New Tourism September in Queensland

Jarramali Rock Art Tours 

Exhale people. Winter is so last week, literally. Here in Queensland, it's time to slap on sunscreen, slip on a swim suit, and focus on the summer shred ahead. It's also time to plan some grown up getaways just as soon as the kids go back to school. Check out these seven new experiences and tours that will put the spring into Step-tember.

Home is where the art is

A new guide-driven 4WD tour near the remote town of Laura in Queensland's Cape York will connect travellers to country and unearth the rich and untold stories of Aboriginal history and culture. Jarramali Rock Art Tours takes guests along the Maytown-Laura Coach Road – one of the few remaining ungraded historic access routes – to Magnificent Gallery where some of the 450 works of rock art go from backdrop to centre stage for an hour-long guided tour. Enroute to the gallerty, guests can stop off at sites like the Cobb and Co staging post take a dip in the Little Laura and Garden Creek junction and dine out on bush-camp tucker on a sandstone escarpment at Johnny's bush camp. Overnight camping is optional, complete with billy tea, damper and a camp oven roast dinner. Day trips from Laura start from $280 per person, or $370 for an overnight tour with pick up from Cairns or Port Douglas. Kids under 12 travel free.

More information: www.jarramalirockarttours.com.au

Speakeasy to me

There's a new tippler tucked in Brisbane's North Quay, but you have to find it first. Start with the longitudinal and latitudinal map coordinates listed on the Legends Speakeasy Bar website, find the disguised entrance and recite the passcode posted on their Instagram that week. Once you're in, it's all jazz and blues paired with a Victorian Steampunk aesthetic and more than 180 liquors, including a theatrical concoction of seasonal and signature cocktails – like a Steampunk Old Fashion smoked to order with Applewood. Legends Speakeasy Bar is open Thursday to Sunday from 4pm until late.

More information: www.legendsspeakeasybar.com

Chew chew train

Fancy a BYO bevvie with a side of train spotting? Then pull up a stool at Grand Central Station's Platform Bar where a. $1 million renovation has transformed Brisbane's historic station pub into a venue fit for a Queen. (Too bad HRH visited six years before the renovations started).

Located on the northern end of the smartly revamped main bar, the Platform Bar offers an elegant space with oversized turquoise leather bar stools, deep banquettes, modern copper furnishings, a pressed tin ceiling and a surprisingly large glass pane that allows punters to peer onto the hustle and bustle of a Central Station Platform number 4.

Opened as a refreshment stop for the old Brisbane Central Station in 1901, customers visiting the revamped bar can graze from an extensive menu of cured meat and cheese share boards, tapas like southern fried chicken bites, goodies from the grills, along with salads and burgers galore. Unlike the past, they can also walk into the neighbouring bottle shop, pick a potion and pay $5 corkage to bring the bottle into the modern bar. Who said BYO bars don't exist? The Platform Bar is open seven days from 11.30am until 12am.

More information: www.grandcentralhotel.com.au

Ride, Sally, Riiiide!

If the word 'mustang' doesn't instantly ignite a feeling for karaoke of the Wilson Pickett classic, then maybe a whip around Hydeaway Bay in a '65 red convertible will? Even if you're not dubbed Sally, the meticulously maintained mustang – also used as a wedding hire car - is now available to visitors heart set on exploring Cape Gloucester and Hydeaway Bay, 50 km of wind flailing hair north of Airlie Beach. Here, the azure shores are ideal for a secret swim, a seaside stroll, or a private pre-ordered lunch. Up for more secret swimming spots? Then stop at Dingo Beach on the way home. The Hydeaway Bay tour is from 10am until 4pm, costing $360 for up to 3 people.

More information: www.whitsundaymustangs.com.au

Wheel-y delicious

The Wheel of Brisbane

Floating 60 metres above Brisbane city on the edge of South Bank is a spectacular new dining venue: a private carriage on the Wheel of Brisbane. Take the birds-eye view to new heights with onboard dining – choose from a selection of farmhouse cheeses ($75 for two), or opt for a charcuterie plate ($85 for two), prepared locally at Charming Squire. Feeling romantic? Upgrade to a VIP Gondola for $65, complete with leather seats, tinted windows, your choice of music and two piccolos of Sirromet wine. Bookings for onboard dining are available any time.

More information: www.thewheelofbrisbane.com.au

Airlie Lagoon reopening

The heart of Airlie Beach is back beating strong as the Airlie Lagoon reopens, right on cue with the welcoming of warmer months. Boasting a rejuvenated look, with new pool surfacing, skirting tiles, new footpaths and a resurfaced pedestrian boardwalk, the town's meeting hub is welcoming locals and visitors back to its sheltered waters. Grab your book, unfurl the towel on a grassy knoll or patch of sand, or plunge into 4.5million litres of pure refreshment. The Lagoon is located on Airlie's foreshore, freely accessible to anyone at any time, and patrolled by lifeguards from 8am until 9pm in summer.

More information: www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/attractions/parks-gardens/airlie-beach-lagoon

Turtle-y awesome

Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours

Take a tour with an eco-conscience through the Great Sandy Strait of Hervey Bay, gliding along like the sea turtles below aboard a glass-bottom boat named 'Milbi', the Butchulla people's word for these gracious creatures. The Hikuwai family behind Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours are avid researchers of local marine life and ecology, with daily tours that fuse education and adventure, paying tribute to the land's traditional owners. For keen snorkelers, watch fish flit, turtles dip and dolphins dive around the coral reef, or land lubbers can take solace on Weenandin (Round Island) with a pre-packed picnic on a seemingly private island. Morning and sunset cruises are also available, departing from the Great Sandy Straits Marina, with tours starting from $35 for kids 4 to 14 and from $45 for adults.

More information: Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours
www.herveybayecomarinetours.com.au