Located 45 kilometers from the city of Brisbane, the 125 kilometer-long Moreton Bay and its islands attract visitors interested in water and wildlife. Hire a boat or choose a spot on the shore to watch migrating humpback whales. The bay has been a designated marine park since 1993, and you're likely to see both seabirds and wading birds, while if you're lucky you might also catch a glimpse of turtle and dugong--a type of large marine mammal--in the seagrass meadows.
The 20,500-hectare Lamington National Park is part of the McPherson mountain ranges and offers visitors the opportunity to see rare plants and trees in a spectacular setting. Designated a World Heritage Area in 1995, Lamington National Park is a haven for walkers. Its most spectacular trail is the tree-top walk--not for anyone suffering from vertigo! The trail is made up of nine suspension bridges strung between the trees, up to 15 meters off the ground. Adventurous visitors can climb a ladder to a viewing platform in a tall fig tree 30 meters above ground level. The walk provides a bird's-eye perspective on the rainforest.
The Gold Coast is known across the world for its surfing, and the waves at Snapper Rock attract the world's top surfers, according to its website. The so-called "superbank" is the unintended by-product of an industrial sand-moving project; surfers soon discovered that the dumped sand had created one of the world's longest and most consistent point breaks. When the swell and the wind are right, it's possible to ride the wave for more than a kilometer. When the surf is good, the water is crowded and you stand a good chance of watching world champions in action.
The Dreamworld theme park comprises13 areas--including Tiger Island, Nick Central, The Australian Wildlife Experience and Whitewater World. Adults can try out the Big Six rides, including the 330-meter-long Tower of Terror, which accelerates riders from still to 161 kilometers per hour in seven seconds. Passengers experience weightlessness for several seconds during the ride. Kids can enjoy getting messy at the interactive Slime Bowl Theater, while young pirates can board the S.S. Feathersword to keep watch from the observation deck and play peek-a-boo through the portholes. Dreamworld is also home to a 400-seat IMax Theatre and AVPX, a laser game based on the Alien vs. Predator movie franchise.
