Cold drinks, balmy evenings

Craving the sea breeze? Well, the Gold Coast knows how to make the most of its 300 days of sunshine and beachfront real estate. You’ll feel refreshed as you watch surfers take off on plunging waves from rooftops perched over the ocean. Opt for the sand between your toes at alfresco terraces on the Sunshine Coast, also home to a celebration of local fare that sprawls out onto a literal beach bar.

Feeling the warm embrace of the subtropical climate in the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region, where a cold bevvie will take the edge off. Wedged between two World Heritage wonders, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, you’ll feel far removed from the city crowds when you tuck into rooftop bars in Cairns or settle harbourside in Port Douglas. If island time is more your speed, you’re bound to find a laidback refuge to indulge in a sunset tipple in the Whitsundays – there are 74 islands to make your way around, after all.

Though one thing we Queenslanders are great at serving up is a dose of good banter and country charm. You’ll find it buzzing through heritage pubs (think since 1884) and local watering holes across the state.

So, where shall we meet you first?