Yeppoon to Airlie Beach road trip: Distance, drive time & attractions
Yeppoon to Airlie Beach drive: Mackay and Cape Hillsborough
Mackay is half an hour north of Sarina. Check out the art deco architecture and swim at the Bluewater Lagoon water park in the Whitsundays region’s biggest city before moving on.
Three great Mackay experiences to book in advance
- (Highly recommended ✅) Whitsunday Islands boat cruise – with snorkelling and paddleboarding.
- Cape Hillsborough sunrise tour – meet wallabies on the beach.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Finch Hatton Gorge waterfalls tour.
Best Mackay accommodation options
The top places to stay in Mackay are:
- For attractive apartments by Blacks Beach: The Shores Holiday Apartments.
- For a cheap, but surprisingly good, motel: Cool Palms Motel.
- For apartments with kitchenettes by the marina: Mantra Mackay.
- For a holiday park with lot of family-friendly facilities: Big4 Mackay Blacks Beach Holiday Park.
- For fully furnished apartments in prime position next to Bluewater Lagoon: Riviera Mackay.
The Mackay to Airlie Beach leg of the Yeppoon to Airlie Beach drive is 151km long, unless you add in a couple of worthwhile detours. Options include Cape Hillsborough where kangaroos hang out on the beach. Or, if you go inland, there’s Eungella National Park with fabulous swimming holes at Finch Hatton Gorge and platypus viewing on the Broken River. You can stay nearby at the Broken River Mountain Resort.
The biggest town between Mackay and Airlie Beach is Proserpine. Here, you can do a crocodile-spotting cruise on the Proserpine River. It’s also at Proserpine where you branch off the Bruce Highway, passing through Cannonvale before arriving in Airlie Beach. The Proserpine to Airlie Beach drive takes about 23 minutes.
Which Whitsundays cruise should I choose?
- For those with limited time: Whitehaven Beach half day tour.
- For the highlights reel: Whitehaven Beach and Hamilton Island day trip.
- To see the reef two ways: High speed Whitsundays cruise plus scenic reef flight combo.
- For romance, sparkling wine and sunset under sail: Multi-beach and reef Lady Enid cruise.
- To see several islands: Sailing and snorkelling adventure.
- For an overnight sailing adventure: Matador two day yacht cruise.
Airlie Beach accommodation picks
Specialist Australian booking site Wotif offers Airlie Beach accommodation for from $114 a night. You can look through the best deals here.
However, some Airlie Beach accommodation options are worth highlighting:
- On a budget: Tasman Holiday Parks Airlie Beach.
- For families: Big4 Adventure Whitsundays Resort.
- For waterfront apartments: At Marina Shores.
- For pampering: Coral Sea Marina Resort.
- For great value: Colonial Palms Motor Inn.
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