Considering a holiday in Mackay? You won’t be disappointed.
On top of adventures you’ve probably already heard about – like watching a beach sunrise with kangaroos, exploring local sugarcane history and strolling among the botanic gardens – there are many unexpected experiences on offer.
Here are five to add to your itinerary, from swimming in a rockpool that looks just like a wishing well to sleeping in a luxury retreat surrounded by birds to catching a helicopter to remote mountaintop.
WANDER THROUGH ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST ORCHID HOUSES
Orchids – the biggest flowering species in the world – thrive in Mackay’s warm, subtropical climate.
That’s why it’s an ideal location for one of Australia’s biggest orchid collections.
You’ll find it in the Ken Burgess Orchid House in Queen’s Park Gardens. Built in 1988, it’s home to hundreds of species of all kinds – small, large, conventional and highly unusual.
You could spend hours strolling along the winding pathways marvelling at the exotic shapes and colours.
SWIM IN A WISHING WELL
Mackay is filled with great swimming spots, including the human-made Bluewater Lagoon in town, the many surrounding beaches you can have to yourself (more or less), and Hinch Fatton Gorge where you can swim under a waterfall.
However, one less famous spot is the Wishing Well rockpool. This fascinating formation is a perfectly round swimming hole at Lambert’s Beach.
To get there, head to the lookout, then follow the trail on the left. This leads to a small beach, where the Wishing Well pool is tucked among the rocks.
SLEEP AMONG BIRDS AND SEA LIFE IN A LUXURY RETREAT
It’s not everyday that you can look into an aviary from the comfort of your lounge room.
But that’s exactly what’s on the cards at The Feathered Nest, a luxury retreat 30 minutes’ drive north of Mackay.
This extraordinary accommodation provides apartments with direct access to its private aviary and aquarium.
While sipping on a coffee or chatting over a glass of wine, you’ll be meeting gang-gang cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets and even a turtle or two.
CATCH A HELICOPTER TO A GOURMET PICNIC ON A MOUNTAIN TOP
If there’s one way to get where no one else can go, it’s by helicopter.
Bush Heli-Services provide a variety of airborne experiences around Mackay, and one of the most incredible takes you to a mountaintop in Peak Range National Park.
Spend an hour or two lingering over a gourmet picnic while gazing at views that seem to go on forever.
Other joy flights offered by Bush Heli-Services travel over Clermont town, Clermont open pit coal mine, Blair Athol coal mine and Theresa Creek Dam.
CATCH YOUR OWN BARRAMUNDI IN A PRIVATE DAM
There’s no substitute for freshly-caught fish.
At Theresa Creek Dam, which is a three-and-a-half hour drive southwest of Mackay, you can catch your own barramundi (or golden perch or red claw).
Stay on shore and cast your line for as long as you like while picnicking, or hire a boat and head out onto the water for hours.
If one day isn’t enough, then camp for a night or two (or three), so you can fully soak up the serenity.
GETTING TO MACKAY
For the quickest trip, catch a plane to Mackay Airport, and jump into a SIXT car rental.
Another option is to make Mackay part of a road trip – perhaps from Cairns or Brisbane.
Either way, you’ll find plenty to explore, from stunning day trips to awesome adventures.
There’s also lots to do with kids, including platypus-spotting in the wild, catching a flying fox over ancient rainforest and visiting the southernmost island in the Whitsundays.
