The Capricorn Coast is the region of Queensland between the Fraser Coast and the Whitsundays. The Capricorn Coast has beautiful coastal rainforests, unspoilt beaches and sub-tropical islands including Great Keppel Island. The magnificent coastline sweeps along just 30 minutes from Rockhampton. To the west of the coast is farming and cattle country in the Rural Hinterland. The Central Highlands and gemfields offer visitors the opportunity to go fossicking.

On the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, Gladstone boasts a natural deep water harbour and the area is surrounded by National Parks, rainforests and rich farming country. Gladstone is the departure point for Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island.

Rockhampton is located on the Tropic of Capricorn and the region enjoys warm weather year round. Located on the Fitzroy River, Rockhampton is where the outback meets the reef. Rockhampton has galleries, museums, botanic gardens, the Koorana Crocodile Farm and the Dreamtime Aboriginal Culture Centre. Carnarvon Park features towering sandstone cliffs, a wide boulder-strewn creek, narrow ferny and moss covered side gorges, abundant wildlife and Aboriginal art sites.

Rockhampton's Botanic Gardens are abundant with wildlife that makes these lush gardens their home. In contrast, Kershaw Gardens are dedicated to the preservation and display of Australian native plants. Mount Archer Environmental Park features a lookout with spectacular views of the city and surrounding landscapes.

A scenic 30-minute drive from Rockhampton to Mt Morgan is a trip back in time. This former bustling gold and copper mining town is now quiet, peaceful and so rich in history. Mt Morgan museum has a wonderful collection reflecting colonial life in an Australian colonial town. Visit the Heritage Railway Station where you can ride on one of the original fully restored Hunslett Locomotives.

Yeppoon is a gateway to the Capricorn Coast, featuring a charming esplanade with grassy knolls and palms, which form a backdrop to a vista of sea, sky and islands. Views from the beaches and headlands of Yepoon and Emu Park are of the Keppel Islands. Fifteen minutes from Yeppoon discover Byfield State Forest, which has 22 hectares of wetlands with a great diversity of wildlife.

Emerald is located 260km west of Rockhampton and is the hub of the Central Highlands. Carnarvon National Park is characterised by a deep sandstone gorge, draped in lush green palms and ferns. Here there are also a number of sacred Aboriginal art sites. On the Gemfields you will find the largest sapphire fields in the Southern Hemisphere. There are walk-in mines to explore and gem galleries to visit.

Capricorn's Rural Hinterland is Australia's most arable tract of land with diverse farming, cattle and mining industries. This area is centred around the country townships of Biloela, Duaringa, Blackwater and Theodore.

The seasonal changes in Queensland are not really the destinct changes of summer and winter. The changes in Queensland are generally the hotter the climate the wetter it is or the cooler the climate the dryer it is.

In the northern parts of the state the hot/wet season is between November and May, particularly in January, Feburary and March where daily temperatures reach around 35C to 40C. This time of the year is also the time for cyclones and flooding with Cairns getting around 1300mm of rain during this period. In the southern parts of the state Brisbane and other major cities average around 450mm of rain in the hot/wet season with temperatures rarely droping into the 20C's.

In the cool/dry season the state still has relatively warm temperatures compared to the rest of Australia during the months of June to October. Temperatures hardly drop below 20C and the nights are still warm as well unless you are in the inland/outback regions of the state where it can be cold during the nights.