Get steamed up in Queensland

THE future is looking bright for one of Queensland’s most -loved tourism attractions, with the steam and diesel engines of the Mary Valley Rattler again chugging their way through some of the Sunshine Coast hinterland’s most picturesque countryside. 

After many years of extensive upgrades to existing track work and improvements to its fleet of historic steam and diesel locomotives and carriages – each with their own unique story – the heritage railway experience has been relaunched after an almost seven-year hiatus. 

At its peak, the Valley Rattler, as it was then known, played host to upwards of 30,000 passengers annually. Morning and afternoon services on the Mary Valley Rattler will now run three days per week on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays for a return journey from the historic Gympie or Amamoor stations via Dagun. 

Reputed to be the largest timber railway building owned by Queensland Rail during the 20th century, the historic Gympie station is the headquarters of the Mary Valley Rattler and arguably one of the most stylish and elaborate in the context of timber railway architecture.   


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Picture Credit: By Sue Allen, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org 51488514

A shining star

THE unveiling of a ‘star’ on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Steve Irwin is set to continue the strong profile of his Sunshine Coast home in the North American market. Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin, were in Hollywood at the unveiling along with some of their closest friends and family from around the world. The newest star is fittingly located directly outside the ‘Iguana Vintage Store’. 

Terri Irwin said Steve would have been chuffed at the award: “Steve always said that he hoped his message of conservation would live on forever. It means the world to us that Steve’s memory will live on in so many ways, including now on the internationally recognised Hollywood Walk of Fame. “We’re thrilled that so many people have joined us today in khaki to celebrate. It’s wonderful that there are lots of people back home on the Sunshine Coast celebrating too,” said Terri. 

Visit Sunshine Coast has worked closely with the Irwin family to gain the Hollywood recognition for Steve, who played a key role in elevating Sunshine Coast tourism through the establishment of Australia Zoo.

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Picture Credit: pintrest

Commonwealth Games influx

THE latest International Visitor Survey released today shows a record 301,000 people visited the Sunshine Coast in the 12 months to December 2017. 

Fittingly, the Sunshine Coast’s record figures were supported from the key nations of New Zealand (65,000), UK (60,000) and Canada (14,000); as the region looks to welcome nine international teams and over 500 visiting athletes and officials in the lead up to the #commonwealthgames. 

Teams using the Sunshine Coast as their pre-Games training base include Scotland, England, Wales, New Zealand, Isle of Man, Singapore, Niue and St Helena along with a number of athletes from domestic sporting teams, including Australia’s Olympic champion women’s sevens rugby squad.

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New campaign to drive more visitors to the Sunshine Coast

VISIT Sunshine Coast (VSC) is working in conjunction with local tourism organisations and chambers of commerce to launch the second phase of the ‘Come to life’ marketing campaign, targeting the surrounding drive market in south east #Queensland and beyond. 

Building on the region’s ‘naturally refreshing’ branding and the successful roll-out of phase one of the program during 2017, phase two includes seven new 15 second television commercials, a dedicated ½ hour episode on the nationally-broadcast Queensland Weekender TV program, static and digital billboards throughout Brisbane metro, digital and social media placements and tourism offers redeemable until June 2018. 

The campaign will run until mid-March highlighting Sunshine Coast local areas including Caloundra, Kawana, Eumundi, Coolum, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and the Hinterland, targeting Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Wide Bay regions.

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Heading to Australia? . . .

Fancy a bite with a great white? - Adventure Bay Charters on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula has launched an aqua submarine for observing sharks in their natural environment without getting wet. The trip costs from AU$395 (£206) per adult and AU$285 (£150) per child (3-15 years), plus AU$100 (£52) to step into the cage or AquaSubmarine. 

Take tea with the dolphins - TEMPTATION SAILING in South Australia is offering an afternoon tea experience with a difference. Sail from Glenelg’s Marina Pieron board a 58-foot catamaran. The cruise offers dolphin-spotting opportunities with an afternoon tea platter. Prices start from AU$50 (£27.85) per person.  dolphinboat.com.au

Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, Australia, has again taken out the top gong for the South Pacific's Best Beach in the 2015 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards. In the Great Barrier Reef, the turquoise waters and silica sand of Whitehaven Beach stretch over four miles along Whitsunday Island off the Queensland coast.

Where to see the whale sharks - Whale shark swim tours will begin from Coral Bay and Exmouth from mid-March until August, allowing visitors the opportunity to have a face-to-fin encounter with whale sharks – which can grow up to 59ft in length.

AUSTRALIA’S Great Beach Drive - has been launched to provide 125 miles of motoring along Queensland’s Sunshine and Fraser coasts. The drive starts in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.

Bushwalking - NEW SOUTH WALES is Australia's most popular bushwalking region, with more than 5.5 million visitors trekking on the state's bushwalk trails, according to Destination NSW. 

Tuck into some croc - AYERS ROCK RESORT has devised a Bush Tucker Trail highlighting indigenous Australian flavours. ayersrockresort.com.au

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Picture Credit: Great white aqurium by Brocken Inaglory - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Dolphins Swimming Near Catalina Island, CA by Jameyson MacDonald - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Whitsunday Island - Whitehaven Beach by Damien Dempsey from Melbourne, Australia - Whitehaven Beach. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Requin baleine ningaloo reef by Chewb62 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Bushwalking in the rain at Kosciuszko National Park by Michael Jordan - IMG_0030. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons