Just a one-and-a-half-hour flight from Brisbane, Mackay is the ideal escape for a mini-break, with its mild climate, picture-perfect scenery, and many attractions for all ages. Mackay is 390 km south of Townsville and 1061 km (658 miles) north of Brisbane. There are several good birdwatching locations in or near Mackay, including Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, the mouth of the Pioneer River, and Padaminka Nature Refuge. Being a large regional town, there is a wide range of hotel and B&B-style accommodation available.
On the south side of the Pioneer River, start at the eastern end of River Street and walk along the embankment towards the mouth of the river, looking along the way for Beach Stone-curlew, Black-necked Stork, Black Bittern, Striated Heron, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Radjah Shelduck, Brown Quail, Caspian, Lesser Crested, Gull-billed, and Whiskered Tern. There is 4WD access from Gordon Street East.
Alternatively, from the north side of the Pioneer River, head south to the end of East Point Drive. The mangroves and estuaries here can be excellent for migratory shorebirds, including Grey and Pacific Golden Plover, Greater and Lesser Sand Plover, Terek and Curlew Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey-tailed Tattler, Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, and Common Greenshank.
Flocks of Little Tern are usually also present in the summer. First opened in 2003, the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens is one of Australia’s newest botanic gardens. The main entrance is on Lagoon Street, accessed via Bruce Highway, 2 km from the center of Mackay. The area usually holds a good variety of waterbirds, including Magpie Goose, Plumed and Wandering Whistling Duck, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Australasian Darter, Glossy Ibis, Comb-crested Jacana, and, occasionally, Black-necked Stork. Honeyeaters here include yellow, brown, bar-breasted, and blue-faced.
There is also an isolated northern population of Red-whiskered Bulbul (introduced) in and around the gardens. The Padaminka Nature Refuge (74 ha) is private property just outside Mackay. It features restored wetlands and remnant bushland. Some of the species recorded on the refuge include Black Bittern, Palevented Bush Hen, Pacific Baza, Grey Goshawk, White-browed Robin, White-eared Monarch, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Little Shrike-thrush, Tawny Grassbird, Large-tailed Nightjar, and Powerful Owl.
Just a one and a half hour flight from Brisbane, Mackay is the perfect escape for a mini-break, with its mild climate, picture-perfect scenery, and many attractions for all ages. Photo credit: Queensland Australia
