Gympie to Rockhampton drive: Your free expert road trip guide
Agnes Water and Gladstone: Worth the detour?
Again, the main route to the next logical stop stays off the Bruce Highway. Check out the Bundaberg to Gladstone guide if you’re planning to stop at both.
Skip, Bundaberg, however, and the drive from Childers to Gladstone will take you past Good Night Scrub National Park near Gin Gin, and fishing hotspot Lake Monduran.
At Miriam Vale comes the road branching off to gorgeous twin towns Agnes Water and 1770.
What to book in 1770/ Agnes Water before you arrive
- See the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef – on a Lady Musgrave Island day tour.
- Hire a scooter – and pootle around the back lanes looking for kangaroos.
- Kick back with sparkling wine on a sunset cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Travel on land and water, and try sandboarding – on a quirky full day amphibious vehicle tour.
- Or take a shorter wildlife-spotting coastline tour, with lunch.
- Get the best deals on your accommodation.
Things to do in Agnes Water and 1770 include bike rentals amphibious vehicle tours, sunset cruises and scooter tours. For accommodation picks, go for the pool-centred 1770 Lagoons Central Apartment Resort or the NRMA Agnes Water Holiday Park.
Otherwise, you keep going until Gladstone. Divert north east at Benaraby for Gladstone’s beach suburb Tannum Sands, a more appealing place to spend the night.
Things to do in Gladstone include the Maritime Museum and industrial tours. But Gladstone is better off treated as the departure point for island visits. Hop over to Curtis Island, or take the Heron Island ferry to Heron Island and Wilson Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Gladstone accommodation picks include the affordable but well-equipped Aaron Motel, the good review-attracting Harbour Sails Motor Inn and the spacious Oaks Gladstone Grand Hotel.
Next up: Gladstone to Rockhampton