Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach
Published Date : 2019-08-19
The drive from Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach is 10 hours (almost 900kms) non stop and to a lot of people, a little boring- there's none of the 'must see' sights here that you dream of along the East Coast. In fact, people taking the bus often just use one of the overnight bus services, to save money on accommodation. This is a little unfair to the region, as there are some stand out areas to see, along with tons and tons of kangaroos.
The ideal place to stop from Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach is Rockhampton- it's roughly half way, and if you have your own transport, spending a night or two at Yeppoon and the Great Keppel Island is a great way to split up the incredibly dull Bruce Highway.
Table of Contents
Bundaberg
Leaving Hervey Bay, the first major town you'll pass by is Bundaberg (Bundy to the locals). Bundaberg is a farming town best known for its rum, it's sugar, and it's dodgy farmwork. A little like Mackay further north, it's not really worth a visit, unless you're really into rum making and want to visit the factory (Their ginger ale is also fantastic) or you have farm work to do and are in dire straits.
It was hit twice by disastrous floods from the Burnett River in December 2010 and January 2013, which people didn't take as a sign from above that maybe, they should clean up their act.
You can however, visit the Barrier Reef at Lady Musgrave Island from Bundaberg, although it's closer and better to visit from 1770. There are also botanic gardens, and a few nice walks, such as Baldwin Swamp Conservation Park. The beaches are 10 kilometres from Bundaberg, but quite nice to visit with a car.
If you are here between November and February, a must do is to watch the Sea Turtles nesting at Mon Repos Conservation Park.
If it's the case that you are desperate to do your farmwork, take care and make sure to check the reviews of the farms, as some have terrible reputations (see here, and here, and here). Likewise, the working hostels in Bundy aren't known for their quality!
Getting to Bundaberg: Premier and Greyhound can both drop and pick you up from the station in Bundaberg.
Things to do in Bundaberg: Visit the Rum Factory, do your farmwork, get out of Bundaberg.
Recommended time in Bundaberg: 1 day.
Where to stay in Bundaberg: Bunk Inn Hostel is the only one I'd recommend without feeling guilty about the quality. Avoid Blue Dingo/Queenslander like a plague. Federal Backpackers also aren't great, but better than Blue Dingo.
Farm Work in Bundaberg: Common harvest crops include sweet potatoes, capsicum, sugar cane, tomatoes, and strawberries.
1770/Agnes Water
1770 is the only Australian town named after a date- the date Captain Cook landed in Australia. Agnes Water is it's sister town, although the two are interconnected. The twin towns are located in geographically, an interesting position- they are the last place you can surf going up the East Coast, the last place where you can see sunset over the ocean on the East Coast, and the first place you can visit the Great Barrier Reef from if your travelling from Sydney. The town is known for it's $17 surf lessons, and a relaxed, chilled out atmosphere.
There are two popular activities in Agnes Water/1770- Scooteroo and Castaways. Scooteroo is a wildlife tour with a difference- the difference been that your on choppers, spotting kangaroos. Castaways is a bit like the TV show 'Survivor', you and up to 10 others get dropped on a deserted desert island, and your guide teaches you how to fish, build your own shelters, and all the necessities to survive on your own for 2-3 days! You get out to the islands via stunt plane- so be ready for a thrill.
One thing to note about 1770- the Premier bus doesn't stop here, so there is a $20 fee each way to get picked up and dropped off at the premier bus stop (Included in the package price unless stated otherwise). It's possible to visit 1770 all in one day, as the bus times drop you off so early.
Getting to 1770/Agnes Water: Greyhound drop you directly to the town and hostels such as Southern Cross Backpackers, YHA 1770, and Cool Bananas will pick you up from the bus stop. Otherwise, Premier drops you off at the turn off to 1770, and there is a shuttle bus to the hostels and town, for $20 each way.
Things to do in 1770/Agnes Water: Learn to surf, Scooteroo, Castaways, chill out for a few days. Do coastal walks to the headland if you stay in the town. Horizons Kangaroo Sanctuary is cool if you want to feed kangaroos.
Recommended time in 1770/Agnes Water: 1-2 days. More if you like to surf, or chill out.
Where to stay in 1770/Agnes Water: Cool Bananas is the centrally located hostel with an incredible vibe, well worth a stay. If you prefer something more scenic, Southern Cross Backpackers have a huge open space surrounding their hostel, with a big pool in the middle, and is also the staging point for Scooteroo. The YHA 1770 and Backpackers @1770 are pretty nice too.
Farmwork around 1770/Agnes Water
Dairy farms are common around Agnes Water- Expect early starts and late nights, but with time between them!
Gladstone
Gladstone is an industrial town located 100 kms south of Rockhampton. Australia's 4th biggest port, Australia's biggest cement plant, biggest aluminium plant, and biggest alumina refinery are all located in Gladstone…. All those things tourists love.
Gladstone's beach, Barney Point Beach, was voted Queensland's dirtiest beach in 2014- Another great reason to visit Gladstone.
However Gladstone isn't all bad- heading to the port for lunch is a nice thing to do, and around Gladstone there are some nice sites- most impressive being Heron Island.
Heron Island is a part of the Southern Great Barrier Reef and is accessible from Gladstone- and is awesome for snorkelling over coral straight from the beach. It's everything you imagine a pacific island to be- Imagine Fiji, but in Australia! Crystal clear water, tons of marine life, and baby turtles between December and February. Definitely worth your into diving and want to visit somewhere no backpackers normally venture.
For beach lovers, Boyne Island and Tannum Sands are twin towns that are 30 minutes south of Gladstone, and are very popular with locals- think tranquil beach walks, small coastal walks, and amazing clear waters. A little further afield (25 km south of Gladstone) is Lake Awoonga- a nice spot for boating, water-sports, and fishing for barramundi.
A final thing to do around Gladstone is a hike to Mount Larcom. Here you'll have a 360 view of the region- after a two hour hike to the summit. You can tie in both Mount Larcom and Boyne Island and Tannum Sands in one long day if you're short on time.
Getting to Gladstone
Gladstone Airport has daily flights to Brisbane and Sydney, and other regional areas. The Dawson Highway originates here for those heading into the outback. Premier and Greyhound both have stops here, although at anti-social hours.
Things to do in Gladstone: Lunch by the port, visit the Art Gallery. Get out of Gladstone and visit Heron Island, Tannum Sands, Mount Larcom, and Lake Awoonga.
Where to stay in Gladstone: Gladstone Backpackers is the only backpackers hostel in Gladstone, and has a pool, free breakfast, and is reasonably priced (from $20 a night). There are also motels such as Aaron Motel that are more expensive.
Farmwork in Gladstone: Most farms near Gladstone are either cattle farms (Beef, usually), or crops such as cotton. Experience is definitely a plus for finding work around Gladstone, but wages tend to be high.
Rockhampton
Rockhampton (Rocky to locals, not to be confused with Rocky I), a great place for a fat steak. It's known as the beef capital of Australia due to its surrounding cattle farms, and has some of the finest steaks you'll find in the world (Fight me Argentina and Japan). While it isn't a backpacker town by any means, there is a certain untouched charm about it- it's definitely not a many backpacker guides! Locals are proud to say there are over 300 days of sunshine a year- think Scotland, but the complete opposite.
The city centre is full of historical buildings, where you could easily spend a day finding your favourite bull statue.
Outside of Rockhampton, Mount Archer Lookout offers great views from it's canopy boardwalk, especially at sunset, (Take Pilbeam Drive via Frenchville to get right below the lookout, instead of following your GPS into the centre of the park) and Mount Morgan, a historical gold mining town not far from Rockhampton is worth a visit- especially it's now abandoned mine, and dammed lakes.
As a farming town, if you happen to be free on Wednesday or Friday be sure to check out the Rocky Rodeo in the Great Western Hotel- a real outback experience is in store for you.
But the best thing nearby Rockhampton is definitely Emu Park, Yeppoon, and Great Keppel Island, as we'll talk about next.
Getting to Rockhampton: Premier and Greyhound drop you off in the centre of Rockhampton, on their overnight service between Airlie and Hervey Bay. The drop off times are anti social though, as they're both very early morning. There is also frequent rail services to Rock from Brisbane and Cairns.
Things to do in Rockhampton: Eat steaks, head out to Emu Park and Yeppoon, Bull hunting, visit the Botanic Gardens and Zoo, follow the newly renovated riverwalk, hire a car and explore the Capricorn Caves, see the rodeo in the Great Western Hotel Wednesdays and Fridays.
Where to stay in Rockhampton: Rockhampton YHA is our choice- like all YHA's it's got a good standard, that you can't go wrong with. Otherwise, Pete's Place in the centre isn't a bad shout either.
Farmwork in Rockhampton: Obviously Rockhampton has plenty of cattle farms nearby- with experience you should land a job here. Otherwise, Mango picking season in January/February is guaranteed work. There is some lychee, custard apples, and pineapple farms nearby, but there is generally no work between May and November.
Yeppoon
Yeppoon is Rockhamptons local beach town, with a great historical centre. Like most of the Capricorn Coast, the weather is amazing year round- with the hot summers of Far North Queensland, but none of the extreme humidity. Average temperatures are between 22 and 30 degrees during summer, and 12 and 22 degrees during winter. Perfect for water activities- which is great for the sunset cruises, turtle spotting at the aptly named Turtle Lookout, exploring the Capricorn Caves and kayaking activities around Yeppoon.
Visiting Emu Park is a must while in Yeppoon- it's 20 minutes outside the town, and has a touching ANZAC walk, with lovely views over the sea, and is an all round nice place to visit.
The final must do from Yeppoon is Great Keppel Island (And the various other islets around) an amazing sand island where you can get within a few meters of turtles, and definitely an underappreciated place on the coast! The islands are home to turtle nesting in the summer months, which is an incredible sight to see.
Getting to Yeppoon: The best way to get to Yeppoon is driving from Rockhampton, as neither Premier or Greyhound stay here. However, Stray Australia have a unique stop in Emu Park- give them a look!
Things to do in Yeppoon: Kayaking, visiting Emu Park, Turtle Lookout, trips to the Keppel Islands, visiting the Capricorn Caves.
Where to Stay in Yeppoon: Yeppoon Beach House is the place to stay in Yeppoon- $33 a night for a dorm but a lovely place. On the islands, Great Keppel Backpackers is the only place to stay for backpackers- starting at $25 for camping to $40 for a dorm room.
Farmwork in Yeppoon: As it's the same region as Rockhampton, there are the same farmwork opportunities- not much in winter until November, but January/February is normally mango picking season and a great time to arrive.
Mackay
Mackay is a large farming town, located 970 kms from Brisbane on the Pioneer River. It was known as the sugar capital of Australia, as one third of all Australian sugar was produced here- back when sugar prices were high. The town name can be pronounced Ma-kay or Mac-I, depending on who you talk to, although the family it's named after follow the Mac-I pronunciation.
The one thing Mackay has going for it is that the weather is pretty amazing year around, frost is very rarely recorded, and in summer the temperatures are on average 22-30 degrees. Winter temperatures are on average between 11 and 23 degrees.
Eungella National Park is just north of Mackay, and is great for spotting wild platypus- definitely go to the Sky Window for a view of the entire Pioneer Valley. It's 80 kms west of Mackay, but most people go from Airlie Beach. The northern beaches are better than the beach in the town, and there is loads of islands off Mackay if you like fishing. Bluewater Trail is also worth doing- it's 20kms of pedestrianised paths around Bluewater Lagoon and the Botanic Gardens.
Cape Hillsborough is a little park north of Mackay, which is famous for it's sunrise with wallabies. It's an amazing experience.
However, there's really no point in visiting Mackay unless you've a hard-on for places that aren't pronounced like they're spelt (why not head to Wauchape near Port Macquarie while you're at it), or you have to do your farm work here.
Getting to Mackay: The Bruce Highway and Peak Downs Highway pass through Mackay, and the town has both Premier and Greyhound Coaches. There is also rail access from Queensland Rail and the Tilt Train. Finally, Mackay Airport has flight to Brisbane Sydney Melbourne, and Cairns, and regional flights around Queensland.
Things to do in Mackay: Scenic Walks, Cape Hillsborough, Eungella National Park.
Where to stay in Mackay: Geckos, despite been a working hostel, is probably the best place to stay in Mackay. The hilariously named Mycow Accommodation, on the outskirts of Mackay, is the next best, but neither of them are outstanding.
Farmwork in Mackay: There is plenty of sugar cane work year around, and having a HC or UD licence will give you a significant advantage in finding farm work here. The most popular working hostel in Mackay is Geckos.
So there you have it- All the top places between Hervey Bay and Airlie Beach (Or between Fraser Island and the Whitsundays). Did we miss anywhere? Let us know with a comment below.
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Tags: Great Barrier Reef, Farm Work, Airlie Beach, Fraser Island