Southeast Queensland consists of an eight-hundred-kilometre stretch between the New South Wales border and Fraser Island containing many of the classic features that lure visitors to Australia's second-largest state. Surf rolls in to long, sandy beaches, backed by vibrant towns in exotic settings; behind them, the land rises a thousand metres or more to lush, rainforest-clad plateaus. It's one of Australia's busiest tourist venues, a factor that will be central to your impressions of the region: some love the hype and pace of it's higher-profile attractions; others loathe it for the same reasons and despair of ever finding an untramped corner.

 

However, though parts of Southeast Queensland undoubtedly live up to their glitzy reputations, there's far more to the region than its popularity on the "drunken backpackers" trail would suggest. Set down towards the border, the state capital Brisbane is an attractive, relaxed city with good work opportunities and a lively social scene, with some very underrated scenery within easy reach - the best of which are the giant, wooded, sand islands of shallow Moreton Bay . South of Brisbane, the Gold Coast is Australia's prime domestic holiday destination; while its reputation was founded on some of Queensland's best surf , this now takes second place to a belt of beachfront high-rises, theme parks, and the host of bars and nightclubs surrounding Surfers Paradise . But even here there are quieter corners, such as the often almost empty beaches at the Gold Coast's southernmost town, Coolangatta ; while just an hour inland, the Scenic Rim 's green heights provide the perfect antidote to coastal concretions, with a chain of national parks packed with wildlife and endless hiking trails. Heading north of Brisbane, fruit and vegetable plantations behind the gentle Sunshine Coast benefit from rich volcanic soils and a subtropical climate. Noosa is the hub here, an up-and-coming resort town with more beaches and famous surf. Beyond looms Fraser Island , whose surrounding waters host an annual whale migration and where huge forested dunes, freshwater lakes and sculpted coloured sands form the backdrop for exciting safaris in a 4WD.

In a way, Queensland's popularity as a holiday hotspot is surprising, as this is eastern Australia's most conservative state, often lampooned - somewhat unfairly - as being slow and regressive. There are, however, very physical and social divisions between the densely settled, city-oriented southeastern corner and the large, rural remainder, which is given over to primary industries such as mining and farming. These divisions date back to when Brisbane was chosen as capital on Queensland's separation from New South Wales in 1859; the city proved an unpopular choice with the northern pioneers, who felt that the government was too far away to understand, or even care about, their needs. These needs centred around the north's sugar plantations and the use of Solomon Islanders for labour, a practice the government equated with slavery and finally banned. Ensuing demands for further separation, this time between tropical Queensland and the southeast, never materialized, but the remoteness of northern settlements from the capital led to local self-sufficiency, making Queensland far less centralized than other states.

The darker side of this conservatism has seen Queensland endure more than its fair share of extreme or simply dirty politics . During the 1970s and early 1980s, the stranglehold of a strongly conservative National Party government, led by the charismatic Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen (better known as "Joh"), did nothing to enhance the state's image. Citing issues of law and order to justify granting the police sweeping powers, Joh created a repressive and domineering government, characterized by his own peculiar, slippery oratory. He finally became the victim of his own devices after initiating the Fitzgerald Inquiry - an investigation into government corruption - which implicated his cabinet in a variety of offences and forced him from office. But the following left-wing government was not without controversy, and recent investigations have uncovered high-level electoral fraud by Labor (including one incident when a cat was enrolled to vote); though state Labor leader Peter Beatty escaped untainted from the investigation in 2000 - and was re-elected as Premier with a huge majority in 2001 - several members of his cabinet were forced to resign. The late 1990s were also blighted by the emergence from Southeast Queensland of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation Party, whose shallow, racist outbursts have won favour with a fair number of Australians who feel ignored by the main parties and threatened by a slowing economy.

As a major tourist destination, Queensland's south coast seldom presents travel or accommodation problems, and in many places the only trouble is making some sort of choice between the vast array of options. However, during busy periods - the Easter and Christmas holidays, and at weekends - there are room shortages and price hikes in all accommodation except hostels. This is most pronounced on the Gold Coast, though you'll find a degree of seasonal inflation right throughout the region. Book in advance whenever possible, and don't be afraid to bargain outside the peak times.