A man has appeared in court charged with abducting a three-year-old girl from her Childers home, south of Bundaberg in south-east Queensland.

The girl's parents raised the alarm last Thursday morning after waking to find their child had been taken from the family home during the night.

The girl's disappearance sparked a major air-and-land search and desperate appeals for public help from her distraught mother and father.

Police called it a miracle when the little girl, who now cannot be named for legal reasons, was found by officers wandering alone in the town's showgrounds near her home in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Eden James Kane, 45, from South Isis near Childers, appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court this morning charged with child abduction, deprivation of liberty, and break and enter.

Police think Kane acted alone and had no known links to the family, Inspector Bruce McNab says.

"Everything at this stage is indicating he acted alone, but the investigation is still ongoing," he said.

"We still have some lines of inquiry to follow out but at this stage we're not looking for a second offender.

"He was not known to the family and there's obviously a reason why he selected the family, but I don't really want to go into much more than that."

Kane used his court appearance to deny the charges.

During the hearing, Kane said he had been "tricked" by police.

He huddled in the dock with his arms wrapped around him as police prosecutor Senior Constable Donna Sperling outlined her objection to him being granted bail.

She said he was a flight risk, could commit further crimes, and should be detained for his own safety.

Senior Constable Sperling told the court Kane had been arrested in Maryborough, while on his way to New South Wales.

She said Kane told police he was fleeing Childers because of the "heat" surrounding the missing girl.

Kane interjected, saying that was a "lie".

Senior Constable Sperling also told the court the girl was returned washed and showered and in good condition.

Kane did not apply for bail and the matter was adjourned to tomorrow.