Things to do in Rockhampton, Queensland

Things to do in Rockhampton, Queensland, include adventure caving at Capricorn Caves and walking in the Mount Archer National Park. The Rockhampton Heritage Village, Botanic Gardens and Dreamtime Cultural Centre are amongst other passably interesting Rockhampton attractions.

Rockhampton, on the Tropic of Capricorn in central Queensland, prides itself on being the beef capital of Australia. Its self-image is all big hats and cattle yards. But for anyone travelling up the Queensland coast, Rockhampton with a population of just under 80,000 is simply the biggest city on the long drive between Hervey Bay and Airlie Beach.

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As a potential stopover, however, central Rockhampton offers grand-looking pubs such as the Criterion Hotel, Heritage Hotel and Great Western Hotel. But not an awful lot else. There are some moderately impressive riverside heritage buildings along the Fitzroy River (which sometimes has crocodiles in it), and the Botanic Gardens can kill an hour.

Things to do in Rockhampton, Queensland: Capricorn Caves

But the best things to do in Rockhampton aren’t actually in Rockhampton. Head north along the Bruce Highway for half an hour, and you reach the Capricorn Caves. These caves are thought to be 390 million years old, and were originally coral growing under the sea.

The basic walk-through Cathedral Cave tour lasts 45 minutes and concentrates on geology and acoustics. More fun is the two hour, $65 Capricorn Adventurer tour which involves scrambling, squeezing and navigating your way through with head lamps. Tours should be advance-booked.

What to do in Rockhampton, Queensland: Heritage Village and Dreamtime Cultural Centre

Near the Capricorn Caves are two more things to do in Rockhampton – the Rockhampton Heritage Village and Dreamtime Cultural Centre. Both are examples of things done better elsewhere in Australia, but they provide reasonable entertainment.

The Rockhampton Heritage Village tries to show what the area was like in the olden days. That means lots of old vehicles, a blacksmith’s shop, a few farm animals and some vintage cottages to look at. If recreated lumber camps aren’t your thing, then the Dreamtime Cultural Centre looks at the Aboriginal people of Central Queensland. It touches on Indigenous mythology, and the significance of certain caves. It’s a well-meaning place that perhaps doesn’t give overseas visitors the insights into Aboriginal culture they’re after.

Of more niche interest are the Browne Park rugby league stadium and the Funzone laser tag centre.

Rockhampton attractions: Mount Archer National Park

To the west of Rockhampton is the Mount Archer National Park. You can spot black cockatoos and rock wallabies here, but most come to take in the views from the summit of Mount Archer. A couple of easy walks within the National Park make the most of the views. A 500 metre circuit from Fraser Park looks out over the city, and the 1.4km Bracken Fern Way takes in the national park’s other mountains.

The other option is to head towards the coast. The Queensland coastal town of Yeppoon is 40km to the north-east, with the Rockhampton to Yeppoon drive taking around 35 minutes. It is the gateway to the Keppel Islands and several Capricorn Coast reefs, and has the massive Yeppoon Lagoon to swim in. But in all honesty, if it’s the islands and Great Barrier Reef you’re interested in, stay in Yeppoon instead.

The drive from Hervey Bay to Rockhampton takes around four-and-a-quarter hours.

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