Exploring Yeppoon And The Capricorn Coast of Queensland
A Solo Trip to Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast
Last year I spent a few weeks in Queensland and travelled by train. Over 2000 km crossing Queensland along the coast from Cairns down to Brisbane. After a short stay in North Tropical Queensland, I headed to Magnetic Island and from Townsville. I got on the Tilt Train to reach my next destination Yeppoon and the Capricorn Coast.
Although this town in Central Queensland is not the place that I could recommend, its surrounding area is really worth visiting. Located on the Tropic of Capricorn, just halfway from Brisbane and Cairns, the Capricorn Coast is often overlooked or merely regarded as a stop-over by road trippers on the way to more popular destinations like Cairns or the Whitsundays.
How to get to Yeppoon
I arrived in Rockhampton very early on a wet and quiet Sunday morning. By crossing the bridge over the Fitzroy River, I noticed its brown, rough water and the river banks still bearing visible signs of the devastation of the floods that hit Rockhampton two months earlier. Despite not having a strong appeal to visitors, Rockhampton boasts a beautiful botanical garden and the award-winning Dreamtime Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
As soon as you drive out of town on to the Capricorn Coast Road a magnificent scenery opens up around you with the prominent features of the cone-shaped volcanic rock formations scattered on the vast green plains. You can visit the Mount Jim Crow National Park located between Rockhampton and Yeppoon Beach, a unique park that is part of Mount Head low made of 12 volcanic trachyte plugs peculiar to this area.
I took this photo from the bus on the way to Yeppoon Beach, and despite not being a good quality photo, you still can see the silhouette of a volcanic plug formation. This is a striking feature of the Capricorn Coast area, and the landscape changes dramatically from flat soft plains to spiky rugged hills and ranges.
From Yeppoon Beach to Emu Park
On my visit to the Capricorn Coast, I enjoyed having someone showing me around Yeppoon Beach and the whole area. A friend’s sister took me on a car drive along the coast, stopping by at several lookouts to view the panorama over the ocean and the many little secluded bays and beaches. We stopped to enjoy the view over Cooee Bay and at the picnic area of the Capricorn Coast National Parks, where you can start various walking tracks, spot wildlife and native birds, and read about the fascinating geological formations that started millions of years ago.
Yeppoon Beach to Rosslyn Bay
Just a short drive from Yeppoon Beach to get to Rosslyn Bay, a beautiful little boat harbour. From there, you can get on the ferry and cross over to the Great Keppel Island. It was a beautiful day, and we stopped there for a while, soaking in the warm sunshine while watching people angling.
The photo below was taken at Rosslyn Bay and showed the hexagonal trachyte pipes peculiar to the volcanic formations of this area.
From Rosslyn Bay, you keep driving through the Capricorn Scenic Highway along Kemp Beach to get to the Bluff Point National Park, and their 2km walking track takes you to a couple of lookouts. From the lookout, you can view Mulambin Beach and Causeway Lake. Kinka Beach is the last beach before reaching Emu Park.
It is a trendy place and a swimming spot among the locals. The ideal place for a family day out on weekends. This is where we had our lunch: prawns with fresh bread on the grass while listening to the Singing Ship. The weather was changing over the hours from clouded to the deep blue sky, as you can see from the photos, on the photos below some of the highlights of Emu Park.
The beautiful view over the ocean and Great Keppel Bay.
The Singing Ship
A white sculpture built as a memorial to Captain James Cook, the first European who set foot on the Capricorn Coast and discovered the area. You can enjoy a great view of the Great Keppel Bay or stroll along the peaceful beach or have a swim from this point.
The Capricorn Coast is not only precious for its natural beauty, but it also has a rich agricultural and pastoral heritage. As soon as you leave the coastal heathland and drive inland, you will be surrounded by fruits plantations like this huge field of pineapple you can see here below, and you will make lovely encounters like I did…with these “happy cows”.
I hope you will like Yeppoon Beach. If you plan to explore this beautiful coastal area, you can look for Yeppoon apartments. Have you been to Central Queensland and visited the Capricorn Coast? You can share your experience by leaving your comment here below.
If you are heading south, check out the Byron Bay Beaches.
