Noosa to Airlie Beach road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
Noosa to Airlie Beach drive: Sarina and Mackay
Just north of Rockhampton on the Bruce Highway, you can stop for the fabulous cave tours at the Capricorn Caves.
The highway finally hits the coast at Clairview, then scythes across Cape Palmerston. You’ll need a 4WD if you wish to go camping and fishing here.
Sarina is the next town along, and it’s a major sugar industry hub. The Sarina Sugar Shed tells the tale, but you can plump for Sarina Beach or Grasstree Beach if you’d prefer some beach time.
Top Sarina experiences worth booking in advance
- Learn how sugar is grown and processed on a sugar mill tour – with sweet treat tastings.
- Find out how rum is made on a rum distillery tour – with rum sampling.
Best Sarina accommodation options.
The best places to stay in Sarina, Queensland, are:
- For beachside location with an outdoor pool: Sandpiper Motel.
- For air-conditioned caravans and cabins: Sarina Palms Cabins & Caravans.
- For palm trees and beach holiday vibe: Sarina Beach Motel.
From Sarina, it’s about half an hour’s drive north to Mackay, the largest city between Rockhampton and Townsville.
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.
Top things to do in Mackay include the Wildcat snorkelling cruise to the South Cumberland Islands and sunbathing on Blacks Beach.
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.
Click through for the next section: Mackay to Airlie Beach.