Swifties on tour: Find your Queensland holiday era

If you've missed out on Taylor Swift tickets and now have a blank space in your travel schedule, pair your favourite Swifie era with the perfect Queensland holiday.

Whether you want to head west for your Red fix in the Outback, live out your Lover Era on a luxury island in The Whitsundays or create your own Folklore album cover in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, there are plenty of destinations to choose your end game. 

Are you ready for it? Switch your concert blues for sunshine hues and uncover your best holiday era in Queensland.

Fearless | Outback Queensland

As the most awarded album in country music history, for your Fearless Era we invite you to Outback Queensland. This is Taylor’s original country music era so grab your Akubra and we’ll take you headfirst fearless to the country.

Stay

Saltbush Retreat in Longreach is approximately 700km from Brisbane and the perfect place to rest your head and experience Queensland’s iconic country lifestyle. With cute rustic textures and your very own outdoor bathtub, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped right off your white horse into a fairytale.

Eat

For your live music fix over a two-course camp oven themed dinner, end the best day at Smithy’s Outback Dinner and Show., where you can dine under the stars on the banks of the Thomson River accompanied by the stories and songs of an outback performer.

Do

If the world’s most remote music festival sounds like your perfect love story, the Birdsville Big Red Bash is where you need to be. The three-day festival is held in July with the Big Red Sand Dune as your backdrop. This is a must-do event you’ll remember forever and always.

Speak Now | Southern Great Barrier Reef

An era around loving and longing and the transitional time between adolescence and adulthood, Speak Now is about learning to speak your truth and to live in the moment - and there's no place better than the Southern Great Barrier Reef to let those sparks fly high. 

Stay

Just off the coast of Gladstone, you’ll find Wilson Island; a secluded paradise home to lush rainforest and white sand beaches. Stay overnight in luxury glamping tents and spend your days snorkelling off the beach, turtle spotting and indulging in delicious meals prepared by your private chef.

Eat

With a carefully curated menu designed to showcase local Bundaberg flavours, Windmill Café Bagara is the superman of breakfast and lunch menus. Feast on a stunning breakfast bowl and sit outdoors admiring the windmill design of this quirky Bundaberg café.

Do

Long live the memories you’ll make on a day out with Great Keppel Explorer. Hop around Great Keppel Island and be enchanted by secluded coves, a myriad of marine life and stunning coral reefs.

Red | Fraser Coast

Red brings along a rollercoaster of emotions and the Fraser Coast has experienced this mosaic of feelings with the recent return of K'gari to its original name.

Much like the Red album, the Fraser Coast evokes intense emotions with every visit. Whether it’s uncovering the island’s cultural connection, swimming with whales or diving into Lake McKenzie for the first time, it's powerful and life changing.

Stay

Come back, be here at Kingfisher Bay Resort on K’gari (formally Fraser Island). This nature- based retreat offers a tranquil place to rest your head and a range of activities to explore and connect with K’gari.

Eat

We know all too well that sundowners as you overlook the water is the perfect way to end a day on holidays. Pull up a bean bag at Enzo’s On The Beach, sing along to the live music and enjoy a bite to eat as you watch the sun set on another day in paradise.

Do

As the traditional custodians of the land, share in the stories of the Butchulla people on a Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tour. This incredible day of island hopping, snorkelling and marine life spotting will have you wishing you could stay way past your return time.

1989 | Townsville

This era is dominated by Taylor’s girl squad and is filled with fun, independence and loving yourself despite heartache. And we know just the place to do that. Welcome to Townsville, a destination that never goes out of style and you can shake off any life woes.

Stay

All you had to do was stay in Townsville’s newest luxury hotel Ardo. With a range of suites, two restaurants for your girls lunch, a day spa and an iconic rooftop pool and bar, there will be absolutely no bad blood with the mate who booked this accommodation.

Eat

Cool off in a pool bar wonderland also known as Splash Bar at the The Ville in Townsville. Cocktails with the girls in the pool overlooking the Coral Sea? Yes please.

Do

Want to live out your best island life as you cruise through paradise with your mates in a topless mini moke? I know places. Just a 20-minute ferry from Townsville you’ll reach Magnetic Island where you can swim off secluded beaches, spot koalas on Forts Walk and feed rock wallabies at Geoffry Bay. The perfect barefoot paradise to unwind and explore with friends.

Reputation | Brisbane

Our city can be moody, gritty, and dramatic but Brisbane is also confident and self-assured. When people visit the river city for the first time, it can seem unexpected to see such a buzzing nightlife after the sun goes down. Meet your Reputation Era; where you’ll experience the unexpected, fall in love during the chaos and find your independence in a city full of surprises.  

Stay

A boutique hotel located in the heart of Fortitude Valley, Hotel X certainly lives up to it’s big reputation. Not only can you stay in one of the city’s most gorgeous hotels, the food and drinks at at Bisou Bisou and Iris Rooftop will  certainly exceed your expectations.

Eat

Only a few minutes’ walk from Hotel X, you’ll stumble across Mr Vain Restaurant and Bar. As dark, moody and vibey as the Reputation album, you’re in for a great time and even better food. Book the getaway car to drive you back home with full bellies.

Do

Introducing you to the beating heart of Queensland’s cultural scene, the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA). Call it what you want, but this is a must-visit for art lovers, curious minds and anyone visiting Brisbane City. 

Lover | The Whitsundays

Enter your Lover Era as you jet off to The Whitsundays with your significant other. This era is about relearning and relishing in what true love should really feel like.  Whether it’s with your London Boy or perhaps the guy on the chiefs, no place says romance like a destination with its very own Heart Reef.

Stay

With more than double the international awards than Taylor has Grammys, qualia is the epitome of luxury. Take a dip in your private infinity pool, rejuvenate with a spa treatment and feast on world-renowned dishes. You’ll feel like Miss Americana and the heartbreak prince and want to stay forever in your Lover Era.

Eat

Over at Bommie on Hamilton Island, pick from the award-winning contemporary Australian menu as you share a bottle of sparkles with your significant other overlooking the Whitsundays Islands.

Do

Stretching over seven kilometres long with silica-soft sand, this world-renowned beach needs no introduction. Whether you take a cruise, a sailboat, a jet boat or a scenic flight, there are so many ways to experience the breath-taking beauty of Whitehaven Beach.

Folklore | Sunshine Coast

Just like Folklore, the Sunshine Coast is magical to experience. Dream amongst the trees in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and wake up to a Folklore-inspired soundtrack of natural sound and storytelling. As Taylor escaped into fantasy and history in her songwriting for this album, you too can immerse yourself in the culture and stories of this beautiful region.

Stay

If you close your eyes, you can almost picture Taylor Swift writing her Folklore album from a cabin amongst the trees of Narrows Escape Rainforest Retreat. Warm up by the fire and listen to the natural surroundings, and unpack the stories of Betty, Inez and James through Taylor’s poetic lyrics.

Eat

You won’t need your cardigan but will need an empty belly as you indulge in one of the most delectable dining experiences on the Sunshine Coast. Spirit House is both a restaurant and cooking school set amongst lush tropical gardens.

Do

Bringing the folk to Folklore, head to Eumundi for one of the largest artisan markets in the Southern Hemisphere. Eumundi Markets brings vibrance, stories, energy and creativity to this iconic hinterland town.

Evermore | Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

As the sister album of Folklore, Taylor extends her storytelling with poetic tales of other people’s stories. A visit to Cairns and Great Barrier Reef will leave you feeling inspired by the tales of the region, rich in Indigenous heritage and nature’s narratives.

Stay

An eco-lodge set on the Mossman River in the Daintree Rainforest, rest your head in your private treehouse at Silky Oaks Lodge.

Eat

Nothing says happiness like a scoop (or three) of ice cream in the oldest rainforest in the world. Head to Daintree Ice Cream Co to taste the flavours of the tropics that change daily based on the fruit trees in season.

Do

Uncover the stories of Mossman Gorge with a Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk conducted by the local indigenous people. You’ll visit culturally significant sites throughout the Daintree as guides provide an enchanting narrative of the rainforest and their connection to country.

Midnights | Gold Coast

Deep, inky blue sets the colour tone for the Midnights Era, (ocean), with burnt gold (sand), copper (sun), and metallic green (hinterland behind) providing glamorous accents. An era about deep love and complicated sadness glittered with self-discovery, the Gold Coast is the perfect backdrop to find your sparkle.

Stay

You won’t find snow on the beach but you will find The Langham, a luxury beach front hotel adding to the glistening skyline of Surfers Paradise. Best believe you’ll still be bejeweled when you walk into your room of this lavish hotel.

Eat

Keeping with the darker tones of the Midnights Era, book a table at Etsu Izakaya, a Japanese inspired dining experience in Mermaid Beach.

Do

The green behind the gold, Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park is home to Australia’s largest populations of glow worms. As the sun goes down, you can find the cave illuminated with mesmerizing light, similar to a night out at the Eras Tour.

Which Queensland destination do you think will match Taylor Swift’s next era?

For even more inspiration on why you need to visit Queensland this year, here are 24 new and must-do experiences to try in 2024.