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Major city · Australia

Mackay

Give Mackay 2 nights as a Bruce Highway stop between Rockhampton and Townsville, or 3 if you want Eungella and Cape Hillsborough; skip it if the Whitsundays are your only goal.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Mackay is a working sugar and coal port on the Central Queensland coast, about 900 km north of Brisbane on the Bruce Highway. The city itself is a practical stop with a marina, a good regional gallery and a botanic garden; the reason to linger is what sits either side of it — platypus at Eungella in the hills behind, kangaroos on the beach at Cape Hillsborough, and the southern Whitsundays an hour north. Two nights covers the town and one day trip; three nights lets you add a second.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
May–Oct (dry, mild)
avoid Dec–Mar (wet season, cyclones, stingers in the sea)
Airport
MKY
Nights
2–3
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • Australia ↗Almost every visitor needs a visa or an electronic authorisation (ETA or eVisitor, depending on passport) before boarding: apply only through the official Department of Home Affairs site or the official AustralianETA app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • Australia ↗Declare all food, plant material, seeds, wood and animal products on your arrival declaration; undeclared items can bring on-the-spot fines or visa cancellation. When unsure, declare it.
  • Australia ↗Drive on the left. An overseas licence in English (or with an official translation or International Driving Permit) is accepted for visitors; check the state rules and your rental contract.
  • Australia ↗Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches; rip currents cause most beach drownings.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Mackay000 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From a mobile112
  • SES (storm and flood help)132 500

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Mackay, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeA$4.50–6 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Beerschooner at a pub / six-pack at a bottle shopA$7–12 (≈ US$5–8)A$18–24 (≈ US$12–16)
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)5 km (3.1 mi) taxicheckA$18–25 (≈ US$12–17)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketRegional gallery or museum entryFree–A$15 (≈ US$10)
  • Budget bedHostel or shared-room bed, a night, per personA$40 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomA$190 (≈ US$130)
  • High-end bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomA$320 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$110 (≈ US$75) · Mid A$190 (≈ US$130) · High A$340 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Eungella National Park and platypusCape Hillsborough sunrise kangaroosSugar cane country and Farleigh MillMarina and Harbour BeachGateway to the southern Whitsundays
Airports
MKY Mackay Airport (About 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the city centre; Qantas and Jetstar from Brisbane, QantasLink to Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton. Check current schedules.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    30°C (86°F)

  3. Mar

    Avoid

    30°C (86°F)

  4. Apr

    not flagged

    28°C (82°F)

  5. May

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  7. Jul

    Best

    23°C (73°F)

  8. Aug

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    30°C (86°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

Best: May–Oct. Avoid: Dec–Mar. Month by month →

Warmest Jan (31°C (88°F)), coolest Jul (13°C (55°F) low), wettest Feb (15 rain days), driest Aug (4). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Mackay: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

31°C (88°F)

24°C (75°F)

14 rd

Feb

30°C (86°F)

24°C (75°F)

15 rd

Mar

30°C (86°F)

23°C (73°F)

14 rd

Apr

28°C (82°F)

21°C (70°F)

10 rd

May

26°C (79°F)

18°C (64°F)

8 rd

Jun

24°C (75°F)

15°C (59°F)

6 rd

Jul

23°C (73°F)

13°C (55°F)

5 rd

Aug

24°C (75°F)

14°C (57°F)

4 rd

Sep

27°C (81°F)

17°C (63°F)

4 rd

Oct

29°C (84°F)

20°C (68°F)

6 rd

Nov

30°C (86°F)

22°C (72°F)

9 rd

Dec

31°C (88°F)

23°C (73°F)

11 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Buses are limited and mostly useful in the CBD; a hire car from the airport is the practical choice for Eungella, Cape Hillsborough and the beaches. Taxis run from the shopping centres and by phone. Cycling works for the flat city stretch along the Pioneer River.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Eungella National Parkgo

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min each way

Drive the Peak Downs Highway west to Broken River, about 80 km (50 mi)

Platypus are most reliable in the early morning and late afternoon from the Broken River viewing platforms. Cool, wet rainforest — take a layer.

Cape Hillsborough National Parkgo

Door to door: About 45 min each way

Drive north on the Bruce Highway, then the Cape Hillsborough road

The kangaroos on the beach at sunrise are the draw; go on a ranger-led or organised morning trip rather than feeding or approaching them.

Airlie Beach and the Whitsundaysovernight

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Drive the Bruce Highway north, or bus

Too far for a comfortable return day if you also want a boat; sleep up there instead.

Farleigh Mill

caution

Door to door: About 20 min each way

Drive north of the city; tours run weekdays in the crush season

Tours are seasonal (roughly July–November) and weekdays only — confirm before you drive out.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Mackay CBD

Best bus coverage, walkable to Caneland Central and the Pioneer River; motels and business hotels.

Mackay Marina

Waterfront hotels and the marina restaurants; 5–10 min drive from the CBD, quiet at night.

Blacks Beach and the northern beaches

Resort-style stays right on the sand, 20–25 min north of the centre; you need a car.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
A$110–170 (≈ US$75–120) excl. bed
Mid
A$170–280 (≈ US$120–190) excl. bed
High
A$280 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or hotel double room1 × 2 nights × A$190A$380
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × A$190A$760
Hire car, one day, small automatic1 × A$85 · checkA$85
Fuel, Eungella return, about 160 km1 × A$25 · checkA$25
eSIM, about a week of data2 × A$25A$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$130
Trip total≈ A$358 per person per day, bed includedA$1,430≈ US$950

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; flights and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeA$4.50–6 (≈ US$3–4)
Counter meal or pub schnitzelA$22–35 (≈ US$15–25)
Fish and chips at the marinaA$18–28 (≈ US$12–19)
Beer: schooner at a pub / six-pack at a bottle shopA$7–12 (≈ US$5–8) / A$18–24 (≈ US$12–16)
5 km taxicheckA$18–25 (≈ US$12–17)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)
Regional gallery or museum entryFree–A$15 (≈ US$10)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Mackay is a normal regional city and safe by day; the real risks are the wet season, marine stingers, wildlife on the highway at dusk and long drives after a big day.
  • Tropical wet season Dec–Mar: heavy rain, cyclone risk and marine stingers — swim in netted areas only, and check Surf Life Saving Queensland advice.
  • Long drives on the Bruce Highway with road trains and kangaroos at dusk; avoid night driving outside town.
  • Eungella and Cape Hillsborough roads are steep and winding in places; check conditions after rain.
  • Book airport and marina accommodation ahead in sugar-crush and mining-shutdown periods, when the town fills with workers.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From a mobile
112
SES (storm and flood help)
132 500

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MackayMackay

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Can you take me to this address, please?To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From a mobile112
  • SES (storm and flood)132 500

Embassy

No embassies in Mackay; consulates and embassies are in Brisbane or Canberra. US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish travellers: register with your own country's travel advice service before you go.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Mackay Airport → CBD, taxi: about A$25–35 (≈ US$17–25), 10–15 min (check)
  • Mackay → Airlie Beach, bus: about A$40–60 (≈ US$30–40), 2 h (check)
  • Mackay → Brisbane, flight: about 1 h 40 min; fares vary widely (check)

Say or show

  • Thanks / ta — Thank you
  • No worries — No worries
  • Where's the loo? — Where is the toilet?
  • Card OK? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is it far? — Is it far?
  • Cheers — Cheers

Tipping is not expected in Australia; wages are high and service charges are not added.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Mackay. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Oct (dry, mild) · avoid Dec–Mar (wet season, cyclones, stingers in the sea) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for MKY: hire-car desks, taxi rank and last arrivals, field-checked.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: CBD and Caneland, the marina and Harbour Beach, the botanic gardens, the northern beaches.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Artspace Mackay, the botanic gardens, Farleigh Mill tours) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wet-season and stinger fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources