What’s New and Coming Soon to Queensland - Forty-three new experiences and stays to put on the radar

January is the month of resolutions, setting goals and making plans, and if ‘surprising new travel experiences’ is on the to-do list, then Queensland is the go-to destination. The Sunshine State is absolutely bursting with tours, attractions and accommodation that popped up in the second half of 2022, and there’s plenty more on the horizon. Here are 43 new experiences to check out this year.

Wild, Watery and Wonderful New Experiences

Head to the Southern Great Barrier Reef townships of Agnes Water and 1770 and spend a day on the water on a Cruising Around 1770 boat – no boat license required. Dive Spear and Sport @1770 also launched new experiences last month, offering recreational scuba dive trips to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, technical wreck diving opportunities for qualified divers, spearfishing and freediving courses. Set the GPS west and jump aboard the Pride of the Murray, a 100-year-old paddle-wheeler that made the 1,750km road journey from Echuca in Victoria to the Thomson River at Longreach in Outback Queensland in mid-2022. School holidays call for family fun and The New Atlantis Precinct at Sea World has this in spades – including the new Leviathan rollercoaster and Trident ride.

Switch land for sea at Hervey Bay and unearth the untouched beauty of K’gari’s (Fraser Island) west coast with K’gari Salty Safaris or explore the underwater world on an overnight liveaboard experience to the Southern Great Barrier Reef with Hervey Bay Dive Centre’s Advance II Dive Expeditions. The Gold Coast also welcomed a new dive experience last year, with the opening of the $5 million Wonder Reef. Positioned 2.5km off the beach and just a 10-minute boat ride from the Gold Coast Seaway, the artificial underwater attraction features nine buoyant ocean-friendly structures, abundant with marine life, providing certified divers the chance to descend up to 30m below the surface. For a more relaxing soak, Tank Riviera at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast is the hottest new spa experience packaging up canal cruises, bath house sessions, spa treatments and dining all in one stylish space.

Tasty Trails

Cuisine connoisseurs will drool over fresh foodie experiences across the state. Drive through charming towns and sprawling landscapes at your own pace and treat your tastebuds to one of six Savour Southern Queensland Country tasting trails. Wander through the orchard at Macadamia’s Australia in Bundaberg on the new guided tour and learn all there is to know about this cracking nut, followed by a tasting.

Natural Immersions

Yarriba Dreaming experience 
Credit: Facebook

For a cultural immersion deep in nature, head to Mount Barney Lodge, a 90-minute drive from Brisbane, for the Yarriba Dreaming experience. The three-day personal journey connects guests to country and one’s own dreaming journey, led by Mount Barney Lodge and local Indigenous guides. Embrace Queensland’s outdoor lifestyle and get moving on four wheels with OffCamber’s mountain biking tours of the Atherton Tablelands. Admire the stunning sandstone cliffs of Carnarvon Gorge on an accredited Savannah Guide led tour with Central Queensland Nature Tours or jump onboard a Finchy’s Gorgeous Gorge excursion through Finch Hatton Gorge in Eungella National Park. Cruise and hike Australia’s largest island National Park, Hinchinbrook Island, just north of Townsville with Wild Hinchinbrook Adventures, taking guests on a variety of fishing and scenic tours.

Stunning New Queensland Stays

If you think you knew all of the best places to stay in Queensland, think again! Lap up luxury at Villa Aman at Port Douglas – a new and exclusive holiday home from Spicer’s Private Collection and with 180-degree views over the Reef and rainforest. Speaking of the Great Barrier Reef, get the gang together for an ultra-luxe island stay at The House Lizard Island. The private ocean-front holiday home features three king suites with ensuites and outdoor baths, fully equipped kitchen, private rooftop and infinity pool. The all-inclusive stay starts from $16,000 per night for two people and includes return airfares from Cairns, all meals and beverages and select island experiences. Further south, sleep just steps from the beach at The Pavilions on Hayman Island, boasting 12 private luxury villas overlooking the Whitsunday waters. Travelling inland, Mount Mulligan Lodge has added three luxury Outback Tents to the high-end, remote Tropical North Queensland outback retreat. In Stanthorpe, a new wine-themed escape will get vino-lovers raising a glass by overnighting in one of three giant wine barrel cottages at Barrel View.

The Sunshine Coast has welcomed five new properties in the second half of 2022 including two new Spicer’s Private Collection properties – The Howard and Magari. While in Noosa, anglers will be reeled in by the Noosa Sportfishing Lodge, combining a riverfront holiday home with offshore fishing experiences. Hideaway in the hinterland at Heidi – an Into The Wild Escapes tiny home with unbeatable hilltop views or stay just a stone’s throw from family favourite, Australia Zoo, at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge.

voco Brisbane City Centre Credit: IHG

In the state’s capital, IHG Hotels & Resorts revamped, reflagged and reopened two CBD properties, Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre and voco Brisbane City Centre. Meanwhile, at the Gold Coast The Langham opened its doors halfway through 2022, adding the first ever absolute beachfront property to the brand’s five star lineup. Further up the beach, QT Gold Coast saw out 2022 with the launch of six luxury rooftop cabins, named qtQT Gold Coast, each featuring a private deck for a secluded soiree for two.

Looking Ahead…What’s Coming This Year

Only ten days into the new year and already there are 14 new experiences and stays in the pipeline. Making their Outback entrance in 2023 is the Outback Rail Adventure (launching in May) where guests travel through ancient landscapes and the country town of Ilfracombe in a refurbished 1970’s heritage Rail Motor and the Cunnamulla Hot Springs (launching in June) featuring seven artesian bathing pools on the banks of the Warrego River.

From bush to beach, Barns Lane Farm on the Sunshine Coast will deliver a paddock-to-plate experience on a working farm from late 2023, focusing on connection to environment, local producers, sustainability, community and family. A couple of hundred klicks up the Bruce Highway at Bundaberg, Lady Musgrave Experience will refurbish their original pontoon and relaunch it as a citizen science-based platform. Opening late 2023, the pontoon will offer experiential learning for guests including Marine-Biologist-for-a-Day activities and guided snorkel tours while researchers undertake data collection and Reef research, coral adoption and transplanting programs and Reef health surveys. While in Bundaberg, drop in for Taribelang Bunda Deadly Dining Experience coming in mid-2023. Here guests can come together to sample native bush tucker and the best of Bundaberg’s produce, while connecting with Indigenous culture and history.

Brisbane’s skyline has been transforming with the construction of the highly anticipated Queen’s Wharf integrated resort which is scheduled to open in the second half of 2023. The development will deliver a stella line up of hotels, residential apartments, dining, retail and entertainment experiences. On the Gold Coast, Burleigh Headland will welcome five-star hotel, The Mondrian in 2023 adding an extra 208 hotel rooms to the bustling beachside suburb. While in autumn 2023, Essence Boutique Hotel and Holiday Homes at Peregian Beach will bring a 32 suite boutique hotel and 20 custom-built holiday homes to the Sunshine Coast.

Mackay Adventure Lodge

In Mackay the Mackay Adventure Lodge will open in March providing lakeview, no frill comfort and shared rooms for up to 10 people. Intrepid travellers can sleep under the stars at The Homestead at Lotus Creek, a farm, cafe and campground south of Mackay, opening early this year. Further north in Townsville, the Morris Group, known for exquisite accommodation options like Mt Mulligan Lodge and Orpheus Island Lodge, will add their magic to the new $88 million five-star Ardo luxury hotel, scheduled to open in late 2023, plus a secluded island residence – Pelorus Island – will unveil five private suites by the water at the south-west corner of the island. Also anticipated in the Townsville region in 2023 is the Museum of Underwater Art’s second installation – the Ocean Sentinels. In Cairns, Accor will launch the 75 room Mercure Hotel Cairns early this year.

With 43 new tourism products on the radar, there are plenty of undiscovered and surprising experiences to pack into a 2023 calendar of travel. Log onto queensland.com and start planning your next Queensland escape today.

*Source: Tourism and Events Queensland