and/or Cairns. Gold Coast is kind of the bustline L.A./Miami area. Great beaches, amusement parks, etc. You can get to gold coast and Sunshine Coast from Brisbane. Sunshine Coast has the Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin) which my wife would want to see if we went. If I could go anywhere in Queensland, I would go to Noosa Heads, Whitsundays, and Cairns (mostly to see the Great Barrier Reef).