Mackay to Ayr road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The best stops on a Mackay to Ayr road trip are Cape Hillsborough, Airlie Beach and Bowen. By car, the distance from Mackay to Ayr is 301km, with a 3h26m driving time.
The drive from Mackay to Ayr takes you pretty much the whole way along the Whitsunday Coast of Queensland.
Mackay offers snorkelling cruises to the likes of Brampton Island. To choose from the best Mackay tours and experiences, head this way. To select the right Mackay accommodation for you, book here.
For Ayr accommodation, head here.
This guide should help you plan your perfect Mackay to Ayr road trip itinerary.
Click through on the individual places and attractions for more detailed, specific information.
If you need to hire a car, find the best rental deals. And don’t forget to do all your pre-road trip shopping.
Mackay to Ayr distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Mackay to Ayr is 301km. That makes for a driving time of roughly three hours and 26 minutes.
Things to do in Mackay include the Wildcat snorkelling cruise to the South Cumberland Islands and playing in the sand on Blacks Beach.
Three great Mackay experiences to book in advance
- (Highly recommended ✅) Whitsunday Islands boat cruise – with snorkelling and paddleboarding.
- Cape Hillsborough sunrise tour – meet wallabies on the beach.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Finch Hatton Gorge waterfalls tour.
Best Mackay accommodation options
The top places to stay in Mackay are:
- For attractive apartments by Blacks Beach: The Shores Holiday Apartments.
- For a cheap, but surprisingly good, motel: Cool Palms Motel.
- For apartments with kitchenettes by the marina: Mantra Mackay.
- For a holiday park with lot of family-friendly facilities: Big4 Mackay Blacks Beach Holiday Park.
- For fully furnished apartments in prime position next to Bluewater Lagoon: Riviera Mackay.
Mackay to Ayr road trip: Mackay to Airlie Beach
It’s another 151km from Mackay to Airlie Beach, one of the best stops on the Bundaberg to Townsville journey. But you may wish to consider a couple of side trips.
Eungella National Park offers platypus-spotting at Broken River, plus waterfall hikes and swimming holes in Finch Hatton Gorge.
You can also see kangaroos on the beach in Cape Hillsborough National Park .
The turn-off for Airlie Beach is just after Proserpine, where you can do a crocodile-spotting cruise on the Proserpine River. The road to Airlie runs through quieter Cannonvale on the way in.
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 hiking the Airlie Creek Track, swimming in the Airlie Beach Lagoon and Whitsundays kayaking tours, plus helicopter flights and day trips to Hamilton Island. There are also multiple day trips from Airlie Beach to the other Whitsunday Islands, include Daydream Island, Whitsunday Island and South Molle Island.
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.
Mackay to Ayr drive: Dingo Beach and Bowen
If skipping Airlie Beach, the next leg of the Mackay to Ayr road trip is from Proserpine to Bowen along the Bruce Highway. The main turn-off to consider on this leg is just north of Myrtlevale, where the Dingo Beach Road runs towards chilled-out holiday villages Dingo Beach and Hideaway Bay on Cape Gloucester.
Accommodation here comes mostly in the form of holiday homes.
You’ll drive past the pleasingly daft Big Mango on the way into Bowen. Things to do here include snorkelling at Horseshoe Bay, taking in the views from the Flagstaff Hill Lookout, and visiting the WWII Catalina Flying Boats memorial.
Where to stay in Bowen
The best Bowen accommodation choices are:
- For families: Queens Beach Tourist Village.
- For great value apartments with kitchens: Palm View Holiday Apartments.
- For Horseshoe Bay beachside location: Horseshoe Bay Resort.
- For central location, free parking and kitchenettes: Port Denison Motor Inn.
Bowen to Ayr
Next up, there are potential but inessential detours to the Flathead Fishing Hole at the Elliot River mouth and Coconut Beach in the Cape Upstart National Park.
Just before crossing the Burdekin River, you can get good view from the Mount Inkerman Scenic Lookout. But the next proper stop is Ayr.
Things to do in Ayr, Queensland, include admiring the mosaics at the Ayr Nature Display and watching movies at the Stardust Drive-In and enjoying.
Divers will be more interested in Alva Beach. This is where tours to the SS Yongala shipwreck depart from.
More Queensland travel
Where to stop on the drive from Goondiwindi to Rockhampton.
Plan a Sydney to Rockhampton road trip itinerary.
Go surfing at Granite Bay in Noosa National Park.
What is worth seeing on a Charleville to Townsville road trip?
Where are the best places to stop on the Charleville to Barcaldine drive?