Well here I am in Australia again, this time in Southern Queensland with a group of Australian Specialists. Our journey begins in the lovely cosmopolitan city of Brisbane, where we stay in the Brisbane Marriott, situated on the banks of the Brisbane River a short stroll from the beautiful Botanical Gardens and the shopping delights of Queens Street. One of the highlights of Brisbane is the South Bank, created for World Expo 1988. Here you can wander through cool parks, take a dip from sandy beaches into the swimming lagoon, or indulge your taste buds in the many and varied eateries. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday are Market Days, a good place to browse for a unique souvenir. On the outskirts of Brisbane is Lone Pine Sanctuary, here you can cuddle a Kuala, feed the Roo's and generally get to know Australia’s indigenous wildlife.

Next we are off to the Gold Coast, entertainment centre of Queensland. Here you will find SeaWorld, Warner Bros Movie World and Wet ‘n’ Wild theme parks; a mecca for family entertainment. But we are heading south to Surfers Paradise. There is a huge variety of high quality accommodation to choose from, we sample both hotels and apartments. If you don’t manage to get to Lone Pine, then take some time out to visit Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Fancy some local seafood? Try the Surf Clubs; they are open to guests and serve the most delicious food at very good prices. The Gold Coast is not all about sun, sand and surfing. Versace was so impressed with this area that they opened their first hotel here. Tip: if you don’t want to stay here (it’s actually cheaper than you think!) pop in for a meal and enjoy the sumptuous surroundings. We have a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, then surprise, surprise in a fleet of sports cars and Harley Davidson’s (!!!) we are off to the hinterland and Lamington National Park.

The hinterland is beautiful, rolling hills and lush pastures. We climb to the heart of the national park to visit O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat, run by the same family for over 90 years. Here in the sub-tropical rainforest you can take a tree top walk and look out for over 200 rare or endangered species, I strongly recommend a stay in their beautiful Mountain Villas. Now it’s my turn for a Harley ride, a drop of wine tasting at the Canungra Valley Vineyard, and then my ZZ Top look-alike whisks me off to the Hyatt Sanctuary Cove - nothing like roaring up to a 5*hotel on a Harley !! This beautiful hotel built in traditional 1940’s Queensland homestead style has rooms scattered amongst manicured gardens. With its golf course, marina and shops it’s a haven.

After being awoken by Cuckabooros, a quick swim and a hearty breakfast, we journey north to the Sunshine Coast. Our first stop is the now world famous Australia Zoo. Founded by Steve Irwin, the zoo reflects his passion for Australia and its wildlife, a little more commercialised than some may like, but definitely worth a visit, especially for families – Crikey, would you want to miss it? Then we travel up the coast past the Glasshouse Mountains to the lovely town of Noosa. Here you will find excellent restaurants, boutique hotels, sadly for us it’s just an overnight, next we are off to Fraser Island.

We catch the ferry from Hervey Bay for a very breezy 40 minute crossing to Fraser Island, our hotel for the next 2 nights is the Kingfisher Bay Resort. A 4 wheel-drive tour gave us a glimpse of the island’s huge diversity, from miles of sandy beaches to beautiful clear lakes and majestic rainforests, rounded off with wonderful meal of Aussie cuisine. The next day turned out to be the highlight of the whole trip. With a brisk wind and choppy seas we set off in search of whales. Nothing can prepare you for the experience of getting close to these magnificent creatures, we found a small pod of Humpbacks, it seemed they were as excited to see us, as we them. Two young males vied for our attention with their antics, whilst a mother slowly swam alongside our stationary boat; it’s hard to find adequate words to describe this amazing experience, it’s a memory I will always treasure. What a wonderful way to end a trip visiting new places and trying experiences.