Bundaberg to Mackay road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

Bundaberg to Mackay road trip stops: Clairview and Sarina

If skipping Yeppoon, the drive from Rockhampton to Mackay is famously boring. Which is all the more reason to stop at the Capricorn Caves just north of Rockhampton. They are open for cave tours.

Otherwise, the highway hits the coast at Clairview and cuts across Cape Palmerston. You’ll need a 4WD to go fishing and bush camping at the Cape.

The biggest town between Rockhampton and Mackay is Sarina. Here, you can learn about the local sugar industry on tours of the Sarina Sugar Shed. But you can also plump for sand and sea 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.

Mackay is roughly half an hour north of Sarina. Things to do in Mackay include the Wildcat snorkelling cruise to the South Cumberland Islands, swimming at Bluewater Lagoon and catching some rays at Blacks Beach.

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.