Hervey Bay to Rockhampton road trip: Distance, drive time & stops

The Hervey Bay to Rockhampton drive is 382km in distance, with a driving time of 4h12m. Good stops along the way include Burrum Heads, Mon Repos, Agnes Water and Warro National Park.

The two main staples of a Brisbane to Cairns road trip tend to be Fraser Island and the Whitsundays. But the jumping off points for these two top tier attractions – Hervey Bay and Airlie Beach – are much further apart than many visitors assume. It’s an 863km drive from Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach up the Bruce Highway. This should take just over nine and a half hours, providing you don’t stop along the way.

Hervey Bay offers sunset cruises, whale-watching and wildlife cruises in the Great Sandy Strait. To pick out Hervey Bay experiences that pique your interest, look here. For Hervey Bay accommodation, nosy around here.

Book your Rockhampton accommodation in advance for the best deals.

Realistically, you should probably stop along the way. Rockhampton on the Tropic of Capricorn is a logical spot along the way. It’s a big cattle city. Some will love the country charm, others will prefer to tag a few extra minutes onto the journey and stay in coastal Yeppoon. Here, at least, you can swim in the Yeppoon Lagoon or take the ferry to Great Keppel Island.

Hervey Bay to Rockhampton driving time and distance

The Hervey Bay to Rockhampton driving distance is 382km. Without any detours, this Hervey Bay to Rockhampton drive should take around four hours and 12 minutes.

However, there are plenty of nice detours to consider. There are a string of very underrated coastal towns along the journey, including Burrum Heads and Woodgate Beach just north of Hervey Bay. Then come Bargara Beach and Mon Repos near Bundaberg, Agnes Water and the Town of 1770 near Eurimbula National Park and Tannum Sands near Gladstone.

6 Bundaberg experiences to make the most of your free time

(Highly recommended ✅) Tour – with tastings – at the Bundaberg rum distillery.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Day trip to Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Fly out to Lady Elliot Island for a day on the reef.
See migrating humpbacks – on a four hour whale watching cruise with lunch.
Brewery tasting tour – including the famous Bundaberg ginger beer.
Farm life experience at Splitters Farm.

Tannum Sands beach at night — The beach at night in Tannum Sands, near Gladstone, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland/Katrina Elliott

Hervey Bay to Rockhampton drive: Bruce Highway road trip stops

Stick to the quickest route from Hervey Bay to Rockhampton, however, and it’s a fairly remorseless grind up the Bruce Highway. Childers, Gin Gin, Lake Monduran and Warro National Park are decent stops on the Hervey Bay to Bundaberg and Bundaberg to Gladstone legs.

Pickings are even slimmer on the way from Gladstone to Rockhampton. No-one is going to get excited about passing through Mount Larcom, Raglan, Bajool and Midgee.

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 include the Rockhampton Heritage Village, tours of the Capricorn Caves and history-themed walking tours.

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.

Book these 8 Hervey Bay experiences now

1. Great Sandy Strait wildlife cruise – with a great chance of spotting dingos or dugongs.
2. All-inclusive Fraser Island day tour – with pick-up at your accommodation.
3. Fraser Island two day tour – see much more.
4. Fun cruise – get close to dolphins and turtles while lounging in the boom netting.
5. Sunset cruise.
6. Dolphin sailing adventure.
7. Whale-watching – this is arguably the best place in Australia to spot humpback whales.
8. Fraser Island west coast cruise – with lunch & kayaking.