Hervey Bay to Mackay road trip: Distance & best stops
Hervey Bay to Mackay drive itinerary: Rockhampton and Yeppoon
The drive from Gladstone to Rockhampton is uneventful, although you can stop at 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 when you get there include the Dreamtime Cultural Centre and the Rockhampton Heritage Village.
Rockhampton accommodation favourites include the roadtripper-friendly Discovery Parks Rockhampton, the budget-conscious Rockhampton Court Motor Inn and the Quest Rockhampton apartments.
Coastal Yeppoon is a more likeable place to stay, however. The Rockhampton to Yeppoon drive takes around 35 minutes, although you can walk and watch birds in Baga National Park en route.
The top things to do in Yeppoon are swimming in the Yeppoon Lagoon and taking the Great Keppel Island ferry for a Great Keppel Island day trip. 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.
Click through for the next section: Sarina and Mackay.