Queensland is known for its natural beauty, and while there’s an endless number of amazing places to see, some stand out more than the rest.

Thanks to their ‘outstanding universal value’, 5 special spots in Queensland are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Beyond their beauty, each Queensland World Heritage site provides a deep connection to our land, culture, and the thriving life that exists within them. Take a look at each site and discover more about them.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef, undoubtedly Queensland's most renowned World Heritage site, is a must-see for everyone in their lifetime. Stretching along our coastline from Bundaberg in the south to Cape York in the tropical north, the Great Barrier Reef is both larger than New Zealand and visible from space!

Its sheer magnitude and astonishing biodiversity have earned it a place as one of the seven natural wonders of the world and the distinction of being the first coral reef to achieve World Heritage status back in 1981. This iconic Australian wonder is the world's largest coral reef system and houses one of the most diverse and intricate natural ecosystems on the planet. This includes 1,625 fish species, 6 of the world's 7 turtle species, and over 30 species of whales and dolphins.

Traditional Owners have maintained connections with the Great Barrier Reef for over 60,000 years, even as the Reef, in its present form, took shape 10,000 years ago. These Traditional Owners, spanning from the Torres Strait Islands to Bundaberg, are integral to the Reef's evolution, and it holds a fundamental place within their culture.

To safeguard the Great Barrier Reef, we collaborate with Traditional Owners, landholders, local communities, conservation groups, research organizations, councils, and the Australian Government. This includes partnering with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, who have provided world-leading park management of the Reef since 1975.

To learn more about our plans for the Reef's long-term protection take a look at our Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.

Gondwana Rainforests

Nestled in South East Queensland and extending into New South Wales, the Gondwana Rainforest is the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the entire world. Spanning across nearly 60,000 hectares in Queensland, this magical area comprises Lamington, Springbrook, Mt. Barney, and Main Range National Parks.

You can trace the Gondwana Rainforest's origin back 180 million years, when it was an ancient supercontinent that encompassed Australasia, Africa, and South America. When Australia separated from the Gondwanan landmass, most of these rainforests became warmer and dried up.

Today, what remains is a fascinating insight into Earth's evolutionary history.

The Gondwana rainforests are teeming with more frog, snake, bird, and marsupial species than anywhere else in the world. They are also a sanctuary to over 200 of the nation's rare and threatened plant and animal species, including the Albert’s lyrebird, rufous scrub-bird, and marbled frogmouth. Previously thought extinct, species like the Hastings River mouse and parma wallaby have also been rediscovered here.

Boasting soaring waterfalls like Purling Brook and Coomera falls, ancient volcanoes, and rugged mountain peaks, it's not hard to see why these national parks are so significant.

To safeguard the forty parks and reserves within the Gondwana World Heritage Area, our Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service collaborates with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service to coordinate activities across jurisdictions. In addition, the Queensland Gondwana World Heritage Advisory Committee works with land managers to identify priorities for conserving and safeguarding the area.

K’gari (formerly Fraser Island)

Just a mere four-hour drive north of Brisbane, K'gari holds the title of being the largest sand island in the world, and has been home to the Butchulla People, K’gari’s Traditional Owners, for over 5,000 years, and possibly up to 50,000.

This remarkable area boasts an extensive shoreline with more than 250 kilometres of pristine sandy beaches and over 40 kilometres of stunningly colourful sand cliffs. Inland from the beach are majestic remnants of tall rainforest growing on the sand dunes, an occurrence thought to be unique in the world.

The island's coastal dune formations and dune lakes remain in a constant state of evolution and are part of the longest and most complete age sequence of coastal dune systems in the world and they're still evolving.

And then there's the captivating wildlife – you can encounter over 325 bird species, flora and fauna not found anywhere else in the world, migrating humpback whales, Wongari, Australia's purest dingo population, and a distinct species of tortoise inhabiting the Island's unique freshwater lakes.

Day-to-day management of K'gari is a joint effort between the Butchulla people (represented by the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation, the Butchulla Land and Sea rangers, and the Butchulla Native Title Aboriginal Corporation), and our Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Riversleigh

Australia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, and Queensland stands out as our most biodiverse state, with over 14,000 native plant species and more than a third of those found nowhere else in the world.

Riversleigh, a fossil site located within Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park in our remote north-west, on Waanyi Country, houses an extraordinarily diverse collection of Australian mammal fossils preserved in limestone. These fossils paint a picture of the key stages of evolution of Australia’s mammals and earth's history, including the record of life.

Some fossils date back 30-10 million years!

The Waanyi people refer to this land as Boodjamulla, or the Rainbow Serpent Country. They hold the belief Boodjamulla, the Rainbow Serpent, shaped the Lawn Hill Gorge region and created the permanent spring water. They have been occupying this land for at least 17,000 years, and it may extend beyond 30,000 years.

Riversleigh is jointly inscribed on the World Heritage List with Naracoorte, another fossil site located in South Australia, and are regarded as two of the world's ten greatest fossil sites, and the history of mammal lineages in modern Australia can be traced through these deposits.

Wet Tropics

The Wet Tropics are the world's oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforests and stand out as one of a handful of areas worldwide that meet all four natural criteria for a World Heritage listing.

Encompassing nearly 900,000 hectares in Far North Queensland, this breathtaking area holds immense significance due to its abundant and distinct biodiversity.

Australia's unique marsupials and much of its other wildlife originated in rainforest ecosystems, with their closest living relatives found within the Wet Tropics. These living relicts provide unique insights to the process of evolution and provide important information for the interpretation of fossils of plants and animals found elsewhere in Australia.

Despite occupying just 0.12% of Australia's landmass, the Wet Tropics are home to an astonishing 35% of Australia’s mammal species, 40% of bird species, 60% of butterfly species, 29% of frog species, and 20% of reptile species. This includes some fantastically unique animals like the green ringtail possum, quoll , and tree-kangaroos.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, among several agencies, participates in the preservation of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The Wet Tropics Management Authority oversees the comprehensive planning to safeguard this special Queensland region for the world.