Things To Do In Rockhampton
Wow! More than two years on the road and gosh it goes quick but the great thing is that we have a bucket load of memories and a lot of knowledge of each town we visit. We really do like to explore everything each town offers.
We were coming from Mackay a city north of Queensland and we were Rockhampton bound! As we arrived in Rockhampton the boys decided they wanted to cut their golden locks off. Yes, talk about break my heart. Their hair has been growing strong for over a year and those golden blonde locks were soft and beachy. Yeah I was a tad devo, I loved those golden blonde strands but at the end of the day it is their hair so it is always their decision.
So our first day was getting the boys a hair cut. I was tempted to book my hair in but for me to get a full head of blonde foils takes three plus hours so I was hesitant to spend so much time at the hair dresser and not out exploring. So no I didn’t book my hair in and I was now rocking the balayage (regrowth) hairstyle.
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If you have landed yourself in Rockhampton then you will be very suprised at two things. The first is that the town is a lot busier than you probably imagined. and the second is that there are a lot more free attractions than paid ones.
We really enjoyed Rockhampton. Yes it was crazy busy but amongst the busyness were some really great attractions, free attractions is what I am referring to.
Rockhampton Zoo
Not very often do we visit zoo’s. Even when we travelled overseas we never did visit a zoo. Before arriving in Rockhampton we told about the Rockhampton Zoo by many other travelling families so we added it to our list of places to see.
We were so glad we came, we arrived just a few days after the birth of a baby chimpanzee. We saw the mother feeding and carrying it around….oh gosh baby chimps are cute! We even got to see the python being fed, which was a slow process. First the rabbit is put in it’s cage and then the python takes about 3-4 hours to fully kill and swallow the food.
We highly recommend going here and the best thing is that it is FREE!!!!
Botanical Gardens
If you decided to visit the zoo then you may as well take a walk or a drive through the botanical gardens. There are 4 different sections. We decided to drive through that day as it was a scorcher of a day at 35 degrees.
On the weekends the train runs with a small cost of $2 per ride. If you are feeling a little peckish then head to the cafe under the big shade trees and sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or morning tea. Our kids enjoyed an icey cold slushie (crushed ice with a sugary mixture drink that can be drunk from a straw)
Rockhampton Lookout- Mount Archer
If you have been following my blogs then you will know that I never really leave a town without going to at least ONE lookout. This was our one lookout that we visited. There are plenty of stop off places on the way which had lovely views. The views from the top are lovely but when we were there the council were doing earthworks. The views were ok but not the best we had seen and to be honest the top view was the most disappointing from them all.
Although I can’t really complain too much because it was the trees blocking the views and I certainly would not want to encourage cutting down trees for a better view.
BIG THINGS- The Big Bull
If you are travelling Australia and taking a look at all the ‘BIG THINGS’ as you travel Australia then this is one of those big sculptures on the list. If you are only in Rockhampton, then head to the Rockhampton Information Centre and pick up the brochure to find all 9 bulls around the town. It is a fun thing to do for the kids!
Capricorn Caves
The Capricorn Caves are one of the largest privately owned limestone caves in Australia. The tours run daily and you can also purchase the ‘adventure tours’. These tours offer the extra edge to take the underground tunnels holding only a flashlight as you weave your way through under the ground.
Fitzroy Adventure Playground
Fitzroy Adventure Playground is a great stop to let the kids burn some extra energy. There is lots of shade and picnic areas to have lunch. Our kids didn’t want to leave, so it gave us lots of time to ring around and try to book our caravan park for over the Christmas period. The kids will love this!
Kershaw Gardens
Kershaw Gardens is a beautiful place to take a morning walk and visit the playground next door. On the weekends there is a coffee van that comes to visit and has some great tasting coffee. The bonus is that you can also camp here. It is free BUT you must be fully self contained. This means having a shower, toilet and grey water tanks on board. Nothing must leave the caravan including water.
I honestly find this ridiculous but it is the rules and that is why we could not camp here. We do not have grey water tanks that hold our waste water from showers etc.
So instead we stayed at Junabel Farm stay which is 30 kilometres from Rockhampton town centre. Ange and Mich are the loveliest ladies you will ever meet and are truly accommodating.
The farm stay offers power hook-up but no water. So arrive with full tanks and an empty cassette because the next dump point is on the other side of Rockhampton more than 40 kilometres away.
While we were here we met up with three other travelling families that we had previously met on our journey. Here at Junabel our kids milked a goat and made a milo with the fresh milk, they patted the miniature ponies and fed the chickens. It was a great family experience.
Where To Next?
If you have explored Rockhampton, then we highly recommend going to Yeppoon. The town is on the coast and has plenty to with kids.
