Brisbane to Mackay road trip: Distance, driving time & stops
Brisbane to Mackay road trip stops: Yeppoon and Sarina
Rockhampton is bigger, but Yeppoon is a nicer place to stay. That requires a 35 minute detour from Rockhampton to Yeppoon via the walking trails and birdwatcher hangouts of Baga National Park.
Things to do in Yeppoon include swimming in the Yeppoon Lagoon and taking the Great Keppel Island ferry to Great Keppel Island. You can also try Lammermoor Beach, Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary and spearfishing charters.
Where to stay in Yeppoon
The top Yeppoon accommodation options are:
- For a dependable motel with a pool: Coast Motel.
- For high quality apartments near Yeppoon Lagoon: Salt Yeppoon.
- For Mediterranean-style villas: Villa Mar Colina.
- For a centrally-located boutique resort: Coral Inn Boutique Resort.
Otherwise carry on up the Bruce Highway, and pay a visit to the Capricorn Caves. The cave tours are impressive.
The highway reaches the coast at Clairview, then cuts across Cape Palmerston. You need a 4WD to go fishing and bush camping on the Cape.
The most sizable settlement between Rockhampton and Mackay is Sarina. Here, tours of the Sarina Sugar Shed reveal the secrets of the local sugar industry. Alternatively, catch some rays at Sarina Beach or Grasstree Beach.
Top Sarina experiences worth booking in advance
- Learn how sugar is grown and processed on a sugar mill tour – with sweet treat tastings.
- Find out how rum is made on a rum distillery tour – with rum sampling.
Best Sarina accommodation options.
The best places to stay in Sarina, Queensland, are:
- For beachside location with an outdoor pool: Sandpiper Motel.
- For air-conditioned caravans and cabins: Sarina Palms Cabins & Caravans.
- For palm trees and beach holiday vibe: Sarina Beach Motel.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
Click through for the next section: What to do in Mackay.