Gladstone to Townsville road trip: Distance, driving time & stops
Gladstone to Townsville road trip: Proserpine and Airlie Beach
It’s another 151km from Mackay to Airlie Beach, the most appealing stop on the Gladstone to Townsville drive.
But you can build a few side-trips in along the way.
Eungella National Park offers platypus-spotting at Broken River, plus waterfalls and swimming holes in Finch Hatton Gorge on the way.
Cape Hillsborough National Park, meanwhile, is famous for having kangaroos and wallabies on the beach. They’re best seen at dawn, so stay overnight at the Cape Hillsborough caravan park.
Proserpine is where you turn off for Cannonvale and Airlie Beach, although you can do a crocodile-spotting cruise on the Proserpine River nearby.
9 memory-making Airlie Beach experiences to add to your visit
- Whitehaven Beach day cruise – with plenty of snorkelling thrown in.
- Glass bottom boat tour – see coral and marine life without getting wet.
- Heart Reef flight – see the islands and Great Barrier Reef from above before flying over Australia’s famous heart-shaped island.
- Proserpine River crocodile safari – see the big crocs from a boat.
- Whitsundays sunset cruise – with free snacks and sparkling wine.
- Sailing on the Camira – glide around the Whitsunday Islands under sail.
- Whizz around the islands on a guided jetski tour.
- Waterfall explorer day tour – with swimming in Hinterland rock pools.
- Enjoy high speed thrills on a jet boat ride.
Things to do in Airlie Beach include going for a swim in the Airlie Beach Lagoon, Whitsundays kayaking tours, helicopter flights and day trips to Hamilton Island. There’s also a multitude of day trips from Airlie Beach to the other Whitsunday Islands.
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.
Click through for the next section: Proserpine to Bowen.