Flight Destinations

Flights to Mackay

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On the eastern coast of Australia’s Queensland, about 600 miles north of Brisbane, is the town of Mackay. Known as the Sugar Capital of Australia because it produces so much sugar, Mackay is also becoming increasingly popular with tourists.

Flights to Mackay

Flights to Mackay have 2 connections when you are travelling from London, and the average flight will take a total of 30 hours. There are several options for airlines, such as Qantas, with transfers in Melbourne and Brisbane. You could also travel through Singapore and Brisbane if you booked your flight to Mackay with British Airways. The Mackay Airport (airport code: MKY) is just on the outskirts of town, but you'll need a taxi or rental car for going back and forth.

Mackay Tourist Attractions

Despite being close to some of Australia’s best known attractions, like the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands, Mackay has been slow to tap into the tourism market. This is now changing though, and top end hotels are being built here along with improvements that are sure to attract more and more tourists to Mackay.

Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens

The Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens opened in 2003, fulfilling a century old dream to have botanic gardens in the town. The gardens showcase mainly local native plants from this coastal region of Queensland, as well as some species from around Australia and the world that would usually be found growing in similar tropical conditions. Areas of the gardens include Japan Precinct, the Malta Garden, and the Screens and Hedges Garden. The Lagoons Café is a popular place for visitors to eat and drink while visiting the gardens.

Bluewater Trail

Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens are at one end of the new Bluewater Trail; a trail that runs about 13 miles past some of Mackay’s popular attractions. The trail itself is great for biking and walking and passes the Bluewater Lagoon swimming facility, and the Bluewater Quay Public Open Space.

Bluewater Lagoon is popular with both tourists and locals, helped by the fact that this is a free facility. There are three lagoons at different levels connected by waterfalls, where visitors can swim and enjoy other leisure activities too.

The Pioneer Valley

Stretching along the Pioneer River from Mackay is the scenic Pioneer Valley. Just about all of the sugar grown in the Mackay region comes from the Pioneer Valley and if you tour the area you’ll get to see a number of attractive historic towns that grew up around the river and the sugar canes. Some towns still have working sugar cane mills that are open to the public for tours.

Mackay Marina Village

Next to Mackay Harbour and the popular Harbour Beach is Mackay Marina Village. This is also a popular spot for both tourists and locals as it has a very relaxed and friendly feel with its cafés and restaurants, while in the city centre of Mackay you can enjoy more restaurants, bars and nightlife.

When Should You Visit Mackay?

Mackay’s humid subtropical climate means it stays warm year round but has high levels of rainfall. The cooler weather coincides with winter but even so the average high in July is still 22.4C. Winter is also the drier time of year. December and January are the hottest months when the average high is around 31C though January and February are by far the wettest months.