QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

QUEENSLAND

AUSTRALIA

Queensland is the next biggest state in Australia, after Western Australia. It has been visited by Dutch explorers before Captain Cook arrived back in 1770.

Western Australia's Pelsart group of Islands has a tragic history of a Dutch ship back in 1630 on its way to Batavia, Dutch East Indies, ending its existence on a reef. Not so Queensland though. Captain Cook climbed the hill of settlement, currently called 1770, to honor the Captain, had a good bird's eye view of the reefs and safely took his ship through the passage.

Queensland is famous for its coastline. There are only a few inland centres based on mineral resources giving jobs and some stations inhabited by farmers. The majority of the population is hugging the coast and coastal cities.

Sailing is popular and sailing grounds fabulous. In fact, early April a procession of yachts escapes winter in Victoria and NSW and is sailing up the Queensland Coast in search of sunshine and warmth. Well, with plenty of sunshine there are also numerous storms. However, those pass fast and enhance sunsets.

The coastline is scenic and can be dramatic. Stretches of long sandy beaches are tourist free, true nature at its best of scarcely inhabited Far North Queensland. Just beware of crocodiles in vicinity of mangroves. It is their territory. There is also plenty of harmless wildlife to admire.

The advantage of cruising up the Queensland coast is access to islands and bays that cannot be visited by road. There are no roads in the bush, rainforest and wilderness.

Cruising the Queensland coast is the best form of transport, it is also most enjoyable way to travel. A company of man's best friend, alerting one to dolphins swimming of the bow wave, makes cruising that much more enjoyable.

To ponder on the beauty of nature while observing spectacular sunsets accompanied by sundowners on deck is another attraction of cruising the Queensland Coast.