Gold Coast to Cairns road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
Gold Coast to Cairns drive itinerary: Rockhampton and Yeppoon
The drive from Gladstone to Rockhampton is frankly tedious. The best stop of an underwhelming bunch is the Calliope Conservation Park in Calliope.
Top experiences to book in and around Rockhampton
- (Highly recommended ✅) Great Keppel Island day trip – with lunch.
- Cathedral Cave tour at Capricorn Caves. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- 90 minute Deep Vault Cave and Flower Pot tour at Capricorn Caves.
- Time Safaris walking tour.
Things to do in Rockhampton once there include getting culture and heritage doses at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre and the Rockhampton Heritage Village.
The best places to stay in Rockhampton, Queensland
The best Rockhampton accommodation choices are:
- For character and charm: Denison Boutique Hotel.
- For heritage: Quality Hotel Regent.
- For well-equipped apartments: Quest Rockhampton.
- For really good value: Rockhampton Serviced Apartments.
- For a great pool: Korte’s Resort.
Coastal Yeppoon, a 35 minute drive away, is a more seductive place to stay, however. You can enjoy the walking trails and birdwatcher hangouts of Baga National Park on the way.
Things to do in Yeppoon include going for a dip at Lammermoor Beach or in the Yeppoon Lagoon and catching the Great Keppel Island ferry for a Great Keppel Island day trip. These depart from the Keppel Bay Marina.
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.
Click through for the next section: Rockhampton to Sarina.