We spend week 26 of our lap around Australia on the Capricorn Coast staying in Yeppoon and exploring nearby Rockhampton, Emu Park, Rosslyn Bay and Great Keppel Island. The Tropic of Capricorn cuts through here and the days are very warm and humidity is high in early October. The beaches are packed dark sand with big tides and millions of crabs, the stingers haven’t arrived yet but the water is too shallow for proper swims but lovely to splash about in. See the video of our adventures on the Capricorn coast.
Rockhampton Rocks!
Mount Archer Lookout 
Botanical gardens 
Rockhampton zoo
This sprawling town is the 10th largest in Queensland but feels big, as it spreads out across the Fitzroy river valley floor. Mount Archer towers above the town and a steep 5km road takes you to the top where there’s a walking track, BBQ’s café and lookout. Incredibly, there’s also a dozen houses up here. It’s magnificent at sunset and sunrise. Rockhampton also has one of the oldest regional botanical gardens which nestles around a lagoon and sits next to a free zoo with otters, dingos, chimps, koalas and meerkats! Kershaw gardens is another massive garden and recreational area.
Three things to tick on a trip to Rockhampton are: 1. Mount Archer for sunset 2. Walk around the Botanical Gardens and 3. Tour the free zoo.
Yippee, Yappoon!
View from The Bluff walk lookout 
Sunrise over main beach 
Wreck Point Lookout
This seaside village is taking off fast with big houses climbing up the many hills all vying for the best view out to the Keppel Islands. The main street is thriving with art galleries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, even a Jazz lane and a French bakery and delicatessen.. The foreshore has been redeveloped with a huge $20 million dollar lagoon on the south end which is a giant water playground for kids as well as two sailing clubs, a lifesaving club and a big amphitheatre, paved walkways and playgrounds. The pineapple festival was on when we visited and this action packed day had a market, food stalls, live entertainment and a street parade, fireworks and music from noon till 8pm. There’s a great walking, cycling track from Yeppoon all the way to Emu Park which goes past Wreck Point lookout, Cooee Bay, Double Head lookout and Bluff point where you can see turtles year round.
Three things to tick on a trip to Yeppoon are: 1. Wreck Point Lookout 2. The Bluff walk 3. Sunset walks along Main beach
Great Keppel Island Bliss
With so many of the Whitsunday islands closed or faltering these days, we had little expectations of Great Keppel so we were very pleasantly surprised to find beautiful white sand beaches with crystal clear water and lots of fabulous walks. There’s only one bistro and one burger bar on the island plus an Acai and ice-cream shack but there’s cute bungalows for rent, a campground and a few houses scattered up the hill. The resort has long closed, and the reef has lost a lot of its colour but the beaches and water are gloriously clean and uncrowded.
The three ticks for Great Keppel Island go to the beaches, the clear water and the waterfront bistro (beware of the swooping kookaburra – he tried to steal my hamburger from out of my hand!!)
