The best day trips from Mackay

Make your way to Australia’s longest stretch of sub-tropical rainforest in Mackay, where luscious green canopies will greet you alongside a long-established sugar industry. But the adventure potential isn’t restricted to town itself. After days exploring the edible sights offered in the city centre, stray further afield, navigating the neighbouring tropical islands and equally tempting hinterland. These are the stand-out day trips from Mackay.

Venture through Cape Hillsborough National Park 

Immerse yourself in the great outdoors with a visit to Cape Hillsborough National Park, just 40 minutes from Mackay central. Nudging the Hibiscus Coast, this is the perfect destination to get better acquainted with the natural beauty surrounding the city itself. Pack your walking shoes - this place is best explored on foot. A web of walking trails intersect their way across this scenic spot, where rainforest, eucalypt forest, beaches, rocky headlands, and volcanic rock formations mingle.

Nature lovers are encouraged to make way for the beach early on, greeting the sunrise from the sand with a well-known group of wallabies and eastern grey kangaroos who feed at the water’s edge. It’s here too that you’ll be able to spend a few hours meandering the many rock pools that form at low tide.

Explore Sarina and its surrounds

Tucked into the base of the Connors Range sits Sarina, only a half hour or so from Mackay. It’s here that you can see firsthand the district’s strong connection to the sugar cane industry. History buffs will want to see the award-winning Sugar Shed where a guided tour takes you through the process of growing, harvesting and crushing cane - with tastings too, of course.

The neighbouring Field of Dreams containing the Sarina Tourist Art and Craft Centre, the Sarina Historical Centre and the Yukan Art Gallery is also worth a visit. This collective is a celebration of the region’s creative scene with locally made art, craft, and souvenirs available to enjoy.

But Sarina is as abundant in natural delights as it is cultural ones, home to a cluster of beaches that are easy on the eye. Take a walk along Sarina Beach, Grasstree Beach, Salonika Beach, Campwin Beach, Armstrong Beach and Freshwater Point, keeping an eye out for turtles who nest amongst the dunes.

Meander Pioneer Valley and Eungella National Park

Just under an hour’s drive from town, Pioneer Valley and Eungella National Park is one of the best day trips from Mackay - and one of the state’s most ecologically diverse locations. Bordered by sugar cane, Pioneer Valley is the picturesque gateway to the much revered park but a destination in its own right - consisting of a cluster of townships, visitors can say hello to the likes of Marian, Mirani, Pinnacle, Finch Hatton and finally, Eungella.

A host of hiking trails can be taken to explore on foot, while those with a mighty sense of adventure can tackle the 56km Mackay Highlands Great Walk. 

Music fanatics take note: Marian is the home of Melba House, the marital home of famed Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. The former residence has since developed into a historic landmark for the region, as well as a visitor information centre.

Cool off at Finch Hatton Gorge

Eungella National Park is a haven for outdoors enthusiasts and budding biologists. If the bevy of walking tracks and swimming holes don’t tempt you then the array of native wildlife will. Most impressively, Eungella has a reputation for being one of the best places in the country to spot a platypus in their natural habitat - plan your visit around sunrise or sunset for your best chance of an appearance.

The jewel in the park’s crown is Finch Hatton Gorge where you can take a refreshing dip amongst the granite boulders. Post-swim take to the multitude of walking tracks about, with 22 kilometres worth winding their way around the green-heavy region, ranging from 10 minutes in length to three hours, and catering to any and every fitness level. Though fishermen may prefer to forgo the exercise and spend their time throwing in a line at barramundi hot spots Kinchant, Teemburra or Eungella Dam.

Fellow Eungella National Park resident, Cameron’s Pocket Swimming Hole, is one of the best places to take a dip in the region and comes surrounded by a thick canopy of equally refreshing rainforest. The swimming hole nudges picturesque St Helens Creek, which flows all year and provides fresh water to the swimming hole, which comes complete with rope swing.

En route, drop in to Ballantyne’s Strawberry Farm. Pick your own strawberries to fuel your day’s adventure (between June and September only) or stock up on strawberry-focused treats, jam, and ice-cream included.

Spend a day on the Great Barrier Reef

A day exploring the Great Barrier Reef has to be one of the most memorable day trips from Mackay. Jump on board Wildcat Mackay and you'll quickly jet off to the most vibrant reef locations and untouched islands. Grab your snorkel and fins and dive beneath to experience magic and colour like nowhere else - this is an off-the-beaten-track day tour that's already scooped up awards in its first year of operation.

Have a little more time in Mackay? Extend your visit with an escape to Keswick Island.