Australian Outback Travel Guide

Capricorn Region
Outback Queensland

With the Capricorn Region starting just north of Bundaberg and continuing to just south of Mackay, and then stretching inland to beautiful national parks and gem fields, it is little wonder the region is home to many unique places, experiences and people. There are a multitude of things that you'll never find anywhere else, offering a varied and exciting holiday experience.

Give yourself time to unwind by staying along the Capricorn Coast where you will find deserted beaches and sparkling white sands. There are many accommodation options, from camping to B&B's in small seaside villages up to luxury resorts. Check out Great Keppel Island which is just off the coast, with its sun drenched beaches, stunning coral gardens and turquoise waters.

Once you have revived then head westwards to the Central Highlands. Here you can explore the National Parks with tropical rainforests, hidden fern gullies and massive eucalypt forests. Try your luck fishing in Lake Maraboon and the many rivers or streams in the area, or simply explore the wetlands and lagoons.

The Capricorn Region is also known for its Sapphire Gemfields, having the largest sapphire fields in the Southern Hemisphere. Here you can fossick for your own sapphire, with the Willows Gemfields known for having unusually coloured sapphires.

Towns and Areas of the Capricorn Region

Coastal Towns

Capricorn Coast

The Capricorn Coast is exciting, diverse and breathtakingly beautiful, with golden days and balmy, moonlit evenings with the brilliant sunsets and scents of the tropics as well as the crispness of a temperate climate.

Rockhampton

Rockhampton, the Beef Capital of Australia, is located on the Tropic of Capricorn and is the gateway to the Coast and the Outback.

Gracemere

Gracemere is located nine kilometres west of Rockhampton in the Fitzroy Shire. The town is home to the largest saleyards in the Southern Hemisphere, each week thousands of cattle, horses and livestock go under the auctioneers hammer. There is accommodation available at the caravan park. Attractions include the saleyards, the Long Island nature reserve, the Stanwell Power Station and fossicking for Mount Hay Thunder Eggs.

Yeppoon

With its subtropical climate, village style appeal and a backdrop of the Keppel Islands, Yeppoon has positioned itself as the gateway to the Capricorn Coast.

Emu Park

Home to the Singing Ship, Emu Park is 45 kilometres east of Rockhampton and 22 kilometres south of Yeppoon. From Emu Park you can visit Great Keppel Island for a day trip, or enjoy the quiet, peaceful surrounds that Emu Park has to offer.

Great Keppel Island

Great Keppel Island , with its 17 beaches, truly has something for everyone. With spectacular snorkelling and scuba diving and some excellent bush walks through the National Park, you'll never be longing for choice. There are also several accommodation options available.

Zilzie

With beautiful beaches and magnificent views across to the Keppel Islands, Zilzie makes a great place for a coastal holiday.

Central Highlands

Emerald

Emerald is a large and modern country town and the hub for the Central Highlands and gateway to the Sapphire Gemfields, the largest, and one of the richest, sapphire fields in the southern hemisphere.

Sapphire

If you want to fossick for your own Sapphires, then look no further than Sapphire.

Rubyvale

Set right in the heart of the Sapphire Gemfields, Rubyvale makes the perfect place to explore the area and fossick for your own sapphire.

Dingo

Dingo is a small town located just across the railway line from the Capricorn Highway. The origin of the town's name is shrouded in mystery - some say a railway surveyor saw a dingo on the creek bank and gave the town its name whilst others say that Moses Wafer, an early pioneer, heard dingo's howling at night and named the town after his camp site.

Comet

Comet was named after the Comet River which runs close to the township. The river itself was named after Ludwig Leichhardt's observation of Haley's Comet in the skies during his travels through Central Queensland in the late 1800's. Here you can see the tree trunk that Ludwig Leichhardt marked with 'Dig' during his exploration of the region in 1844. 'Dig' indicated to those who followed that he had buried food and journals in this spot.

Carnarvon Gorge

Carnarvon Gorge is full of natural beauty, from stunning gorges to aboriginal rock art sites, and over 170 species of birds.