To chat face-to-face to a local about all the best things to see and do in Yeppoon, step into a Visitor Information Centre.
Town central continues to flourish with eateries celebrating the region’s abundance of produce - a growing number of cafes and restaurants mingle with boutiques and surf stores on the main drag. A strong believer that street art shouldn’t just be saved for the capitals, Yeppoon’s key streets also boast an impressive outdoor gallery of sorts.
That’s not to say getting your gills wet is out of the question; Yeppoon is home to a bevy of beaches, many of which boast calm, warm waters ideal for swimming year-round. Or, families may be tempted instead by a dip at local icon the Yeppoon Lagoon. This foreshore resident overlooks the crystalline waters of the Coral Sea and stretches an area close to the size of 13 tennis courts. Family-friendly is an understatement - imagine a shallow waterborne playground, a lap pool, and an infinity-edge, reassuringly manned by lifeguards round the clock.
A 15-minutes drive along the coast of Yeppoon lies Emu Park – home to the famous Singing Ship sculpture which commemorates the historical explorations of Captain James Cook. Just below the Singing Ship is a viewing deck and boardwalk that makes up part of the Centenary of ANZAC Memorial Walk.
Or how about getting up close and personal with the wildlife at Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary? Here you can cuddle a koala, hold a snake or lizard, play with birds, interact with playful monkeys and hand-feed kangaroos. For the total crocodile experience, head to Koorana Crocodile Farm which holds over 3000 crocs and offers educational tours for all ages.
Further inland, just a 30-minute drive away, resides the luscious rainforests of Byfield. The Byfield National Park and State Forest is well worth a day’s meander, thanks to its varied collection of rolling sand dunes, beaches, rainforest, creeks, and mountain ranges to explore. Budding biologists will be pleased to hear that Byfield is also one of the largest unspoiled ecosystems on the east coast.