For primary school kids

One of Queensland’s unsung gems, Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) is just 75 minutes by passenger ferry from Brisbane (the car ferry takes around 90 minutes). Despite its proximity to the state’s capital city, an astonishing 98 per cent of this vast sand island is national park. Spend your days tobogganing down otherworldly sand dunes or snorkelling around the iconic Tangalooma wrecks sunk off the island’s sheltered west coast.

For the multi-generational set

It can be hard to please the whole family, from grandparents to distracted toddlers, but InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef might just have pulled it off. Hayman has long been considered the most glamorous of the resorts in The Whitsundays, but it’s a lesser-known fact that the island caters as brilliantly for kids, with its Planet Trekkers Kid’s Club, as it does to adults who’d rather luxuriate on a daybed at the resort’s famous hexagonal pool.

For a large gathering

Collect your tribe for a hassle-free special occasion at laid-back Pumpkin Island. This island off the coast of Yeppoon is completely secluded – and that is, frankly, the joy of the place. Kids can freely roam its six hectares and gather sticks for an evening of toasting marshmallows over a beach bonfire. Turtles can be spotted from paddleboards and dolphins and whales visit the island’s aquamarine waters between June and November each year.

Turning on that out-of-office notification feels even better when you’re headed for a Queensland island holiday. Start planning now at qantas.com.

For tweens and teens

It was declared a Green Zone more than two decades ago (meaning fishing is banned) and now Lady Elliot Island offers some of the best snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. Approximately 80 kilometres north-east of Bundaberg, Lady Elliot is the reef’s southernmost coral cay and is fringed by glittering beaches made of crushed coral and more than 1200 marine species found in the surrounding waters.

For toddlers

Hamilton Island might be the best-known of the 74 Whitsunday islands – and for good reason. You’ll find palm-fringed beaches, thick tropical rainforests and cerulean water at this resort island on the Great Barrier Reef. Better yet, there are regular Qantas flights to Hamilton Island’s tiny airport direct from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

For nature enthusiasts

Great Keppel Island’s virtues shouldn’t be underestimated: terrific hiking trails, beautiful snorkelling (to corals that can be accessed straight from the beach) and long stretches of deserted coast. The island’s under-the-radar status means accommodation is largely laid-back and no-frills: try Great Keppel Island Holiday Village for dorms, decked tents and doubles.

For daytrippers

North Stradbroke Island rarely makes the holiday short-list for winter-weary southerners. And that’s their loss. Just 30 kilometres south-east of Brisbane, Point Lookout, the beguiling township on the far side of the island, might as well be in a different state. Warm year-round with Pacific breakers crashing on its expansive beaches, “Straddie” strikes the perfect balance between seclusion and accessibility. Go on a whale-watching cultural walk at Point Lookout’s Headland Park (June to September) and the cast of extras could include dolphins, turtles and manta rays.

For divers

If you get low like Jacques Cousteau, Heron Island is arguably the Great Barrier Reef’s finest diving spot. The resort boasts more than 20 sites within 15 minutes of the shore (including Cousteau’s iconic Heron Bommie). It hardly lets up elsewhere, either, with breeding season for turtles and myriad species of birds in the summer, and a winter marked by the annual humpback migration north.

Snorkel, dive and swim to your heart’s content on your idyllic Queensland holiday. Pick your perfect island, then search for flights at qantas.com.

For turtle watchers

A tiny, sand-fringed coral cay 25 minutes by boat from Heron Island and offering just nine safari tents, adults-only Wilson Island is a castaway fantasy come true – chef included. The surrounding coral bustles with marine life including threatened green turtles and loggerhead turtles, who heave themselves onshore by night to lay their eggs from November to March. Visit from late January to May for your best chance to experience the magic of hatching season.

For romantics

For honeymooners, there’s simply no better tropical Queensland getaway than Bedarra Island. The all-inclusive luxury resort has 12 immaculately appointed and sustainability focused villas. Bedarra is known for its service so, while it’s tempting to sit around and enjoy the opulence, staff happily arrange private excursions to the island’s secluded beaches and coves.

For food lovers

Queensland’s tropical islands are becoming a destination in their own right for travellers who make fine dining the centrepiece of their holiday – and Orpheus Island is leading the way. A menu that changes each day ensures the resort’s signature Dining With the Tides experience is never boring, with six tailored courses served by candlelight on an elegant pier. Orpheus’ seclusion – transfer is by helicopter from Townsville – only adds to the magic. The Lodge can be exclusively hired for up to 28 guests, with guided hikes and snorkelling expeditions, sunset cruises and unlimited use of water equipment.

Picture yourself sipping a cocktail while you watch the sun set into tropical waters. Now make it happen – search for flights at qantas.com.

For luxury lovers

Off the coast of Townsville and a short hop to the north of Orpheus Island, Pelorus Private Island is home to a sumptuous five-suite residence and 400 hectares of pristine bush – and it can be all yours. Start the day with sunrise yoga on the coral-strewn sand and enjoy hyperlocal fare prepared by a private chef.

At Lady Musgrave Island, accommodation means camping among the island’s shearwater seabirds – or in the island’s lagoon onboard Lady Musgrave HQ, a 35-metre snorkel and dive pontoon moored in the sheltered waters. Sleep on deck in a queen-sized glamping bed or take one of the 20 single bunks in the underwater observatory and wake up to the sight of fish, rays and passing sea turtles.