Queensland: Open for Business – Operation Sunshine

Earlier this year, when cyclone Yasi and flood waters tore through Queensland, I was amazed, worried, heartbroken.  I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Queensland over the years – doing motorbike tours up through the Sunshine Coast and the hinterland, walking through the Daintree, visiting the Great Barrier Reef and chilling out at Port Douglas. And each time I visited, I always found great, almost hidden, locations and unusual people to meet. The floods and cyclone Yasi made me wonder what had happened to these places and people.

So I was pleased to find out about Operation Sunshine. Cricketer, Matthew Hayden has taken a camera crew on a road trip (everyone loves a road trip) to meet Queenslanders all the way up the coast – from Gold Coast to Port Douglas. There are some great photos and stories coming out of the communities and towns along the way. But what Operation Sunshine shows is that Queensland is “open for business” – and that the best way to help the people of Queensland recover is to visit.

But if you are like me and just can’t jump on a Jetstar plane, then you can do the next best thing:

And then, when it’s time to head north to escape the winter of the southern states, spend some time in Queensland – and bring a touch of sunshine everywhere you go.