Brisbane to Mackay road trip: Distance, driving time & stops
Brisbane to Mackay road trip: Fraser Island and Bundaberg
At Maryborough, most travellers will branch towards the coast for Hervey Bay and the River Heads ferry to Fraser Island. Click through for separate guides – they deserve more than just a passing mention on longer road trip.
Book these 8 Hervey Bay experiences now
- 1. Great Sandy Strait wildlife cruise – with a great chance of spotting dingos or dugongs.
- 2. All-inclusive Fraser Island day tour – with pick-up at your accommodation.
- 3. Fraser Island two day tour – see much more.
- 4. Fun cruise – get close to dolphins and turtles while lounging in the boom netting.
- 5. Sunset cruise.
- 6. Dolphin sailing adventure.
- 7. Whale-watching – this is arguably the best place in Australia to spot humpback whales.
- 8. Fraser Island west coast cruise – with lunch & kayaking.
However, for experiences in Hervey Bay, try a one day Fraser Island tour, a whale-watching cruise or a sunset cruise.
Good Hervey Bay accommodation picks include the apartment-style Mantra Hervey Bay, the Discovery Parks holiday park and the impressively-rated Akama Resort.
6 Bundaberg experiences to make the most of your free time
- (Highly recommended ✅) Tour – with tastings – at the Bundaberg rum distillery.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Day trip to Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
- Fly out to Lady Elliot Island for a day on the reef.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a four hour whale watching cruise with lunch.
- Brewery tasting tour – including the famous Bundaberg ginger beer.
- Farm life experience at Splitters Farm.
The next likely detour is Bundaberg, where you can taste rum on the Bundaberg Rum distillery tours. There’s also strawberry-picking at Tinaberries, turtle-spotting at Mon Repos and beach time at Bargara.
Great value Bundaberg accommodation includes the Villa Mirasol Motor Inn, Bundaberg Spanish Motor Inn and Bundaberg Big4 Cane Village Holiday Park.
Click through for the next section: Childers and Agnes Water.