Queensland's Epicurean Delights 

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Queensland. A tantalising landscape for the biggest appetite and the most jaded palate.

With arguably the most vast and varied landscape in the country, Queensland's gourmet travelling potential would wear down Odysseus, and have Bacchus calling for the bill.

From the outback to the beach, from the rainforest to the reef, from the southeast capital to the tropical north, Queensland is a banquet for the gourmet traveller. Spectacular locations, fresh local produce, fine local wines and a melting pot of cuisines served up by some of the country's best chefs.

And with tourism being one of the state's major industries, visitors are superbly catered for with a wealth of award-winning restaurants and world-class hotels and resorts in the most spectacular settings.

The epicurean will feel right at home. Many visit and never leave.

Queensland serves up its own unique cuisine - a fusion of Asian and Mediterranean, home-grown and exotic, earth and sea, blue sky and sunshine. Much of the fine, fresh food you enjoy at restaurants around Australia comes from here - from Moreton Bay Bugs to Bowen mangoes, export quality organic beef to wild barramundi.

Brisbane's bustling population of some two million supports a feast of fine restaurants. From yum-cha in Chinatown to a seafood platter by the bay, Brisbane is a sunny smorgasbord.

The Gold and Sunshine Coasts have attracted some of the best cooks in the country. In fact, the Gold Coast has more restaurants per capita than any other region in Australia. The Sunshine Coast's Noosa has rapidly become one of Australia's premier destinations.

The cooler southeast Queensland country hosts a wide range of wineries, many of which offer fine dining and accommodation. These regions are famous for their vineyards and orchards, gardens and National Parks, oh-so-cosy Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs) and grand homesteads.

If you're searching for the essence of Australia, you may well find it in the Queensland outback - the home of Waltzing Matilda and the birthplace of Qantas. A hearty meal at an outback pub is a quintessentially Australian experience. Here, you'll also find traces of earlier travellers, from ancient rock paintings to dinosaur tracks.

Queensland has an amazing mix of natural attractions. In fact, it's home to five World Heritage areas: the Wet Tropics Rainforests, the Riversleigh Fossil Fields, the Central Eastern Rainforest, Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef.

Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and an ecological masterpiece, with pristine freshwater lakes, towering ancient rainforests and a diversity of flora and fauna. An award winning resort provides the perfect base for exploring the World Heritage island.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's most diverse coral reef system. Home to some 6,600 species of marine life, it spans 3,000km of Queensland's east coast. The spectacular diving and deep water fishing lure seasoned enthusiasts from around the globe.

In the turquoise waters of the Whitsundays, you have your choice of 70-something islands. Several have resorts, including one of the 'Leading Hotels of the World'. Many more remain untouched. Take a bareboat charter and explore them all. With the largest charter fleet in the country, this is where maxi racers come to retire, the Whitsundays is the pleasure boating capital of Australia. Catch a reef fish for dinner and have a barbecue on the deck.

The cosmopolitan yet relaxed cities of Townsville and Cairns are gateways to the tropical north, the Reef and Gulf, the resort towns of Port Douglas and Mission Beach, and another world of adventure and fine, fresh local food. A cornucopia of exotic fruits. The freshest seafood and deepwater fish. Gulf barramundi and mud crabs. Plantation fresh tea and coffee. Scuba diving and game fishing. Rainforest hiking and white-water rafting. And year-round outdoor dining in the balmiest of climates.

A hearty meal at an outback pub. Silver service at a reef island resort. A barbecue on-deck, under sail. A banquet at a country homestead. Fish and chips at a beach cafi. Or the haute cuisine of a Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year.

Queensland is a banquet for the gourmet traveller. Dig in!