Sydney to Airlie Beach road trip: Distance, time & best stops
Sydney 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 town.
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.
Top things to do in Mackay include the Wildcat snorkelling cruise to the South Cumberland Islands and sunbathing 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.
Sydney to Airlie Beach drive: The final leg
It’s another 151km from Mackay to Airlie Beach, but you may wish to try two excellent side trips. Eungella National Park brings platypus-spotting at Broken River, plus the waterfall hikes and swimming holes of Finch Hatton Gorge.
At Cape Hillsborough National Park, meanwhile, you can see wallabies and kangaroos on the beach.
The road leading to Airlie Beach comes just after Proserpine, where you can enjoy a crocodile-spotting cruise on the Proserpine River. You’ll pass quieter Cannonvale on the way into Airlie.
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.
Fun things to do in Airlie Beach include walking the Airlie Creek Track, swimming in the Airlie Beach Lagoon and Whitsundays kayaking tours. Other options include helicopter flights and day trips to Hamilton Island.
There are also multiple day trips from Airlie Beach to the other Whitsunday Islands.
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.
More Queensland travel
What to see on the Ballina to Noosa drive.
Where to stop on the Bundaberg to Emerald drive.
The best stops on a Tamworth to Toowoomba road trip.
How long is the Gympie to Caloundra drive?
What to see on the Caboolture to Caloundra drive.