Gladstone's main attraction is its role as a launch point for the southern Great Barrier Reef. Heron Island, 80 kilometres offshore, offers world-class diving and snorkelling directly from the beach. Lady Musgrave Island, a coral cay within a true lagoon, is another exceptional option. Both are accessible via ferry or helicopter from Gladstone Marina.
In town, the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum occupies the restored former town hall on Goondoon Street — a handsome 1894 timber building — and has a decent collection of Queensland art and regional history displays. The harbour at sunset, with the industrial skyline silhouetted against the water, is unexpectedly atmospheric. The Auckland Hill Lookout provides the best elevated view over the port and the Coral Sea beyond.