recent years New Zealand has cornered the market for Antipodean thrill-seeking and self-drive touring holidays.
But over the past week I have been in Queensland discovering that at least one Aussie state is mounting a challenge to the Kiwis on both counts. I suppose the Sunshine State has always had an adventurous feel about it, what with the reef to dive on and the rainforest to play in. But it has also been traditionally associated with lazy beachside holidays.
I reckon that image is about to change. There are now many more imaginative ways of experiencing the rainforest and I've been here I have tried a few. The most thrilling was jungle surfing in the Daintree rainforest, which involved gliding (upside down) through the canopy on flying foxes. But my favourite adventure was a serene drift snorkelling tour along the Mossman river, negotiating occasional rapids and spotting turtles and eels along the way. I am too old to have tried other possibilities like swinging, but anybody who's prepared to get off their loungers will find thrills aplenty in Tropical North Queensland.
On a more sedate note, the state is also redefining itself as a driving holiday destination. I followed part of the Great Tropical Drive, motoring gradually down through rainforest and past huge sugar cane and banana plantations from Cape Tribulation to Townsville. The route is particularly spectacular between Cape Trib and the Daintree River, the skinny road twisting and turning through deep-green jungle and from Port Douglas to Cairns where it hugs the coast. A self-drive holiday like this is another memorable alternative to a traditional Queensland holiday.
Is Queensland the next Antipodean adventure capital or will New Zealand continue to rule the roost? Which Aussie state is the best for a self-drive or thrill-seeking holiday?
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