5 Queensland World Heritage sites you need to explore

Rising to the rank of World Heritage status in 1992, K'gari (Fraser Island) is the world's largest sand island, stretching 122km in length along the Fraser Coast - just four hours' drive north of Brisbane. 

K'gari was listed on the World Heritage register as it’s an outstanding example of ongoing biological, hydrological and geomorphological processes. Put simply, this is one of the most unique islands in the world. It's here you'll find majestic rainforests growing and thriving in sand, half of the world’s perched freshwater dune lakes, over 325 bird species, Australia's purest dingo population, and a unique tortoise species found in the freshwater lakes - just to mention a few.

It’s not just scientists who are impressed by this natural wonder. K'gari is a must-visit for anyone with a thirst for nature at its finest. Here, you can hike, swim in crystal blue freshwater lakes and seaside rockpools, visit a shipwreck, spot whales and dingos, 4X4, go camping, fishing and more.  

How to experience K'gari:

• Take a day tour or multi-day guided 4WD adventure
• Head out on a beach camping adventure
• Tackle the 90km Great Walk with Fraser Island Hiking
• Make the most of a weekend exploring

2. Gondwana Rainforests

The story of Australia’s Gondwana Rainforests dates back 180 million years. Gondwana was the ancient southern supercontinent that included Australasia, Africa and South America, and was covered in temperate rainforest. When Australia broke away from the Gondwanan continent, the majority of these rainforests warmed and dried up.

Today, what remains here is the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the entire world, and one of the best examples of Earth's evolutionary history. 

In Queensland, you can explore Gondwana Rainforests by stepping into four national parks in our south-east: Lamington, Springbrook, Mt Barney and Main Range National Parks. Brimming with rugged mountains, thundering waterfalls and lush valleys, these areas contain more frog, snake, bird and marsupial species than anywhere else in Australia, are home to over 200 of the country's most threatened plant and animal species, including several endangered bird species. It's the perfect spot to find peace or seek adventure.

How to experience Queensland's Gondwana Rainforests:

• Take a guided tour through one of the parks
• Meet local wildlife
• Spend three days hiking and camping
• Head out on a guided trek with AusWalk or along the Spicers Scenic Rim Trail, where you'll end each day in eco-friendly accommodation

3. Great Barrier Reef

By far the most famous Queensland World Heritage site, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the few living structures visible from space. Its sheer size and incredible biodiversity earned its spot as not only one of the original eight wonders of the world, but the first coral reef with World Heritage status, back in 1981.

Stretching along our coastline from Bundaberg in the south to Cape York in the tropical north, the Great Barrier Reef  is roughly the same size as Japan, Germany or Italy. 

A simple helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef is no doubt all the evidence you need that the Reef is worthy of its accolades. But dive a little deeper and you’ll uncover what it is that has grabbed UNESCO’s attention: the Great Barrier Reef has the world’s largest collection of coral reefs and is home to one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth. This includes 600 types of hard and soft coral, thousands of fish species, six out of the world's seven turtle species, and over 30 species of whales and dolphins - including the only known place in the world where dwarf minke whales congregate.

How to experience the Great Barrier Reef:

• Decide which part of the reef you want to visit
• Take part in a citizen science project
• Jump on a liveaboard dive trip to explore untouched areas on the reef
• Book an unforgettable experience
• Sleep on the reef, from island resorts to pontoons and underwater hotels

4. Riversleigh Fossil Mammal Sites

Tucked away in our remote north west is one of the most fascinating Queensland World Heritage Sites. Riversleigh has been dubbed by living legend David Attenborough as one of the most significant fossil sites in the world, and a visit here feels like stepping into a living natural history museum. 

The World Heritage-listed Australian Fossil Mammal Sites is made up of two areas – Riversleigh in Queensland and Naracoorte in South Australia – and you’ll find the older fossils at Riversleigh, dating back 15-25 million years. Take a ranger-led tour to discover preserved evolutionary evidence of many of Australia’s mammal species still around today, and many now extinct. 

The Riversleigh site is located within the wild Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park, well worth exploring to discover the dramatic gorges of this outback oasis. 

How to experience Riversleigh:

• Start planning with this guide
• Set out on a hiking-glamping adventure with Trek West
• Explore the fossil sites while getting to know Boodjamulla National Park
• Visit as part of a road trip along Savannah Way

5. The Wet Tropics

The Wet Tropics of Queensland are the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforests. This Queensland World Heritage site officially made the list in 1988, but it has been understood by our Aboriginal people who have lived here for many thousands of years.

Comprised of five precincts stretching around 450km, the Wet Tropics can be accessed from Townsville, Cairns, Port Douglas and Cooktown. It’s the natural beauty, abundant wildlife and sweeping landscapes found here that wins over travellers who venture here. For UNESCO, it was the environmental significance: the Wet Tropics is home to about one-third of Australia’s 315 mammal species, 12 of which are found nowhere else in the world, like the green possums, ringtail possums, quolls, rare bats, tree-kangaroos and a rat-kangaroo. The rainforest is also home for 3,000 plant species, 113 reptile species, 51 amphibian species and nearly half of Australia's bird species too.

Far beyond a numbers game, this is a place where you can feel its beauty - not just see it. 

How to experience the Wet Tropics:

• Visit the incredible Daintree Rainforest, and spend a day with Daintree Safaris or Billy Tea Safaris -  or four days to see it all. 
• Take an Indigenous led tour
• Bring the kids for a family adventure
• Take a dip in freshwater swimming holes