Mackay to Darwin road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

Mackay to Darwin drive: Dingo Beach and Bowen

If skipping Airlie Beach, the next leg of the Mackay to Darwin 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 Charters Towers

North of Bowen, 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.

The best accommodation in Ayr

The top accommodation picks in Ayr are:

For a family-friendly holiday park: Discovery Parks Ayr.
For a motel that gets it right: Country Ayr Motel.
For cheap rates and a pool: Ayr Max Motel.

Divers will be more interested in Alva Beach. This is where tours to the SS Yongala shipwreck depart from.

Just south of Townsville, you need to cut across from the Bruce Highway to the Flinders Highway.

The Majors Creek Swimming Hole near Woodstock and the fishing spot on the Burdekin River by the Macrossan Park camping area are the best stops on the way to Charters Towers.

Top Charters Towers experiences

Delve in to the gold-mining past – on a tour of the Venus Gold Battery. You’ll be wowed by the sheer size of it.
Hear entertaining stories from the golden era – on a Charters Towers walking tour.
Listen to spooky stories – on a Charters Towers ghost tour.

Things to do in Charters Towers include a guided tour of the historic Venus gold battery. The Towers Hill Lookout, meanwhile, offers great views, with movies about the region shown in the nearby amphitheatre every evening.