Mackay to Townsville road trip: Driving distance, time & attractions
The Mackay to Townsville drive is 386km long, with a 4h32m driving time. Turn it into a road trip with detours to Cape Hillsborough, Airlie Beach and Cape Gloucester.
This independent, Australia travel expert-researched guide is aimed at travellers planning a road trip itinerary from Mackay to Townsville in Queensland.
To choose from the best Mackay tours and experiences, head this way. To select the right Mackay accommodation for you, book here.
Townsville is where you can take the ferry to gorgeous Magnetic Island, enjoy sunset cruises and visit the Museum of Underwater Art. For more Townsville experiences, explore here. To ferret out the best Townsville accommodation deals, look here.
To learn more about the Mackay to Townsville drive, including the distance, driving time and the best stops along the route, read on…
Planning a Mackay to Townsville road trip itinerary
The Mackay to Townsville drive connects two of the biggest cities in Queensland, passing through the Whitsundays region. Neither Mackay nor Townsville tends to be a major tourist draw – but travellers heading up the east coast from Brisbane to Cairns are likely to pass through both.
Pick Mackay for an excellent Whitsunday Islands snorkelling cruise, and Townsville for Magnetic Island trips.
Mackay to Townsville distance and driving time
Tackled directly, the Mackay to Townsville drive is 386km in distance. That makes for a Mackay to Townsville driving time of around four hours and 32 minutes.
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.
6 Townsville experiences to book in advance
- Magnetic Island ferry tickets – head over to one of the most beautiful islands in Australia.
- SS Yongala wreck dive – sea how coral and marine life have made the shipwreck home.
- Great Barrier Reef and Museum of Underwater Art cruise – witness the extraordinary underwater art project up close.
- Helicopter ride along the coast – get amazing views from above.
- Sunset sailing cruise – watch the colours over the water, with alcoholic drinks included.
- Jetski tour to Cape Pallarenda – whizz past beaches and giant boulders.
Go straight up the Bruce Highway without detours and you’ll likely have a very boring time. It’s far better, therefore, to build in a few detours.
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 Townsville road trip attractions: Cape Hillsborough and Proserpine
The first of these detours on the Mackay to Townsville drive should be Cape Hillsborough. This is one of the few places in Australia where you can reliably see kangaroos on the beach. Turn up at sunrise or sunset for the best chance of seeing the roos and wallabies – or stay at the beachside Cape Hillsborough caravan park.
The first decent-sized town on the route is Proserpine. You can do a crocodile-spotting cruise on the Proserpine River if you wish. It’s also worth a look at Whitsunday Gold Coffee, one of the biggest coffee plantations in Australia. You can do tastings here.
The top Proserpine accommodation option is the pool-equipped A&A Motel.
Click through for the next section: Airlie Beach.