The Sunshine State

CAPITAL CITY: Brisbane

DID YOU KNOW?: The world's longest continuous fence known as the "dingo fence" runs 5,535 km to protect sheep from Australia's wild dogs.

LOCAL CELEBRITY: Geoffery Rush

MO'S MUST SEE's: Brisbane, The Whitsundays, Cairns, and Great Barrier Reef

Known as the Sunshine State, and its residents are called Banana Benders It covers 700,000 miles, about twice the size of Texas. This is the place were many Australians retire to because the weather is 77 degrees on average. They like to say its beautiful one day, and perfect the next.

Queensland is where the Aussies go on holiday. Host to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the Natural Wonders of the World and among the worlds most diverse coral reef systems.

Five of Australians 11 World Heritage areas including the Daintree Rainforest and Fraser Island, the worlds largest sand island are found in this State.

You could spend a year exploring Queensland. The State is divided into four regions:

• The Southern region, south of Brisbane is home to the Gold Coast, five theme parks, 400 golf courses, lots of action and places to visit
• The Whitsundays
• Cairns and the top end which is home to the Torres Strait islanders
• The Great Barrier Reef islands