Rockhampton is one of Queensland’s major port cities for the Great Barrier Reef. It is located in central Queensland in the Capricorn Coast Region. Rockhampton gives you close access to beautiful spots in the Great Barrier Reef such as Keppel Bay Islands National Park, Curtis Island National Park, and popular dive spots. On the mainland, you can visit Mount Archer National Park, Capricorn Caves, the Fitzroy River, plus great Aboriginal culture tours among many other exciting adventures. Holidays here are pretty amazing all year round because this region is what you might call a sweet spot in Queensland. It is far enough south to avoid the humidity and monsoons that northern Queensland gets and is far enough north to miss the chilly winter weather they experience further south.
City of Rockhampton view from Mt. Archer Photo Credit: Wikipedia
City of Rockhampton nighttime view from Mt. Archer Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Rockhampton Photo Credit: DiscoverAustralia.com.au
Hiring a Car in Rockhampton
Rockhampton Map Photo Credit: Google Maps
Rockhampton Car Rental Map Photo Credit: Budget.com.au
Rockhampton is situated on the Fitzroy River and is about 600 km north of the capital of Brisbane. It isn’t quite a coastal city, it is actually quite inland for a port city. The Fitzroy River splits the city into a north side and south side that are connected by 3 bridges. There are two car hire locations in Rockhampton; you can hire a car in Rockhampton City or visit the car rental location at the Rockhampton Airport. Also close by is the Yeppoon, where you can hire a car in the coastal city of Yeppoon. You should hire a car when on holiday in Queensland so that you can make your own schedule, stay as long as you want and arrive when you decide. Also, renting a car allows you access to our knowledgeable staff who can recommend the best car for your itinerary and help you with local tips and maps. We briefly featured Rockhampton once before on the blog as part of our feature on the Top 5 Port Cities on the Great Barrier Reef. We just finished a blog that featured nearby Curtis Island and now you can read more about this region’s holiday ideas:
Mackay’s Endless Holiday Possibilities
Sandy Beaches, Blue Waters, and Whale Watching in Hervey Bay
The Great Barrier Reef National Marine Park
Excursions for Your Great Barrier Reef Holiday
Great Barrier Reef Island Getaways
Visiting the Great Barrier Reef with Kids
Escape to a Tropical Paradise in the Whitsunday Islands
Things to Do in Rockhampton
Archer Park Rail Museum Photo Credit: RockhamptonRegion.qld.gov.au
Rockhampton Bull Statue Photo Credit: CapricornHolidays.com.au
Most of the previous blogs we covered on this area were about the islands or the Great Barrier Reef. For this blog, we are going to focus on the mainland things to do in the city. Rockhampton is the beef capital of Australia, so be sure to enjoy some of the premium beef of the region in the restaurants of Rockhampton. Near the city you can visit Mt. Archer National Park, Capricorn Caves, Mount Etna Caves, Koorana Crocodile Farm, Archer Park Rail Museum, Kershaw Gardens, Rockhampton Art Gallery and the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens. Here are more details on some of the places you might choose to visit while in Rockhampton.
Mt. Archer National Park
Glossy Black Cockatoo Photo Credit: CapricornHolidays.com.au
Mt. Archer is the centrepiece of Mt. Archer National Park. The mountain stands over 600 metres tall and dominates the background views of the city. The National Park status protects the plants and animals that call the 4,250 hectares of the park home. The bushland in the park covers the Berserker Ranges, open forest, woodland, eucalypts, dry rainforest, and the Moores Creek valley. The protected species in the park include the glossy black cockatoo, woodland birds, vulnerable owls, and unadorned rock wallabies. Overnight camping is not allowed in the park, but there are day use areas for visitors who want to picnic in the park. There are also 4 walking trails:
Walking Track Circuit: Easy grade and wheelchair friendly walking path near the toilets. It is 500 metres and takes about 20 minutes to complete. This walk features some amazing views from two different lookouts. One lookout is to the west over the city and the Fitzroy River. The second lookout is to the east coast.
Bracken Fern Way: East grade track that is a 1.4 km return. It takes about 45 minutes to complete the walking track. The walk starts out at the lower end of the picnic area. The Grasstree Lookout has views of Mount Badger, Sleipner and Berserker.
Sleipner Lookout Walk: This is a moderately graded walk that takes about 1 hour to complete. It is a 2.4 km return walk.
Zamia Walk: This is a difficult grade walk and you should allow up to 5 hours to complete it. It is 14 km one way. This is a long descent from the top of Mount Archer, through the park, and down to the lower entrance. Most hikers walk this track from the top to the bottom and arrange to be picked up at the end of the walk.
Koorana Crocodile Farm
Koorana Crocodile Farm Photo Credit: Koorana.com
Koorana Crocodile Farm Photo Credit: Koorana.com
Queensland’s only crocodile farm has more than 3,000 residents and offers daily tours. You can see a huge crocodile that weighs over ¾ tonne or ones so small because they just hatched. Depending on what time of the year you visit, you can see crocodiles hatching, nest building, or egg laying. It is a crocodile farm, so there is also a restaurant serving crocodile meat dishes and more.
Mt. Etna Caves National Park
Mount Etna Caves National Park Little Bent-Wing Bats Photo Credit: nprsr.qld.gov.au
“Mt Etna Caves panorama” by Mark Marathon – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mount Etna Cave Photo Credit: NationalParks.Queensland.com
Ghost Bat Photo Credit: CapricornHolidays.com.au
Just 30 minutes north of Rockhampton is Mount Etna Caves National Park. You can explore the limestone caves there on your own or take a guided tour to see some of the caves inhabited by the bat species that are protected through the National Park status. It is estimated that 80% of the breeding population of Australia’s Little Bent-Wing Bats live in just one cave here. The tours bring you into the world of the bats and also allow you to experience the sight of over 100,000 bats leaving the cave at dusk. The tours operate seasonally from December to February. The rest of the year, you can take a self guided tour. Other activities in the park include cave exploration, picnicking in the Cammooo picnic area, and viewing other wildlife including brush-tailed rock wallabies, brushtail possums, bandicoots and echidnas. It is also a great place for bird watching. More than 75 species of birds have been documented in the park. There are two walks in the park. One is the Cammoo Circuit, which is an easy grade track that takes about 45 minutes. It takes you through the remnant dry rainforest that clings to the limestone karst. The Mount Etna Walk is a medium grade walk that takes about an hour. It has some amazing views of Limestone Ridge and some of the old mines of the Pilington Quarry. The 1.2 km track uphill to Bat Cleft is quite difficult and has many steps, so only relatively fit and experienced hikers should attempt to do the Bat Cleft tour. This track is best in cooler months to avoid the heat and it is closed during the bats’ breeding season from 1 November to the end of February. This land is the traditional country of the Darumbal Aboriginal people, be sure to respect their special place while you enjoy exploring it.
Capricorn Caves
Capricorn Caves Entrance Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Cathedral Cave in the Capricorn Caves Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The Capricorn Caves are close to Mount Etna Caves National Park. The property covers 33 hectares and includes above ground caves carved into limestone ridge rock formations. You can stay here overnight in a variety of different accommodations offered. There are a number of different tours available for all skill levels and cave explorations for all adventure levels. The Cathedral Cave has seating in it because the acoustics make it a popular place to hold weddings and also hosts the Underground Opera. Dry rainforest surrounds the caves and some of the walks and tours will give you access to different animals in addition to the bats that inhabit the caves.