Kangaroos on Beach, Cape Hillsborough National Park
PARK INFORMATION
NPRSR 13 7468
SIZE
1012 ha
VISITOR INFORMATION
Mackay (07) 4944 5888 | www.mackayregion.com
LOCATION AND ACCESS
54 km north of Mackay via Bruce Hwy then Seaforth Rd to Cape Hillsborough turn-off
CAMPING
One campsite with minimal facilities; permit and fees apply
Cape Hillsborough National Park is renowned for its beautiful sandy beaches nestled between rocky headlands. Rhyolite boulders are scattered over the headlands and beaches, the result of volcanic activity millions of years ago. Home to the Juipera people for thousands of years, the cape got its European name in 1770 when Captain James Cook named it after the Earl of Hillsborough.
Vegetation within the park is diverse, with open eucalypt forests and stands of hoop pines on the hills and headlands, subtropical rainforest in the valleys and along the waterways, and mangrove-fringed wetlands to the west of the picnic area. Wildlife includes wallabies, brush-turkeys, sugar gliders and turtles, and it is common to see eastern grey kangaroos hopping along the beach in the late afternoon. There are four main walking trails: Yuibera Plants Trail (1.2 km circuit, 40 minutes) explains the medicinal use of plants by the Yuibera people; The Diversity Boardwalk (1.2 km return, 40 minutes, easy) is wheelchair-accessible for the first 300 metres; Beachcomber Cove Track (2.2 km return, 1.5 hours, medium difficulty) and Andrews Point Track (5.2 km return or 2.8 km return via the beach, 2 hours) offer great views over the coast. Wedge Island can be reached by a causeway on a falling tide, with the return journey to the picnic area along the beach at low tide (route is inaccessible at high tide; check tide times before embarking).
The picnic grounds on the foreshore provide barbecues, tables, toilets, cold showers and water. Cape Hillsborough Nature Resort offers caravan and camping sites, beachfront cabins and motel units. Swimming is not recommended, as estuarine crocodiles live in these waters and box jellyfish are present in the sea from October to May.