Scott's Roadtrip - Part IV

MACKAY – REGION OF DISCOVERIES

With his adventurous family including wife Kerry and two children Billy (8) and Eloise (6), bestselling author and travel writer SCOTT PODMORE hightails it from the deep south of Victoria for Queensland’s east coast on an unforgettable road trip. This is the fourth of a five-part blog series ‘On The Road Again’, exclusive to Tourism Queensland.

SO far we had only hit the road for short one, two or three-hour journeys, but the time had come for a long-haul trip. After turning in early for a peaceful snooze at Fraser Lodge Big 4, we were up at the crack of dawn, back in the camper and on the Bruce Highway heading up to Mackay.

It was also a journey where I found myself counting my blessings for having an incredibly organized Virgo wife, as the Podlets were restless after rising early and all the excitement of the past week had caught up with them. Enter long haul road trip saviors including iPod Touch units (game apps) and Kerry’s super idea of putting together some surprise “lucky dip” bags pre-trip comprising inexpensive interactive activities like colouring books, hangman games, ballbearing puzzles and old-fashioned favourites like I Spy.

To also help break the journey up, we stopped off in Gladstone for morning tea for some great coffee and glorious views at the Outlook Café before getting back in the van and finally arriving at Mackay mid-afternoon. We agreed this was a coastal city worth stopping at for a few days on the return journey.

Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect from Mackay, but kind of guessed it would be similar to Newcastle in NSW due to its coal-mining past. And it was, but like Newcastle, there’s so much to explore. Mackay instantly left us grown-ups a little gob-smacked by its charms and agreed the Mackay region was like our very own “lucky dip” surprise pack thanks to such highlights as the lush Pioneer Valley, the highland rainforests of Eungella National Park, enchanting waterfalls, and its intriguing coal mining history and sugar canefields milling past.

It’s an area of diverse discoveries and we set up camp at Bucasia Beachfront Caravan Resort, nestled on absolute beachfront and facing directly on to one of Mackay’s most beautiful beaches. From “sugar sheds” to flying foxes, saying hello to the kangaroos down on the beach and some great attractions in town, it was very hard to say goodbye after two days – not nearly enough time to properly explore this beaut part of the east coast of Australia.

NEARBY HIGH 5:

1. Sarina Sugar Shed, Australia’s only miniature sugar mill and distillery. What a place! The factory tour is a beauty … and tasty!
2. Forest Flying – aka the most awesome flying fox set-up you’re likely to find – and a unique way to take a look at the rainforest of Finch Hatton Gorge. 
3. The food is outstanding for a regional city and some dining experiences rival the best the bigger boys, Melbourne and Sydney, have to offer. Try Eat.Burp.Drink in Mackay for daring and unforgettable food comibnations and be sure to get a little bit fancy and try Lattitude 21 Restaurant & Bar at the Clarion Hotel for a scrumptious evening meal.
4. Hit the road for a little bit and check out The Old Station Teahouse in Hillsborough. It’s a place chock-full of character.
5. Eungella National Park and Cape Hillsborough National Park for some of the most ecologically diverse environments to be found Down Under.

NEXT TIME (PART V): MAKING A SPLASH IN CAIRNS

Scott's trip was supported by DriveNow.com.au