If you are looking to get away from Australia’s popular resort towns, but are still looking for great weather, friendly service, and pristine beaches, Mackay is the place for you. Located about six hundred miles north of Brisbane, Mackay is the sugar capital of Australia as the area produces more than one-third of Australia’s cane sugar crops. The region is home to fantastic beaches, many of which are patrolled year round, and is also a popular place for fishing. There are several islands off the coast where visitors can indulge in a luxurious stay at a romantic resort or where they can get close to the land by camping. St. Bees Island is a great place to see koalas, and the neighbouring Keswick Island is known for its reef diving.
The most popular park in the region is Eungella National Park. This is Queensland’s most ecologically diverse park, and is a great place to visit because many of the walking tracks are relatively short and easy, allowing everyone to enjoy the scenery. There are also two scenic drives and a multitude of picnic spots. Be sure to visit Sky Window for the exceptional views and the Broken River viewing platform where, if you’re lucky, you might spot a platypus!
Cape Hillsborough National Park is another popular place, mainly because its resident wallaby population is inordinately friendly and makes a morning trek down to the beach. For your safety and theirs, please don’t feed the wildlife, no matter how friendly they appear. Here the rainforests cover the mountains and extend right up to the sandy edge of the beach and in the water beyond lies the Great Barrier Reef.
The city of Mackay itself makes a great stop as well, with a new modern art centre and their local botanical gardens. With excellent accommodation and dining, it is a great place to start your exploration of this remarkable area.
If you’re looking for an Australian luxury vacation package, it doesn’t get much better than a visit to the Whitsundays region of Queensland. Here you can experience the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in as luxurious accommodations as you can afford. The Whitsundays area is home to an amazing seventy-four separate islands, some of which are home to exclusive and private resorts where guests can immerse themselves in luxury while enjoying the unique setting of the Great Barrier Reef.
With warm, tropical temperatures, crystal clear water, and an incredible array of sealife, it’s no wonder that this area has so many resorts. If island life suits you, try the five star boutique hotel, the Beach Club, on Hamilton Island, the area’s largest inhabited island. Looking for something a little more private? Check out the Hayman Island Resort. As the only facilities on the island, this five star resort offers luxurious rooms, lovely gardens, and a unique swimming pool. There is no end of things to do on the island, both outdoor and water activities as well as in the resort’s spa.
If staying on the mainland seems more your speed, the resort town of Airlie Beach offers no end of fantastic accommodation. The Martinique Whitsundays resort is known as one of the best, and its unique architecture was inspired by the French Caribbean style. Just entering the resort is a journey in itself, as guests make their way into the lobby via a walkway over the pool. The exclusive Coral Sea Resort is another fantastic facility with luxury apartments and penthouses, two swimming pools, and unique dining.
Travelers can also enjoy trips to the Great Barrier Reef in utter luxury due to the wealth of luxury cruises available in the area. Whether you wish to travel by yacht, catamaran, or on the fastest vessel in the harbour, the ReefJet, you’ll find what you are looking for here. Helicopter flights over the region are also popular.
The Outback may not immediately come to mind as a great place to take children, but in reality it has much to offer to families and can also be an affordable but exciting roadtrip. Many kids love following the dinosaur trail, and seeing these massive creatures brought to life is enough to awe the most imaginative of minds. For many kids, reliving life in the old west is a dream come true, so visiting a station and learning how to do ranch chores and ride horses is a fun and exciting way to enjoy the region. It can also be great for burning off all the excess energy that kids seem to pack with them! If a stay at a station isn’t quite what you are looking for, try a visit to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, where visitors can learn about the past through interactive displays, and also a show that includes working dogs, horses, mules, and authentic Outback stockmen.
The Min Min Encounter, in Boulia, gives visitors a show unlike any other, complete with fibre optics and special effects. It tells the true story of the Min Min light, a ghostly light that residents of the area have claimed to have seen for more than seventy years. If traveling with smaller children, the Tambo Teddies workshop may be more appropriate. Here you can watch the famous teddy bears being made from scratch. The Bilbies Centre in Charleville is home to Queensland’s most endangered species, a loveable little marsupial that is being bred at the centre as part of the effort to save the animals.
Older children will enjoy the Cosmos Centre and Observatory in Charleville, where they can enjoy films about the universe and at nighttime view the skies up close. The Qantas Founders Outback Museum in Longreach is an aviation museum full of interactive displays that are sure to please children of all ages.
