Wandering around the historic centre is a lovely way to spend a morning, but there is a lot more to Mackay than just historic buildings and public art. Dive into the town’s history at the Sarina Sugar Shed, drink in the peace and tranquility at the Botanic Gardens, or get out of town to discover the weird and wonderful wildlife in the nearby Eungella National Park!
Bluewater Lagoon is the perfect location for family-friendly fun, and brings all the fun of the beach to the heart of the city. Bluewater comprises three lagoons of varying depths, a waterfall connecting the two main pools, and slides, water-drops and a paddling pool so kids (and adults!) of all ages can find something to enjoy. A cafe, shaded picnic tables and a large grassy lawn mean you can easily find yourself spending the whole day here. Open daily from 9am to 4:45pm.
Mackay’s beautiful Botanic Garden is actually one of Australia’s youngest gardens, only opening in 2003. The gardens are, despite their youth, a haven of peace, tranquility and exceptional beauty, showcasing flora from the central Queensland coast, as well as other Australian natives. With a cafe perched high above wildlife lagoons, and over three kilometres of walking and cycling trails, the gardens are a real treat and well worth a visit. Open Monday and Tuesday from 5am to 10pm, Wednesday to Friday 5am to 3pm, and weekends 5am to 4pm.
Sarina Sugar Shed tells the fascinating and incredibly influential story of the Australian sugar cane industry, with a wonderfully immersive, interactive agritourism action. Visitors are taken through the history of Australian sugar, and can literally ‘taste the action’, as they pass through the making of refined sugar, rum, liqueurs and gourmet soft drinks and sauces. The Sugar Shed is still an active distillery, to don’t forget to grab a bottle of their famous Sugar Shed Rum on your way out! Open daily from 9am to 4pm.
Queensland and the Mackay region are rightly famous for their beaches, and Blacks Beach is up there with some of the best the state has to offer. The longest beach in Mackay, Blacks is six kilometres of palm-lined golden sand and sparkling, crystal clear waters. The perfect spot to relax and top up the tan, and there is even excellent fishing off the beach, if something a bit more active takes your fancy.
One for hiking enthusiasts, a walk through Finch Hatton Gorge is a glorious journey through lush plants and flowers, dramatic waterfalls and remarkable volcanic boulder formations. Cool rock pools are the perfect places to cool off with a bit of wild swimming, and if you keep your eyes peeled you might see a rare gastric brooding frog, an orange-sided skink, or a Eungella honeyeater! The park is open 24 hours a day.
Eungella National Park is perched high above the Mackay plains, a beautiful misty mountain retreat in its own right, but its winning feature has to be the chance to see that weirdest and wackiest of Australia’s wildlife, the platypus. Enjoy a picnic at Broken River, and take a gentle stroll along the banks, watching these astonishing and bizarre animals in the gently flowing water. The park is open 24 hours a day.