Road trip to the best scenic drives and hikes around Mackay

Today’s drive will take you to one of Mackay’s most special spots, but how you get here is pretty special too, with a 45minute drive packing in a lot of scenery.

Set the GPS for Cape Hillsborough National Park and take the Bruce Highway out of town. The Leap Hotel and the Leap Lookout are great pit-stops about 20 minutes in, but it’s when you down Yakapari-Seaforth Rd that things get really interesting.

The road weaves through mountains, fields and over creeks and streams, and the lush green colours of the landscape are speckled with old-style Queenslander houses and rusted forgotten farm machinery. It’s country charm at our best, and once you turn right onto Cape Hillsborough Road, you’ll be able to feel the ocean just ahead – if you don’t get pulled into The Old Station Tea House for scones and tea along the way.

Follow the road to its end and you’ll meet the beach – now it’s time to hike, or settle into your digs for the night. 

2. Hike in Cape Hillsborough National Park

Home to one of Queensland’s most incredible wildlife encounters, early birds will be rewarded with a chance to meet wallabies on the beach at Cape Hillsborough.

But once you’ve come down off the natural high – and had a bite of breakfast – there’s plenty more to explore in this national park.

Two favourite walks are the Yuibera Plant Trail or Andrews Point Track. Easy walks that shouldn’t take more than an hour or two, there’s plenty of time to do both.

Weaving through the bush and beachside, the Yuibera Plant Trail is a 1.2km circuit that’ll make you appreciate the Yuibera Aboriginal people’s connection to country. Along the way there are signs that describe the plants used for food and medicine, as well as remains of an Aboriginal fish trap and views spanning across Sandy Bay.

A scenic coastal hike, Andrews Point Track takes you right out to the peninsula and through the forests along the coast of Cape Hillsborough. There are six different lookouts along the way so you’re going to need to pace your gasps of excitement. If it’s low tide, you might even be able to walk back along the beach instead. 

3. Drive to Finch Hatton Gorge

You’ve seen the best of the beaches, now it’s time to head inland and kick it up a notch in the rainforest.  

Head west out of Mackay along Mackay-Eungella Rd. This is a straightforward drive that leads you through Marian and Mirani – two small towns with some great fishing nearby that’s more than worth a side trip.

Windows down to feel the tropical air turn cooler, it’s about another 40 minute drive to the turnoff for Finch Hatton Gorge. From here, the road winds up into the border of misty Eungella National Park; let the sing-song of native birds be today’s soundtrack, and continue on to Gorge Road where you’ll drive through flowing streams.

If you fancy switching to another mode of transport for a while, pit-stop at Forest Flying where you can soar along a flying fox 25m above the ground and through the rainforest canopy for a bird’s eye view.

From here, it’s a short drive to your next hike. 

4. Hike Finch Hatton Gorge

Three hundred steps.

The Wheel of Fire track is a scarily named, yet surprisingly un-scary 4.2km hike through the rainforest at Finch Hatton Gorge – one of the best things to do while you’re in Mackay. You’ll get pretty sweaty, but that’s about as hot as things get on this two- to three-hour fun fest.

Follow the signs for the Araluen Cascades track and in no time at all you’ll come across a series of cascading small waterfalls. Continue along the trail for about an hour and then take the Wheel of Fire track the rest of the way up. Here, you’ll discover an amazing natural rock pool that screams for you to swim in it. The water’s cool but it’s just the refreshment you need before the wander back down.  

5. Soak up the views in Eungella National Park

After your hike and swim at Finch Hatton Gorge, head back to Mackay-Eungella Rd – but instead of going back to Mackay, head towards Eungella instead.

This country drive winds slowly back and forth over cattle grids and through misty mountains until you reach the top: Sky Window Lookout.

This really is a window to some of the best views of Mackay’s great outdoors, with the hinterland stretching before you and hopefully a picnic spread stretched out too.

If you have a little more time, it’s only a short drive from here to Broken River where you can spot wild platypus from the banks. And if you want to really get in touch with Mackay’s natural side, you can always tackle the 56km Mackay Highlands Great Walk.