Mackay

Pioneer River

Mackay statistics:

Population: 82,000

Postcode: 4740

Annual rainfall: 1567mm

Temperatures: 23-30C summer, 13-21C winter

Mackay is situated at the heart of Queensland’s tropical coast with the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to the east and a hinterland of subtropical rainforest, mountains and the outback to the west. Midway between Brisbane and Cairns, the city lies along a stretch of coastline that includes 31 golden beaches with some just five minutes from the city centre. Dividing the northern suburbs from the city centre are the blue waters of the Pioneer River providing a wonderful view from the boardwalk and viewing platforms.

This beautiful city is certainly not just appealing for the tourist. Mackay has plenty of industry, from mining, sugar, beef cattle, tourism, and plenty of shops. Not only can you lap up the scenery when visiting, but opportunities exist to generate an income and lap up the scenery on a permanent basis - by calling Mackay your new home!

But would you move here? Let's peer closer at this city in the Heart of Queensland.

City at night

CLIMATE

What can we say, winter is warm and summer is not too hot. Summer is humid, as you can expect anywhere along the Queensland coast. But if it gets too warm, there is a total of 31 beaches in the region, and some just five minutes from the city centre.

ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Annual events include:

• Festival of Arts
  
  
• Wintermoon Festival
  
  
• Regional Show
  
  
• Goldfest

and in the nearby towns and villages...

• Clermont Freshwater Fishing Competition
  
  
• Pioneer Valley Country Music Festival
  
  
• Discover Sarina Festival
  
  
• Sarina Country Music Festival

The city's history and heritage is preserved for your enjoyment. A heritage walk takes one past 20 lovingly resorted heritage listed buildings and art deco architecture. Artspace is the city's modern art gallery and museum. It hosts an alternating range of local, national and international displays.

The developing Regional Botanical Gardens is one of Australia's newest and most innovative botanic attractions. Featuring flora and land forms from the Central Queensland bio-region, the gardens surrounds the scenic Lagoons and will continue to grow over the next 15 years.

Want to know how to get around the CBD?

CITY SERVICES

Schools. 40 State Primary and Secondary Schools, 13 Private Schools, Central Queensland University and James Cook University, Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music in the Region.

Health. There are two public hospitals, two private hospitals, and 16 medical centres in the region.

City centre

Shops. The city centre has a number of boutique retailers, the Sydney Street Markets and Canelands Shopping Centre offer convenient shopping in the central business district. Five minutes from the city on the northern side of the Pioneer River are Mount Pleasant Greenfields Shopping Centre and North Point Retail.

Transport. Mackay lies on the Bruce Highway, midway between Brisbane and Cairns and accessible via air, road and rail. Everyday, flights into and out of the city utilise the local airport. Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Qantas connect the city with other large Queensland centres. Queensland Rail provides regular scheduled Traveltrain services including TiltTrain from Brisbane and coastal ports.

Mariner

The Mackay Marina has over 300 berths and has a shipyard. There is a four and a half star hotel and numerous fine dining experiences making the Marina a wonderful place to have dinner or enjoy the musical entertainment on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Fresh local seafood is very popular and readily obtainable year round.



What makes Mackay a desirable place to live? In the words of Mackay Region Tourism, "Spectacular rainforests and national parks, pristine islands and coastal beaches. Colourful coral reefs and wonderful fishing spots to explore. A region rich in history. Bustling city centre with palm-lined streets and the beautiful blue Pioneer River. Makes it a great place to work and play!" Sounds like they love living there, doesn't it?

MACKAY AREA

The region encompasses Australia’s largest continuous stretch of rainforest, spectacular National Parks, breathtaking mountains and gorges, historic townships, miles of golden beaches, more than 70 tropical islands and of course the enchanting world of the Great Barrier Reef.

Islands
Just off the coast and protected by the Great Barrier Reef is the Cumberland Island Group. Camping is allowed by permit on Goldsmith, Carlisle, Cockermouth and Scawfell Islands, while St Bees offers accommodation with basic amenities. Brampton Island is a national park located 32km north east of Mackay and is rich with a variety of vegetation. Offering a wonderful 8.7km bushwalking track through the national park, be sure to climb Brampton Peak for panoramic views across the islands. Keswick Island is one of the prettiest in the entire Whitsundays archipelago. A short 10 minute flight away, you can swim and snorkel amongst colourful coral gardens or explore the island.

Brampton Island

National Parks and Rainforest
Cape Hillsborough is located 40 minutes drive north of the city. This hidden coastal National Park is well known for the inquisitive wallabies that come down onto the palm fringed beach each morning at sunrise.

View of Pioneer Valley from Eungella National Park

Heading inland is the beautiful Pioneer Valley and Eungella National Park. Eungella is recognised as Australia's longest continual stretch of sub tropical rainforest offering many short walks, magnificent views and the opportunity to spot a Platypus in its natural habitat. Our rainforest is home to spectacular birds and butterflies, small mammals and reptiles.



Hinterland and Coal Fields
To the west is the prosperous coal country containing a growing number of open cut and underground coal mines producing black coal. The town of Moranbah is a relatively young town purposely built to serve the coal industry. Nebo and Clermont both have a long an interesting history.

ECONOMICS

Employment. Early in 2006, Commerce Queensland reported that some employers in the region were seeking workers from overseas due to an apparent labour shortage in the region. This is good news for the prospective new resident. Work is plentiful, but in what industries?

Coal mining account for about one-third of the region's wealth. The region services 16 mines. Manufacturing industries, supporting mining and agriculture, is a very larger employer in the region.

By far the largest employer is in retail, testifying to the abundance of shopping experiences that can be enjoyed in the city.

Mackay is known for being a centre for sugar production, in fact the largest in Australia. The city is home to several sugar mills, one of Australia’s four sugar refineries and the largest bulk sugar terminal in the world. Horticulture, cattle, dairy and seafood also contribute to the regional agricultural output.

Coal dragline	Sugar cane

Not to be overlooked is the tourism industry. With so many natural wonders at their doorstep, residents need to serve the visitors to the city. Imagine having your whole life revolve around some tropical paradise. Does that sound appealing?

Investing. More information soon. Begin your search for real estate or rental properties in the region.

Would you like to contribute to our review with your own experiences or photos? Please let us know.