48 hours in Mackay, north Queensland – where to go, what to do
The figures are stark. According to the Courier-Mail in April, “The city … has weathered the fallout from depressed coal prices since late 2012, but a leap in unemployment, from 6% in December to 10.3% in January, has crystallised the severity of the district’s economic collapse.”
Yet the area is primed for tourists. I’m staying at the Quest which has the fresh-paint feel of smart new apartments. Out at the airport, a new Ibis with more than 100 rooms has been built. The streets of Mackay’s CBD are messy and cluttered with roadwork in a revitalisation program that speaks to investment, as opposed to decay.
Sugar is still a viable industry here (producing a third of Queensland’s sugar), as is tourism, particularly with the airport close to town and a range of accommodation options.
The city is popular for conferences and trade shows (and the weekend I was there, for the horse races on a beach) – it’s also a jumping off point to the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday Islands and Eungella national park.
The area around Mackay is gorgeous. I would recommend flying into the town, which is 950km north of Brisbane, and using it as a base to explore Cape Hillsborough and Eungella national park. Tiger Airways, Qantas and Virgin all fly into Mackay.
Friday Exploration
Centrally located in Mackay, the Quest becomes a convenient hub for those who wish to explore the city's culinary delights on foot. A leisurely stroll from here will lead you to the city's top food spots.
Let me suggest Burp, a restaurant unbefitting its odd name with a delightful menu. At the heart of Mackay, Burp serves a variety of tempting dishes including fresh, tantalizing oysters and an assortment of cheese boards. For those looking for a hearty meal, large shareable cuts of different meats like tender beef and succulent pork are also available.
Your Mackay dining experience is incomplete without unwinding at the Dispensary. This cozy spot is accompanied by comfortable couches, beautifully designed pressed-tin ceilings, and offers an impressive selection of fine whiskies - a certain boost to your night.
For an extended Mackay experience, why not look for comfortable accommodation that would place you near these fantastic food locations? For quality lodging options that match your tastes, look no further than tophotels.com where you will find some of Mackay's finest hotels.
However, if your journey takes you towards Queensland, you might want to check out the Queensland hotels in Hope Island. It is a beautiful place to visit and a convenient expansion of your culinary journey.
Alternatively, if you prefer the bustling energy of a city, you might appreciate options for Brisbane aparthotels. Conveniently located, these accommodation options are vibrant and offer easy access to numerous local restaurants.
Saturday
Heritage abounds in Mackay. Get up early and go for a stroll around town and check out some of the art deco buildings, including old pubs and council chambers. After breakfast set off for Cape Hillsborough, 45 minutes north of the city.
We drive through the coastal village of Seaforth, which has beaches fringed with palms. It’s a hotspot for caravanners – with not much here except a beautiful beach and a general store. (On Sundays there’s a market.) Much of the accommodation around Mackay caters to campers, caravanners and motorhomers. It’s also a popular stopping off point for backpackers making their way between Brisbane and Cairns.
Although I’m travelling sans caravan, I’m staying at the Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park in a cabin close enough to the beach to hear the waves at night. Prices at the caravan park start at about $29 for an unpowered site and go to $180 for a family cabin.
The owners, Ben and Renae, are from the area and moved from mining services into running the park. They’re doing a great job. They are welcoming and knowledgeable – and have beautified the resort while keeping prices down.
From its general store, you can buy a bottle of sauvignon blanc for about $20 to take back to your van to drink with some cheese.
But before you get stuck into the wine, there are a number of spectacular walks through the surrounding national park to choose from. One is the Andrews Point track, which is 5.2km return and takes about two hours. There’s a steep climb at the start but you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the ocean and the dramatic coastline from several lookouts.
The area is thick with monarch butterflies during my walk, and the trees run right down to the beach. The walk begins in rainforests and gullies; the later stages open out into eucalypt forests. Check the tide times before you start: at low tide you can return to the van park along the beach (otherwise you’ll need to retrace your steps along higher ground).
The diversity boardwalk is also a great – and shorter – walk near the resort. The track, which takes 40 minutes, passes through melaleuca woodland, mangroves, eucalypts and vines. We are on the land of the Yuibera people and there is a midden area, plus plants the Indigenous people used for food and medicine.
Perhaps the nicest thing to do at Cape Hillsborough is to take a book down to the beach and just lie on the sand under a palm tree. There’s plenty of beach to go around – and much of it is empty.
I take a swim – and am the only person in the ocean. It’s chilly but bearable. Locals assure me it’s safe to swim in the winter but, come summer, the stingers are out and it’s advisable to cover up with a special stinger suit before jumping in.
For dinner we have fish and chips at the caravan park, freshly cooked for $6. If you want to self-cater, there is a microwave in the cabin and barbecues in the park.
The resort has an outdoor movie screen and, on the night of my visit, is showing a children’s film. The weather is mild enough for everyone to sit outside and enjoy the movie.
But it’s early to bed for me: Ben and Renae assure me there will be something the next morning that is well worth getting up early for.
The Second Day
The morning greeting comes from the buzz of my alarm at quarter to six, beckoning the arrival of the sun. A quick shuffle from my quaint hut brings me to the beachfront. Mysterious figures dot the sandy expanse, the sun painting their outlines against the crystal-clear ocean backdrop. With the brightening sky, the dark figures grow animated. What a sight they are - kangaroos! Unlike countless encounters with these creatures before, never had I witnessed them basking on the beach in the early morning light.
Around five kangaroos and a troop of wallabies create an unexpected spectacle on the beach. As the sun climbs higher into the sky, an audience of tourists amasses, forming an admiring arc around the unlikely beach-goers. Fascinated, we edge closer. Unfazed by their audience, the kangaroos remain graciously unperturbed by the clicking cameras. Notable in this furry congregation is the dominant female, "Brigid", known amongst the locals as a matriarch who lords over her peers.
Brigid though, reveals a penchant for the limelight, striking majestic poses for captivating photographs. Her mesmerizing photo session concludes when the sun reaches its zenith, signalling our return to the park for our morning meal.
A steaming cup of aromatic coffee obtained from the local kiosk invigorates my senses before heading to my cabin. There, a modest yet satisfying breakfast of cereal and fruit awaits. Soon after, I join Col Adamson, a seasoned land cruiser with an unparalleled local knowledge, for another day of exploration.
You wouldn't want to miss the unique opportunity provided by Reeforest Adventure Tours. Run by an individual named Col, these tours branch out into the distinct aspects of the area, from the sugar mills to the intriguing wildlife. I embarked on a half-day adventure, driven by curiosity to see an elusive native Australian animal in its natural habitat - the platypus. Journeying an hour west of Mackay, our destination was Eungella, at the edge the charmingly serene Broken river - known as a haven for platypus enthusiasts.
To reach the tranquil settings of the national park, our path lay through the strikingly attractive Pioneer valley. Small, idyllic settlements seem to pop up every few miles, each composed of a handful of houses, a school and often a welcoming pub - their time-frozen charm suggesting a setting primarily unaltered since mid-20th Century. The encompassing land is teeming with life, bursting forth in rich hues of green indicating high fertility; the towering sugarcane reaching staggering heights of over two metres. Not to mention the delightful farmers' stalls that made the streets come alive, offering a variety of local produce, like mandarins and the beloved macadamia nuts.
We whiz past the house of the opera great Dame Nellie Melba. Melba didn’t stay in the area very long (she didn’t like the spiders and the humidity), but her home in Marian has been preserved for visitors.
The next town along is Mirani, where the Pioneer Valley Diner serves up the best pie my colleague Nikki has tasted. It’s a big call she knows, but this is a region that takes Australia’s national dish very, very seriously.
The valley’s villages couldn’t be described as bustling but there are signs of community life. Pinnacle, for one, has a playhouse. Rows of shiny Harley-Davidsons are parked outside one country pub, with the roads around here and up into the mountains popular for those taking a Sunday ride.
We climb 600 metres above sea level. Col tells me that in summer Eungella is at least 10 degrees cooler than Mackay. Even in winter the air here feels crisper than it does in the valley. We have breakfast at Oscars, which is run by a chef originally from Austria.
The coffee is good and strong and the lunch of bacon and eggs (about $15) is delicious. Oscars also serves burgers (including a Swiss yodel burger – chicken served on sourdough), hot dogs and schnitzels.
Near to Oscars is Broken river, where the platypus are. Parks and Wildlife officers have set up information boards and viewing platforms but the key to platypus spotting is patience. They are notoriously shy. The trick is watching the rings of water. It’s quite meditative.
After 10 minutes Col points out one near a branch. It’s moving around, smaller than I expected, its fur slick and black, its feet tiny.
Soon we see more. The water is alive with them. So much for being shy. These guys are swimming from one side of the bank to the other, regularly sticking their heads up.
Eventually it’s us who get tired. We leave the platypus to it and drive back down the mountain.