These Heritage-listed gardens, begun in 1873, are a beautiful escape from often-sweltering Rockhampton, with tropical and subtropical rainforest, landscaped gardens and lily-covered lagoons. The formal Japanese garden is delightfully restful, there's a cafe, and the small, well-kept zoo has koalas, lion-tailed macaques, Asian small-clawed otters, dingoes, chimpanzees, a walk-through aviary...

　　The stories of the local Darumbal people and Torres Straits islanders are well-conveyed here. Self-guide through exhibits such as 'The Vanishing Culture of the Sandstone Belt' or – better yet! – join an excellent, 90-minute, hands-on tour with knowledgeable guides and learn about the significance of rock paintings found in...

　　The highest peak in the Beserker Range and the focus of a 4250-hectare national park, this mountain (604m) has walking trails weaving through eucalypts and rainforest abundant in wildlife. A brochure to the park is available from Rockhampton visitor centre. ...

　　Riddling the Berserker Range some 24km north of Rockhampton, this vast cave complex is one of the Capricorn Coast's foremost attractions. Technically not subterranean (they were formed by water working on the limestone of an ancient reef, thrust upward by tectonic pressure) they contain cave coral, stalactites, dangling fig-tree roots...

　　Founded in 1967, this great regional gallery owns an impressive collection of modernist Australian paintings, including works by Russell Drysdale, Arthur Boyd, John Brack and Sidney Nolan. You'll also see a rotating collection of pieces by Aboriginal artists, significant British and Japanese works, and photography by the Queensland Evolve collective....

　　This historic streetscape, where grand sandstone Victorian-era buildings face the broad Fitzroy River, is Rockhampton's most beautiful area. You can pick up leaflets that map out buildings of particular note from the visitor centre. ...

　　Housed in a handsome heritage-listed railway station dating to 1899, this museum is a labour of love, telling the station’s story through photographs, artefacts, 'speaking' mannequins, and the enthusiasm of the curator, happy to relay the history of the regional railways. You can climb aboard the locomotive or ride the...

　　Just north of the Fitzroy River, this excellent botanical park showcases Australian native plants and is a great spot for a picnic or play with the kids. Its attractions include the 9m-high adventure playground Wyatt's Wonder Web (originally designed for New York's Central Park), and a 200mm-deep watercourse that mimics...