Mackay Region - The Natural North
Rainforest, mountain and gorge, rich plains and estuarine streams, beaches, islands and the Great Barrier Reef. These are the facets of a treasure that is not well known to the tourist - this is Queensland's natural north, surrounding the tropical city of Mackay. A prosperous centre, Mackay has thrived on the commerce of sugar and the mines several hundred kilometres inland. The region has always been independent and for this reasonhas not become well known as a tourist destination.
This offers the traveller a chance to experience a tropical Queensland that hasn't been overwhelmed by development. There are great tracts of pristine environments from the mountains to the rainforest. There are fertile valleys where the sugar grows that has sweetened the Australian economy for a century. Here the weather is superb all year round and the waters of the natural north remain at a constant 20 to 22 degrees. There are secluded beaches where the rainforest tumbles to the water's edge and the windsurfers delight in conquering the waves of the Pacific Ocean.
And, out in the blue, green islands stand with their own white beaches and hillocks of monsoonal forest. Each island is a world unto itself, falling from the pages of Treasure Island. Beyond the islands, silent under the breaking rapture of the Pacific rollers, is the Great Barrier Reef. A galaxy of swarming life, of the colour of coral and fish, of sunlight dancing through the clear waters. A world of intense beauty, the Reef lures thousands of visitors to Mackay year after year.
In the cultural cauldron of the Mackay region, the essence of the Australian spirit can be found. A spirit created by the hardened hands of itinerant cane cutters, of the blistered hands of fishermen, of pioneer women who raised families in bark huts, of hard workers who became rich on the sweetness of the country, of the waves of new settlers, mostly Maltese, who grew sugar five generations ago, of the original inhabitants, of dark skinned islanders imported to cut cane.
The cultural patchwork has produced genuine Australian multicultural people who had solved their problems and from their hard work a true Australian culture emerged, long before multicultural became a political catch-cry.
Overflowing with attractions and natural beaches, a visit to the Mackay region makes for an unforgettable holiday. Whether you are travelling alone, with a partner or your family, you will treasure the memories of Mackay forever. And there is no doubt you'll return year after year to recapture those times. The land, the sea and the people. Unique and unspoilt, sometimes mysterious, sometimes rough around the edges because this is still frontier country. It's Queensland's Natural North. . Check it out and experience the true Queensland Spirit. Mackay, it's a natural!
Australia
Mackay Region
