Want to know the coast between famous southern and northern Queensland? Driving along the Bruce Highway, you’re sure to get a feel for this often overlooked central area.

Apart from nice towns, the tropical islands along the way sing are like sirens beckoning you to their shores: the Keppels near Rockhampton, the Whitsunday of Airlie Beach, Magnetic Island opposite Townesville, and Hinchinbrook and Dunk further north.

Mackay

Around 360km north of Rockhampton, the fertile Pioneer Valley makes the Mackay region a pleasant change from the mainly dry stretch from Bundaberg to Townesville.

Along with its sugar cane plantations and diverse migrant communities, Mackay is a great base from which to go on a ‘Reefforest’ Adventure. A variety of tours operate from Mackay and Airlie Beach to Eungella National Park, Mackay City, Pioneer Valley, the Whitsunday's and Cape Hillsborough National Park.

Cape Hillsborough is a particularly pretty beachfront national park about an hour’s drive north of Mackay. After you’ve finished playing with the tame wildlife and exploring the flora, its time for the road again…

Prosperine

Heading north towards the Whitsundays, stop over at Prosperine, an everyday sugar town 123km north of Mackay. Situated off the Bruce Highway, Prosperine is a major transit point for the Whitsunday region.

Airlie Beach is a Queenslander favourite also, as it is not a beach in the typical sense of the word. With only a few rough stretches of sand that disappear at high tide, it's great for fishing.

Planning a cruise in Whitsunday is the main preoccupation for most visitors. Watersports should not be overlooked though. The kiosk on the beach at Airlie rents out a range of gear. Kayak along the unique coastline. The courtesy bus to the Wildlife Park also provides a cheap and fun way to spend an afternoon at the small zoo only seven kilometres towards Proserpine. Their range of lizards and other reptiles are outstanding!

Bowen

Bowen is a quiet seafront town 60km north of Prosperine and a great stop over on the route to Townesville. Aussies across the country are likely to recognise the ‘Bowen Mango’ as a truly delicious breed of mango sold for a high price in supermarkets across the continent. But Bowen as a town is more than its mangoes. With beautiful beaches just north of town, a certain small-town charm, and lots of seasonal farm work, Bowen is popular with the backpackers. A large floating mass of itinerant pickers arrive in town between April and January. Horseshoe Bay is a particularly good local beach, great for snorkelling and swimming because its bordered by some nice boulders.

Townsville

Wind down your car windows when you reach Townsville and let the hot and stuffy air float in. It’s said that, with the exception of the Mackay region, you haven’t really reached the tropical greenery associated with North Queensland until you’re north of Townsville.

Positioned in the centre of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the reefs off the coast of Townsville are divine. Visit Magnetic Island. Only 8km from the Townsville’s city centre, this world- heritage listed island easily qualifies as paradise. It takes 25 minutes by ferry or 45 minutes by car ferry to reach this island paradise. Both ferries depart from the city centre. Experience the Great Barrier Reef (left) (trips depart from the city area).

The actual town is peppered with great restaurants, cafes and nightlife line the city’s south bank, Palmer Street. For great nightlife, Flinders Street East offers an eclectic range of nightclubs, bars, cafes and restaurants. Experience the Great Barrier Reef without getting you’re feet even wet at Reef HQ, the world's largest living reef aquarium.

Take a day tour to the rainforest and outback regions. Enjoy the assortment of wild bird species. Enjoy activities like golf, diving, water sports, sky diving.

Check out our Outback Travel Tips for holidaying in the bush!

Public transport just won't cut it on this long raod trip. We have deals going right now for cheap hire cars in Queensland!