So no matter where your car rental holiday may take you, booking through Vroom means you’ll have access to the collective pickup/drop- off locations of five car hire companies and their ranges of regularly serviced and maintained cars, vans and 4WDs.
You might want to pick up your lovely Brisbane rental car as you arrive at Brisbane Airport and go crazy in the southeast. There’s 800 kilometres of sandy beaches stretching from Coolangatta on the NSW border to Fraser Island, flirting their way past Surfers Paradise with all it’s glitz, glamour and idling through the languid Sunshine Coast.
You might be a bit of a danger buff and fancy testing your skills against the unforgiving wilds of Cape York. No worries. Grab yourself a rough-and-ready Cairns hire car -- 4WD is the only way to go -- and launch on a mission up along the Cape York Peninsula. Watch out for crocodiles though, unless of course you have the croc team from Australia Zoo with you then go for it. Just look out for the signs...they will let you know where its ok to swim.
Or maybe your up for some Queensland Luxury. Pick up a convertable and head to Palazzo Versace our only 6star hotel Australia. Check in for a night of Pure Luxury at the Brisbane Marriott Hotel or experience the Whitsundays at the new Qualia Resort.
Or maybe you want to do something a little out of the ordinary and see the living spirit in Queensland out in the country and regional areas, the “Outback”. Get yourself a roomy van and drive your rental car beyond the reaches to explore Aboriginal artwork at Carnavon Gorge, make an entrance at the infamous Birdsville Races, or dig around for some precious stones in Opalton. VroomVroomVroom's got locations all over the Queensland Outback. Places like Charleville car hire, car hire Mount Isa and car rental Charters Towers make the one-way trip easier to organise.

If the winter chill is getting you down, head north and explore Queensland's many attractions in comforting warmth.
It's easy to see why Victorians head north in droves each winter - much of the time it's 10 degrees warmer in Brisbane than it is in Melbourne. On a visit to Brisbane last month, even the locals were flocking to the man-made inner-city beach at Southbank Parklands as the sun shone relentlessly from a cloudless blue sky.
Go further north in winter and the weather is positively balmy. From the city-based attractions of Brisbane, the glitz of the Gold Coast, the sands of the Sunshine Coast, the islands of the Whitsundays to the lure of the far north tropics, Queensland is the destination of choice for many Victorians.
Winter brings festivals and events of all kinds in Queensland and there's plenty to choose from, whichever part of the vast state you visit. From south to north, here are a few ideas to make your Queensland winter sojourn interesting as well as relaxing.
GOLD COAST
Think you've seen it all before at the Gold Coast theme parks? Warner Bros Movie World's newest rollercoaster, the super-fast Superman Escape, has 760 metres of vertical climbs, weightless drops, spinning twists and giant G-force turns - and travels from 0 to 100 km/h in two seconds.
Next door at Wet'n'Wild Water World, some areas close over winter, but the summer attraction Whirlpool has been transformed into Whirlpool Hot Springs just for the winter. It has 10 hot tubs (at 36 degrees), each capable of holding up to 20 people. If you get there after September, you'll be in time for the opening of another giant waterslide, aptly named Tornado.
Dreamworld has just opened its new FlowRider, described as a cross between surfing, skating, snowboarding, bodyboarding and wakeboarding. And the waves are always warm. Although FlowRider is not included in the admission price, it only costs $5, with 15 people rotating in a 30-minute session.
But if you prefer the real thing, the Billabong Winter Classic surfing championships will be held at Duranbah on the weekend of July 15-16, when Australia's top competitors fine-tune their acts, giving spectators the chance to see some high-performance surfing.
For those with less active pursuits in mind, Tastes of the Gold Coast offers culinary delights throughout August at various venues. Highlights include the Seafood Paradise Weekend (August 4-6), Tastes of Broadbeach (August 18-20) and the Hot Chilli Weekend (August 25-27) at Couran Cove Island Resort.
Information: tastesofgoldcoast.com.au, verygc.com
BRISBANE
If you're looking for culture Queensland-style, then head to Brisbane and the biennial Brisbane Festival, which will see the city heaving with theatre, dance, music, opera, multimedia and community events from July 14 to 30. This international festival features more than 500 performances, many of them free.
One of the major venues will be King George Square, where the world's largest Spiegeltent will host nightly music, including the James Morrison Sextet, Belgian singer Micheline Van Hautem and opera singer Kate Miller-Heidke. Other highlights include the world premiere of the specially commissioned stage adaptation of David Malouf's novel Johnno, which will run from July 14 to August 5 at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, a hub for art, music and fashion, is the venue for the massive Ann's Street Party on July 28. Expected to attract more than 5000 people, the shop windows will be used as glass-cased stages for entertainment by local artists.
In a major coup, the festival will also host the international Earth Dialogues environment forum, co-chaired by former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev. Tickets are free.
Earth Dialogues Brisbane 2006: A World Forum for Resource Management and Sustainable Development will see international decision makers, Nobel laureates and leading scientists gather in Brisbane from July 21 to 24. Tickets must be reserved.
Information: http://www.brisbanefestival.com.au
SUNSHINE COAST
Noosa's popularity with Victorians never seems to wane. And there are plenty of reasons to go back every year, not least of which are two great events that showcase the best Noosa can offer.
If you're quick, you'll make it in time for next week's Noosa Longweekend (June 16-25), which promises drama, film, dance, music, literary events, art, gourmet adventures and walks.
See David Williamson's new play, Strings Under My Fingers, a collaboration with guitarist Karin Schaupp. You can also catch intimate performances by some of the stars of Opera Australia, Bell Shakespeare and La Boite, as well as Marina Prior and Michael Cormick in concert.
Other speakers include Li Cunxin, author of Mao's Last Dancer, artist Ken Done, writers Tara Moss, Sarah McDonald, Nick Earls and Peter FitzSimons, broadcaster Sally Neighbour, scientist and environmentalist Ian Lowe, documentary film makers Bob Connolly and David Bradbury, and political cartoonist Bill Leak.
Popular community events will include music, fireworks and performances on Noosa's main beach, with others under canvas in Noosa Woods or in restaurants.
Planning further ahead, the Noosa Jazz Festival from August 31 to September 3 offers great music from leading musicians including Bob Barnard, Monica Trapaga and Grahame Bell. A highlight is Barefoot Jazz on Main Beach, so prepare to get some sand between your toes.
And don't forget to take time out to walk in the wonderful Noosa National Park to enjoy winter warmth and colour.
Information: noosalongweekend.com, noosajazz.com.au
WHALE WATCHING AT HERVEY BAY
There can't be many better ways to spend a Queensland winter day than watching humpback whales frolic off the coast on their annual migration south. The Hervey Bay Whale Festival is a nine-day celebration of the whale-watching season, which runs from the beginning of August until the end of October.
From August 5 to 13, visitors to Hervey Bay and nearby Fraser Island can check out events including the blessing of the fleet on the boardwalk at Urangan Boat Harbour, street parades, concerts and night-time fireworks.
Then there are whale-watch tours in the Great Sandy Strait. During this time, about 1000 humpbacks spend anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks relaxing and nurturing their calves in the sheltered lee of Fraser Island. Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island has a two-night whale-watch package for $404 per person twin share. This includes airport transfers, catamaran transfers from Hervey Bay, accommodation, breakfast and a half-day whale-watch cruise. If you stay in August, a third night and breakfast is free.
The action is only a short cruise from Kingfisher Bay Resort, where whales are sometimes seen off the jetty. On daily whale-watch cruises, interpretive rangers share an insight into the whales' habits.
Information: kingfisherbay.com, herveybaywhalefestival.com.au
WHITSUNDAYS
Sailing is synonymous with the Whitsundays, but if your inclination is to watch rather than winch, there's plenty to see on the turquoise waters of the Whitsunday Passage over the winter months.
Until the end of July, Hamilton Island is offering a five-night holiday for the price of four nights. The deal includes hotel-style accommodation on Hamilton Island with one free night for every four paid consecutive nights, and includes daily breakfast, unlimited use of non-motorised watercraft, free use of the island shuttle bus, return airport/jetty-resort transfers and access to the Kids Stay and Eat for free program. Five-night packages start from $1108 per person twin share.
Airlie Beach Race Week, which offers sailing action and loads of onshore activities on the mainland, runs from August 10-17 and is closely followed by Hamilton Island Race Week from August 19 to 27, which will attract a fleet of more than 200 racing yachts. A lively social schedule includes a Whitehaven beach party, street festival and parade, wine dinners and plenty of off-the-water entertainment.
Special discounted rates are also offered on Hamilton Island over this period, ranging from $210 per room per night in the Palm Terrace to $440 per room per night in the exclusive adults-only Beach Club. Hamilton Island Apartments and Villas offer one to four-bedroom accommodation, priced from $381 per night through to $900 per night (including breakfast hamper and use of a four-seater buggy).
Information: hiyc.org.au, hamiltonisland.com.au
AN ISLAND ESCAPE DEAL
As part of a number of post-Cyclone Larry specials by North Queensland tourism operators, Orpheus Island Resort is offering free flights from Townsville to the resort until the end of July. The island retreat is accessible only by seaplane, which lands just off the beach in front of the resort after a 30-minute flight from Townsville. An added bonus is a fantastic view of the reef as you fly in. Usually priced at $450 per person, the flight will be thrown in as part of a five-night package until July 31.
With a limit of only 42 guests, Orpheus is a private getaway with no telephones, televisions, day-trippers, nightclubs or children under 15. The beachfront rooms are set in lush tropical gardens, and seven-course degustation dinners are served every night.
The package costs $3625 per person (twin or double), including all meals and unlimited use of motorised dinghies, paddle-skis, catamarans, canoes, snorkelling equipment, fishing gear, tennis court, pools and gymnasium, bushwalking and guided activities.
Information: orpheus.com.au
TAKE A TROPICAL DRIVE
The Great Tropical Drive covers 2079 kilometres between Townsville and Cooktown, taking 12 days and covering some of Australia's best-known attractions. Those with less time can choose from 13 Discovery Trails, from overnight drives to week-long 4WD and campervan adventures.
You can head north to Cooktown through the Daintree and the legendary 4WD-only Bloomfield Track, and discover the Quinkan rock art sites near the outback settlement of Laura. For a complete contrast, the Atherton Tablelands offers lush scenery and great coffee. The newly opened $4 million Skybury Coffee centre has a classy restaurant open for lunch and offers guided tours of the coffee plantation. Not far from Atherton is the Mareeba Wetlands, where you can take a boat tour of Clancy's Lagoon and be dazzled by the bird life and the giant lily pads. Three of the lagoons have been stocked with saratoga and guided fly-fishing is on the agenda for this season. For somewhere different to stay, Mareeba Wetlands Jabiru Camp has three African-style luxury safari tents, with queen-size beds, private verandas and ensuites. Doubles cost $192 per night.
In Atherton, don't miss the town's best attraction, the National Trust-listed Hou Wang Temple. Built in 1903, the temple is a legacy of Atherton's once-large Chinese population during the gold rush, and is now Australia's only remaining temple constructed of timber and tin.
Driving back to Cairns, you can take the road through Kuranda, stopping off to explore the rainforest village's many attractions - but a better option is to make a day of it from Cairns, taking the Kuranda Scenic Railway one way and returning on the Skyrail cablecar.
Information: greattropicaldrive.com.au, tropicalaustralia.com, mareebawetlands.com
FESTIVAL TIME IN CAIRNS
With 40 events over 22 days, visitors to Cairns will be entertained during the annual Festival Cairns, which this year runs from August 25 to September 16. Kicking off with Food, Wine and All That Jazz, highlights of the festival include Jazz Under the Stars, Carnival on Collins, the Cairns Amateurs Racing Carnival and the Telstra Countrywides Parade of Lights, as well as art exhibitions, theatre and the Reggae Town music festival.
Information: festivalcairns.com.au

Prosperine
Heading north towards the Whitsundays, stop over at Prosperine, an everyday sugar town 123km north of Mackay. Situated off the Bruce Highway, Prosperine is a major transit point for the Whitsunday region.
Airlie Beach is a Queenslander favourite also, as it is not a beach in the typical sense of the word. With only a few rough stretches of sand that disappear at high tide, it's great for fishing.
Planning a cruise in Whitsunday is the main preoccupation for most visitors. Watersports should not be overlooked though. The kiosk on the beach at Airlie rents out a range of gear. Kayak along the unique coastline. The courtesy bus to the Wildlife Park also provides a cheap and fun way to spend an afternoon at the small zoo only seven kilometres towards Proserpine. Their range of lizards and other reptiles are outstanding!

Townsville
Wind down your car windows when you reach Townsville and let the hot and stuffy air float in. It’s said that, with the exception of the Mackay region, you haven’t really reached the tropical greenery associated with North Queensland until you’re north of Townsville.
Positioned in the centre of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the reefs off the coast of Townsville are divine. Visit Magnetic Island. Only 8km from the Townsville’s city centre, this world- heritage listed island easily qualifies as paradise. It takes 25 minutes by ferry or 45 minutes by car ferry to reach this island paradise. Both ferries depart from the city centre. Experience the Great Barrier Reef (left) (trips depart from the city area).
The actual town is peppered with great restaurants, cafes and nightlife line the city’s south bank, Palmer Street. For great nightlife, Flinders Street East offers an eclectic range of nightclubs, bars, cafes and restaurants. Experience the Great Barrier Reef without getting you’re feet even wet at Reef HQ, the world's largest living reef aquarium.

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