When travelling around somewhere there's always the places you want to go, see, experience. You're in Thailand you want to see the elephant sanctuary, you're in New York you want to get to the top of the Empire State, you're in Australia you want to see Sydney Opera House. Of course there's nothing wrong with wanting to see these things you've just got to do them.
But there's always more. The touristy parts are only the shell of a place. To really discover somewhere you've got to dig deeper, go further and take the road less traveled.
Most of the time I've been in Australia I've been in Queensland and it's a beautiful state. It's got oceans, rainforests and of course the outback. Is there anything else you could want?
But aside from Byron Bay, Cairns and Brisbane there's heaps of gems to discover and here are just a few.
Toowoomba
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| Pizza & Pie in Toowomaba - a must |
After shopping, bars and restaurants but with a quieter feel that the city? Toowoomba, also known as the garden city, is the place for you. A few k's, well 125km but in Australian terms not much, west of Brisbane and set in among a beautiful range it's a great spot. Head to the top of the range for some awesome photos and great picnic spots. A definite must is the Sunday market for some great food, gifts and everything else a good market should have. Also check out the cathedral and one of the 150 parks in the city.
Longreach
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| Longreach Stockman's Hall of Fame |
Longreach is a real outback town and in all honesty there doesn't seem that much there to see. However it's home to the Stockman's Hall of Fame. The museum is a must for anyone who wants to know some more about the Australian outback and the origins of farming the land. I'll have a whole post about the museum soon as I visited recently so look out for that. You'll also find the QANTAS founders museum is Longreach as it was one of the founding centres for the airline.
Mooloolaba
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| Mooloolaba by evening light |
If you're looking for a quiet but beautiful beach spot this is the one. Think Noosa heads but quieter and less tourist packed. You'll find restaurants, cafes and bars and a beautiful beach which is hard to find a rival for. Located in the heart of the Sunshine Coast you can't really miss it if you're exploring the Queensland coast.
Is there anywhere off the beaten track you think I should visit? Let me know in the comments or send me a tweet.
Until next time,
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