//
Region in Queensland, Australia
Photo: Heron_Bommie_SVII.jpg: © Underwater Earth / Catlin Seaview Survey - www.catlinseaviewsurvey.com derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Central Queensland is the coastal area north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.
Central Queensland is served with flights from most major centres in Australia through its coastal airports. Cairns and Gold Coast airports also serve some international destinations.
Read in the guideA drive from top to bottom of this region will take 13 hours from Townsville to Rainbow Beach. There isn't much of a passenger train network, and without a car you be reliant on buses and planes.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Barcaldine · Regional · BCI
Loading places around the airport…
unofficial capital of North Queensland with about 160,000 people (including Thuringowa)
an area close to Townsville, Qld's second capital
Ayr is a small town in Far North Queensland, 88 km from Townsville.
Bowen is a town on the coast in Queensland. Situated right on the Great Barrier Reef, and surrounded by some of the best beaches in Queensland, Bowen is widely regarded as one of the best kept secrets of the region.
gateway to the Whitsundays.
Proserpine is a town in the Central region of Queensland. It is the administrative/service centre and gateway to the Whitsunday Region by road, rail and air.
the 'sugar capital' is full of Australian history and boasts a beautiful tropical botanic gardens.
known for its sugar mills.
a stopover town on the Bruce Highway with a rather quiet and secluded beach.
another stopover town on the Bruce Highway.
Rockhampton's coastal companion town.
the commercial centre of the region, promoting itself as the "beef capital of Australia"
this port town allows visitors to experience hundreds of years of industrial history through museums and tours.
this town on the frontier between coast and country has a colourful history in gold mining and agriculture. The nearby resort of Agnes Water contains the most northerly surfing beach on Australia's east coast.
sugarcane, rum and ginger beer
many historic colonial buildings
whale and dolphin watching and the gateway to K'gari
Maryborough is a city in Central Queensland.
picturesque coastal town hosting some of Queensland's best activities
Kilkivan is a small town in the Central Queensland region of Queensland.
Australia's "Peanut Capital"
this town on the frontier between coast and country has a colourful history in gold mining and agriculture.
the closest town to Carnarvon National Park.
southern rainforest town near Townsville
Magnetic Island (Wulguru: Yunbenun) is an island directly off the coast of Townsville in Central Queensland. Over half the land area of the island is a National Park.
74 perfect islands off the coast of tourist haven Airlie Beach, with white-sand beaches and clear turquoise water all around
Eungella Mountains National Park (pronounced YUNG-gel-ə) is in Queensland, west of Mackay.
in the Southern Reef Islands
a coral cay with a diversity of bird and marine life, and resort facilities, in the Southern Reef Islands
the world's largest sand island
known for its spectacular sandstone gorge
contains one of only two everglades systems in the world
Great Keppel Island is an island off the coast of Yeppoon in the Australian state of Queensland.
Articles and travel topics about Central Queensland and Australia.
Travel tipsCompare and apply for the Australia ETA and New Zealand NZeTA in 2026. Step-by-step mobile app guides, fees, the IVL levy, and trans-Tasman rules.
8 min read
Travel tipsPlan your trip to the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia with match cities, ticket windows, domestic flights, visa rules, and budget advice.
8 min read
Travel tipsDiscover how to use AI to find cheap flights. Learn prompt strategies, smart fare engines, open-jaw routings, and error-fare booking techniques.
6 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to visa-free travel for US citizens. Learn where American passport holders can go without a visa, new eTA rules, and entry fees.
8 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.