Getting Around State of Queensland

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Although train travel is expensive in QLD---it is still a wonderful way to see the state of QLD in a relaxed and slower style of travel.
The Sunlander is an old train and will most likely be replaced by the newer Tilt trains to and from Cairns and Brisbane in the near future.
It offers sleeper cars and sitting cars with recliner seats and plenty of leg room.
It has a club car to relax with a drink or a snack or if you like an opportunity to meet other travellers.There is also a dining car where you can have a more substantial meal.
The Queenslaner Class cars started to operate on June 2nd 2011 but are expensive.
This kind of travel is not for every one.
It departs Cairns every Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday @ 9:15 am and arrive at Brisbane every Wed,Friday & Sundays---approx 36 hours per trip, most times it is two/three hours late.
It also has train link coach connections from Proserpine to Airlie Beach and Maryborough West to Hervey Bay--(Fraser Island area).
The cost for an economy recliner seat from Cairns to Maryborough West is $431 aus and then an extra cost for the connection coaches.
The scenery is wonderful and gives the traveller an insight into the vast distances within QLD towns. The big picture windows are a great opportunity to take photo's from the train.

When I first saw the sign on the bus 'Gold Coast Shuttle' I thought that it said Gold Coast Shuffle...ha, ha, ha....and I was thinking that that would be an interesting dance.

Getting parking spaces close to the beach, even in the off season is not easy so the bus is a really good option.

Be Careful when taking trips to Fraser Island in a 4WD. It can be dangerous. Up to 11 people are shoved into a 4WD Landcruiser and head over driving for two days with whoever has a licence. Lots of roll overs occur because of in experienced drivers. Driving on sand is not easy ,there are tides ,rocks and dunes ,dingoes,other drivers,walkers and even an areoplane lands on the main beach there There are fantastic two day tours that are guided and are a great way to also go visit the island. Self driving can be great but there is an accident monthly on fraser with mainly injuries from other travellers (knees into noses etc).

I travelled from Brisbane to Cairns by bus. Got myself a mini travel pass which is valid for 45 days and allows unlimited stops between the two towns (no backtracking). The cheapest version of that pass is obtained & maintained online, 231 AU$ (Nov. 06).
Usually you have two or more buses covering the distance you want to travel. The buses used weren't brandnew, but still comfortable with onboard toilet. They were mostly on time, just once I had to wait for more than 30 min.
Competitor Premier has cheaper fares, but there's just one bus per day and you might end up having to wait for the bus at 2am...

Start at darthmilmo's VT pages for everything you want to know about transport & everything you want to know about 2/3 of the continent including the non-human inhabitants.

During your trip throughout Queensland, look at the color of the sign to determine which type of road you are going to be using:

Blue Signs indicate tollways

Green Signs indicate standard highways

Brown Signs indicate tourist or scenic roads.

Hope your trip to Queensland was as fun as mine!

As there are many airports throughout Queensland, I thought I would emphasize the only International Airport within this state. Direct flights from the US, NZ, and Southeast Asia find their way to Brisbane or as it is affectionately known, Bris-Vegas.

The airport does not seem very large, and was easy to negotiate, although we were disappointed at how small their carry-on luggage limits were. Only 7kgs is rather small for carry-on, and we needed to check our bags which caused us delays.

All in all, there was a good food selection in the airport, and the rental car was easy to get to.

Keep your eyes peeled for signs like this one as there are a number of turns to be made off the major road to eventually arrive at the Zoo. This sign tells you to take the Beerwah exit............could have done with a beer at that stage too.