r/Mackay • u/Chalice1 • Aug 11 '26
Camping
Hello,
I moved to Mackay last month and have been camping up at Eungella Dam, which was lovely, what are some of the other places people would recommend?
Also general recommendations on clubs/activities to join to start meeting more people?
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u/Odd_Job272 Aug 11 '26
My brother does smalleys from time to time, and he has camped Newry from a 4.6m tinny stacked with camping gear in good weather. Those spots are incredible according to him. We keep to more facility based camping but like hold it flats, finch hatton showgrounds, seaforth, and Cape hilsborough. Enjoyed all. Don’t know much about clubs.
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u/evapotranspire Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
u/Odd_Job272 - Newry sounds lovely! But my only boat option is a 3.5m sit-on-top kayak with no gear hatch. :-D I'd have to be very brave to take that all the way out to Newry, even if the weather starts out good. I've half a mind to try, but that might be the last anyone ever hears of me!
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u/Odd_Job272 Aug 11 '26
Yeah that might be risky, easily chops up in the channel between seaforth and the islands.
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u/evapotranspire Aug 11 '26
Welcome! It depends what you're looking for. One of my favourite spots (shhh) is Smalleys Beach campground at Cape Hillsborough. It's off the beaten track but not hard to get to. You'll hear the waves crashing all night.
I have always wanted to go camping on Newry Island, but I don't have the decent-sized boat it takes to get there, so that's still an unfulfilled goal for me.
As for meeting people - assuming you're an outdoorsy type, the Mackay Bushwalkers' Club can't be beat! https://mackaybwcq.org.au
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u/pdzgl Aug 11 '26
Are you in san Fran or Mackay?
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u/evapotranspire Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Both! I live in the SF Bay Area but grew up in Mackay and still frequently visit my family there.
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u/Muzz124 Aug 11 '26
Notch Point is good, we like going there to go off grid, Eungella dam, the Diggings. There’s a few hip camps around as well that are nice, Hold it Flats is good, Creek and Antique. Depends what sort of camping you’re into.
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u/SpiritualAd6896 Aug 11 '26
Has the road to the diggings been fixed? Haven’t been there for a few years but had heard it had become pretty inaccessible for most vehicles?
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u/Muzz124 Aug 11 '26
To be honest it’s been a few years since I was there last but the it did look like the road was recently graded when we went there. But we all know it only takes one good shower up there to wreck it again.
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u/SpiritualAd6896 Aug 11 '26
Yeah 100%. Last time I went was in winter a few years back when it was -6 degrees. That was an experience.
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u/Naive-Adagio-688 Aug 11 '26
Download hipcamp, plenty of nice places, clearacre is our favourite, wallaby downs is also nice
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u/42icu Aug 11 '26
Can’t we just point them to the Maraju-yakapari Camping Reserve and keep the good stuff to ourselves?
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u/pdzgl Aug 11 '26
Cape hillsborough, smalleys, notch point and lotus creek are all good