Flight Destinations

Flights to Gladstone

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Right on the coast of north eastern Australia, and home to a large harbour, is the small city of Gladstone. Once branded as the Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Gladstone is a great base for touring the Great Barrier Reef, and the town offer plenty more to see and do too.

Flights to Gladstone

The small Gladstone Airport (airport code: GLT) handles only local air traffic, so all flights to Gladstone from the UK will have to route through another city before arrival. The airport is just a short drive from town (about 3 miles/5km) and you'll need a taxi or shuttle to get there. British Airways and Qantas Airways both have the same route for flights to Gladstone, travelling via Singapore and then Brisbane. Another option is with Thai Airways, and their flight to Gladstone has stops in Bangkok and Brisbane. Either way, your flight will take over 30 hours.

Gladstone Tourist Attractions

Great Barrier Reef

The main attraction in Gladstone is the Great Barrier Reef just off the coast. Most tours of the southern end of the reef are arranged through Gladstone. You can take boating tours around the many small islands along the reef, and it goes without saying that the scuba diving and snorkelling is amazing.

Tondoon Botanic Gardens

The botanical gardens cover 83 hectares, including Lake Tondoon, and you can go walking among the trees or bring a picnic lunch. There is a playground for children too. The park is open 7 days a week, though closed over the Christmas holidays.

Calliope River Historical Village

To the south of Gladstone is Calliope, and their historical village is a great destination for a day trip. There are about 20 buildings in the village, each with displays from the area's history. They also have some railway cars on display, and crafter's markets are frequently held here as well. The Calliope River Historical Village is about 16 miles (26km) away from Gladstone.

Gladstone Maritime Museum

The history of the Curtis Coast is on display at the Gladstone Maritime Museum. Exhibits include a shipwreck location map, several scale models of local ships, and artefacts from early settlements in the region.

Castle Tower National Park

The Castle Tower National Park is the park for rugged hikes, where you can see some beautiful granite outcroppings and untouched Australian wilderness. There are no facilities and no marked trails in the park, so this isn't the place to go for a casual walk. But if you enjoy back-country hiking and camping, it's perfect, and it’s located only 25 miles (40km) away from Gladstone.

Beautiful Betsy Walk

If you prefer an easier walk, head a little farther from Gladstone to the Kroombit Tops National Park. It's a lovely park with streams, waterfalls, trees and sandstone formations,but it's best known for the remains of the WWII bomber that crashed there, the Beautiful Betsy. You can follow the trail to the downed plane, and learn more about its history as you go.

When Should You Visit Gladstone?

Weather is warm in Gladstone year-round, though some months may be too warm for comfortable sight-seeing. Temperatures are 30C (86F) and slightly above for the months between November and March. These are also the wettest months, making them less than ideal for tourism. The best weather is from May until September, when it is drier and the temperatures are between 22C (72F) and 26C (79F).