How to Get the Most of Your Holiday to Gladstone, Queensland

Gladstone 550 km north of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia is spread around the hills surrounding its natural deep water harbour, among the largest and busiest ports in the country. While the city offers access to pristine coastal areas, picturesque islands, agricultural and mining areas, it is also a popular take off point for trips to the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

Step 1: Getting There

The Dawson highway that originates in the city and runs 403 km westward and ends in Springsure is one of the ways to get in and out of the city. The Bruce Highway from Brisbane and connections from Rockhampton are among the other ways to get to Gladstone by road. Greyhound Australia offers daily coach services. The city is a major stop for long distance passenger trains on the North Coast Railway line. It is also a stop for coal trains. Gladstone airport about 6 km from the CBD is located in its western suburbs and is served by a range of domestic carriers. The quickest way to get here is to hop a flight from Brisbane. Visitors arriving by boat can dock their craft in the city's modern marina in Gladstone Harbour.

Step 2: Accommodation

There is ample accommodation in and around Gladstone to meet all traveller's needs and budgets and even type of location. Bed and Breakfasts for travellers passing through, back packers hostels for those on a budget to self-contained apartments, holiday houses, cabins and cottages, caravans sites and camping grounds, hotels, motels and resorts are among the places that visitors can consider. In an excellent city location, Oaks Grand Gladstone among the newest upscale Gladstone hotel Queensland offers guests a range of advantages including studio and one bedroom apartments with modern amenities, great ocean views and easy access to town attractions, entertainment and dining venues.

Step 3: Getting Around

Once in the city the best way to get around is by private vehicle or by hire car. Representative offices of the major car hire companies have offices at Gladstone Airport. The city also has a network of cycle paths.

Step 4: Things to See and Do

Make an itinerary when planning the trip in order not to miss out on the natural and industrial attractions around town. The industrial attractions are not open throughout the week.

Step 5: Tondoon Botanic Gardens

Overlooking Lake Tondoon, the garden set in 83 ha is among the city's key attractions. It features an outstanding collection of tropical, sub-tropical and rainforest plant and tree species in a cultivated garden setting amid the undulating slopes of Mt. Biondello. Designed as a place of recreation and relaxation the park offers walking trails, places for picnics and cultural events.

Step 6: Marina Parklands

Developed by the Gladstone Port Corporation to provide the public access to the waterfront, the park comprises of a water playpark, BBQ and picnic areas, walking tracks, wetlands, a sandy cove safe for swimming, ponds and sheltered seating. It is the city's premier recreation area.

Step 7: Gladstone Industry Tours

As one of the busiest industrial areas in Australia, Gladstone is surrounded by large industrial facilities. Tours offered several times a week provide insights into their operations and product processing. Gladstone Power Station is the largest in Queensland with six turbines generating 1.7 GW. The coal export terminal of Gladstone Port that handles 50 million tonnes of coal annually, The Alumina refinery one of the largest such facilities in the world that turns bauxite into aluminium and the Boyne aluminium smelter are part of the tours. The tours are free but bookings are essential.

Step 8: Calliope River Historical Village

This open air museum by the old Bruce Highway showcases a collection of historical wooden buildings that have been relocated here. Among the exhibits are Raglan Memorial Hall built in 1932, Yarwun Railway Station built in the 1940s and a wooden railway carriage also from the same era. All the buildings are still being put to good use as village shops and visitor information centres.

Step 9: The Southern Great Barrier Reef

Just off the coast of Gladstone are Heron and Wilson islands, Curtis and Facing islands, Fitzroy Reef Lagoon, Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave Islands and Northwest and Quoin islands that are all part of the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Visitors can not only enjoy the laidback atmosphere of these uninhabited islands but snorkel and dive to experience the extraordinary underwater world, take guided nature walks and birding tours and even surf.

Step 10: Fishing

Gladstone offers access to some excellent fishing grounds so that visitors can enjoy everything from crabbing, hand line fishing to spearfishing and deep sea fishing. Coral trout, red emperor, cod, yellow belly and bass are among the fish that can be caught here.