Set on the banks of the meandering Brisbane River, close to the waters of Moreton Bay, the Queensland capital is a city of grace and charm with a balmy, sub-tropical climate. South of Brisbane is the Gold Coast, a 42km stretch of golden beaches, superbly equipped with resorts, wildlife parks and theme parks, sports facilities. To the north of Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast, with its marvellous beaches. There are over 1 000 islands in the Great Barrier Reef, accessible from coastal centres of Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, Proserpine, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Bundaberg. An area of outstanding natural beauty just north of Mackay, the 74 islands of the Whitsundays offer superb boating and coral viewing.Queensland covers a huge area where the clear, blue skies, golden sunsets ,limestone caves, dinosaur footprints and Aboriginal rock art . Queensland is also rich in World Heritage listed areas ranging from Riversleigh fossil mammal site, the ancient rainforests of the Wet Tropics, Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, to the Great Barrier Reef teeming with marine life. Queensland's animal emblem is the koala, while the floral emblem is the Cooktown orchid.