, Brisbane, had the lowest cost of living of all Australia's
state capitals. Just five years later, Queensland had the least
affordable housing in the nation. Queensland may want to
look to the American Sunshine State of Florida or Golden State of
California to see what rapid population growth can do to former
paradises.
Florida really is an apt comparison for Queensland. Both
function as retirement communities for their respective countries.
Residents from Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney either desire or buy
second homes in Queensland. Many migrate there after full
retirement begins.
Whatever you might say about the state, you can't knock its
many attractions. The Sunshine
Coast and the Gold Coast offer beach
attractions and attract Asians en masse.Up
in north is the city of Cairns, where trips
to the famous Great Barrier Reef
are launched. If you want to sail in paradise, you can take a trip
through the magical Whitsunday Islands.
And if you're eager to get sloshed, visit
Bundaberg, home of Australia's most famous rum.
Today's Queensland isn't for queens or kings. It's for anyone who
wants to sample a bit of the endless beach party.
QLD or Queensland gives you the bloody best
Australia has to offer. You can scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef -- the trips leave from Cairns typically.
Party on in the capital of Brisbane. See the self-contained ecosystem of Fraser Island, the Daintree Rainforest,
and sail your ass through the Whitsundays.
