Yeppoon lies at the heart of the Capricorn Coast, about 40km north-east of Rockhampton. It is a popular resort town, with easy access to Great Keppel Island, just 13km offshore, and the Great Barrier Reef, including Northwest Island, the largest coral cay on the reef. To the south of Yeppoon, especially, there are many beautiful beaches - among them Keppel Sands, Cooee Bay, and Rosslyn Bay.
You can take a day trip to Great Keppel Island and enjoy a day indulging in island resort life, with water sports and rainforest walks high on the agenda.
North of Yeppoon, Cooberrie Park is a noted native flora and fauna sanctuary, where visitors can walk among the animals, handfeed kangaroos and wallabies or cuddle a koala. Further north lies Byfield National Park, a wilderness area with mountains, rainforests and creeks and home to the very rare Byfield fern.
In July, the town holds its annual Ozfest, where uniquely Australian activities such as thong-throwing and damper-making accompany the main event - a cooeeing competition. September sees the Pineapple Festival, celebrating one of the main agricultural products of the area.
Festivals: Ozfest (Jul), Pineapple Festival (Sep)
Things to do:
Beach and water activities
Cooberrie Park wildlife reserve - feed a 'roo or cuddle a koala
Rydges Capricorn Resort runs a tour of its Wetlands area, where you may see some of the over 150 species of birds that frequent the area
In the area:
Coral Life Marineland with its display of living coral and marine life
Koorana Crocodile Farm - get up close to these prehistoric creatures
Visit the Captain Cook memorial at Emu Park, known as The Singing Ship. When the wind blows, hidden pipes within the sculpture vibrate and the entire structure appears to "sing"
Byfield National Park - walks, rainforest and the rare Byfield fern
Take a day trip to Great Keppel Island for a taste of island resort life
Australia - plan it, book it
