Brisbane · ~5.6 million · The Sunshine State · AEST — no daylight saving, ever
Warm, spread out and built for the outdoors. Queensland runs from the surf beaches of the Gold Coast up through Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast to the reef and rainforest of the tropical north. It is the classic east-coast backpacker route and it has the most generous ambulance rules in the country.
The bodies that actually decide these things. Everything further down this page cites one of them.
Ambulance is free for Queensland residents — the state pays for it. This is unique and it is worth understanding exactly who counts as a resident.
Queensland does not observe daylight saving. For half the year it is an hour behind Sydney and Melbourne.
Public transport across South East Queensland runs on a very low flat fare. Check the current go card fare before you assume it is expensive.
SourcesQueensland Ambulance Service (Ambulance funding)Queensland Government — time zones (No daylight saving)TransLink — fares (Flat fare)
Free for Queensland residents, anywhere in Australia.
Costs are directional and change without notice. Confirm on the official page before relying on a figure.
Getting around
Queensland introduced a very low flat public transport fare across South East Queensland, which made buses, trains, ferries and trams startlingly cheap. Brisbane’s CityHopper ferry on the river is free.
Bank card instead of a travel card? Yes — contactless bank cards and phone wallets are accepted across most of the South East Queensland network.
SourceTransLink Queensland
Health advice, 24/7
Queensland’s 24/7 nurse and health advice line.
SourceQueensland Health
Driving
Permanent residents have 3 months to convert to a Queensland licence. Temporary visa holders can generally keep driving on a valid overseas licence, carrying an English translation or an International Driving Permit if it is not in English.
Queensland Transport & MotoringRenting
Tenancy law and bond lodgement. Your bond is lodged with a government authority, not held by the agent — if nobody lodged yours, something is wrong.
Tenancy rules & bondsWork safety
The state regulator for workplace health and safety. If a job feels unsafe, this is who you call — and they do not ask about your visa.
Report or askSourceWorkSafe Queensland
Costs & climate
Brisbane is cheaper than Sydney and Melbourne but rising fast. Regional Queensland is where budgets stretch furthest.
Subtropical in the south-east, tropical in the north. The far north has a wet season roughly November to April with heat, humidity and cyclones.
SourcesResidential Tenancies Authority — median rentsBureau of Meteorology — QueenslandG'day Guide estimate — not an official figure
Whatever the job, check your legal minimum rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator in your first week. Underpayment of new arrivals is common and the calculator settles it in five minutes.
SourcesJobs and Skills AustraliaHarvest work via Workforce Australia (Seasonal work regions)
Snorkel or dive from Cairns, Port Douglas or the Whitsundays. Budget for one good day rather than three cheap ones.
Silica sand so fine it squeaks. Sailing trips from Airlie Beach are a backpacker rite of passage.
The oldest continuously surviving rainforest on earth, meeting the reef at Cape Tribulation.
Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads and the theme parks — plus a serious hinterland just behind it.
The largest sand island in the world. Four-wheel-drive only, and the dingoes are wild animals — treat them that way.
SourcesTourism and Events QueenslandGreat Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Subtropical river city and the gateway to the whole east coast run.
In your first week here
Surf beaches, high-rises and the biggest hospitality job market outside the capitals.
In your first week here
Reef and rainforest in one town, and the backpacker capital of the tropical north.
In your first week here
Noosa, Mooloolaba and the hinterland — calmer than the Gold Coast, just as warm.
In your first week here
North Queensland working town with Magnetic Island offshore.
In your first week here
Queensland’s farm-work capital and a turtle nesting site.
In your first week here
Still to do?
The national list — myGov, tax file number, Medicare, Fair Work and the rest — is on the main guide, in the order that works. Tick it off as you go on the checklist in My guide.