Hugging the mighty Brisbane River, Queensland’s glittering capital continues to grow and evolve, with a fresh buzz about Brisbane as it prepares to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. But there’s plenty to look forward to before then.

Set to open in 2024, the Queen's Wharf Brisbane integrated resort development has transformed the central business district with an iconic design that embraces Brisbane’s inviting subtropical climate and celebrates the precinct’s rich Indigenous and European heritage with interpretive trails and experiences to enjoy. Brisbane also continues to build its culinary clout with an ever-increasing array of memorable places to eat and drink. Specialising in woodfired cooking, Fortitude Valley restaurant Agnes took home Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine’s Restaurant of the Year accolade in 2023, while recent openings such as Vertigo, Brisbane’s first vertical dining experience at the Powerhouse Museum; and mobile Italian restaurant Da Biuso, which serves a degustation menu in an elegantly restored bus; showcase the many fun and innovative ways to eat out across the city.

When nature calls, magnificent Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) with its excellent snorkelling and peaceful bushwalking trails is just a short ferry ride from the city, while the green spaces of the Brisbane Hinterland are laced with hiking and biking trails to explore.

Made up of more than 3,000 coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef may be immense, but this otherworldly ecosystem is also increasingly fragile. Fortunately, there have never been more opportunities to visit Queensland’s aquatic icon gently.

Choosing an Advanced Ecotourism certified operator is a great way to ensure that important steps are being taken to minimise your impact on the world’s largest living organism. Among them is Lady Musgrave Experience in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, which also offers the chance to glamp on its state-of-the-art pontoon nestling in the sheltered waters of Lady Musgrave Island. Every visitor to the reef can also contribute to its protection by logging marine life sightings, incidents, and coral bleaching via the free Eye on the Reef app.

Engaging in hands-on citizen science is a particularly meaningful way to give back. On a Marine Biologist for a Day programme with Passions of Paradise, based in Cairns, divers and snorkellers can contribute to a range of ongoing reef conservation projects on a day trip to the outer reef. At Fitzroy Island close to Cairns, the Marine Conservation Program might see you assist conservationists in the removal of drupella (coral eating snails) from the surrounding reef. Eco-conscious small-ship cruise operator Coral Expeditions also offers citizen science-based Great Barrier Reef itineraries.

Choosing an Indigenous reef operator is another great way to protect the reef as it supports the ancient and ongoing custodianship of the reef by its Traditional Owners. See the reef through Indigenous eyes on a day out from Cairns with Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel or learn how Indigenous coastal communities have lived in harmony with the reef for millennia on a tour with Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours, also in the Cairns area. Or experience the reef – and its Indigenous connections – in a whole new way on a snorkel or dive at the Museum of Underwater Art, which includes installations off Townsville and Magnetic Island.

Queensland’s 900-odd islands are as diverse as they are beautiful. In Southeast Queensland, the wild and rugged sand island of K’gari (Fraser Island) offers one of Australia’s most thrilling 4WD adventures with the likes of K’gari Explorer Tours or Tasman Venture. Lace your boots for a hike to an azure freshwater lake or admire K’gari’s raw beauty from above on a scenic flight from Hervey Bay.

Further north, the exquisite coral cays of the Southern Great Barrier Reef including Lady Elliot, Wilson and Lady Musgrave islands are renowned for their seabirds, turtles, manta rays and other marine life, with Great Keppel Island at the northern gateway to the region offering an easy taste of island life.

Just a short boat ride from Airlie Beach, the rainforest-cloaked Whitsunday Islands are dotted with resorts beckoning a luxe stay, with the powder-soft sands of Whitsunday Island’s famous Whitehaven Beach making for an essential day trip. Island experiences also abound in Tropical North Queensland, from easy immersions at the likes of historic Green Island and the Frankland Islands, closer to the coast, to luxury escapes to Lizard Island at the northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, reached by a scenic flight over a turquoise quilt of coral.

Indigenous Australia is comprised of many different groups with their own languages, customs and traditions, meaning no two Indigenous tourism experiences are ever the same. In Queensland where you can experience both of Australia’s Indigenous cultures – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – on traditional lands, the opportunities for cultural immersion are particularly rich.

Walk in the footsteps of Brisbane’s first residents on a fascinating excursion with BlackCard Cultural Tours or climb aboard a historic sailing boat in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast for a delicious cultural cruise with Saltwater Eco Tours. Understand the deep connection Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal peoples share with the Daintree Rainforest on an eye-opening day out with Walkabout Cultural Tours from Cairns or Port Douglas, or go bush with Jarramali Rock Art Tours or Culture Connect near Cooktown to admire some of Cape York’s most exquisite Aboriginal rock art.

Aboriginal cultural centres across the state are also great places to learn about local Indigenous history and culture – stop by the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on the Gold Coast to learn about the rich cultural significance of neighbouring Burleigh Head National Park before you enjoy a stroll in this lush slice of coastal rainforest.