Mackay travel guide

Mackay Tourism | Mackay Guide

You're Going to Love Mackay

With a population of 74,219, Mackay is a must-see destination in Queensland, Australia. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 66 days in order to fully appreciate everything Mackay has to offer.

When to visit Mackay

Mackay in November
Estimated hotel price
$128
1 night at 3-star hotel
Mackay in November
Estimated hotel price
$128
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Mackay in January, when the average temperature is 26 °C, and the highest can go up to 30 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is July, when it can get as cold as 12 °C, with an average temperature of 16 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in February, when precipitation is around 310 mm. In contrast, September is usually the driest month of the year in Mackay, with an average rainfall of 10 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Average
Celcius (°C)
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Mackay

Plane

When flying to Mackay, you’ll arrive at Mackay (MKY), which is located 3 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Mackay from New Zealand departs from Wellington and takes around 16h 55m.

Car

Another option to get to Mackay is to pick up a car hire from Rockhampton, which is about 283 km from Mackay. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Thrifty, among others, in Rockhampton.

Airlines serving Mackay

United Airlines
Good (4,220 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,181 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (1,794 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (723 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (584 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (372 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Good (215 reviews)
Jetstar
Good (211 reviews)
Virgin Australia
Good (205 reviews)
Hawaiian Airlines
Good (1,309 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of Mackay

Most booked hotels in Mackay

Ibis Mackay
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$118+
Cool Palms Motel
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
$113+
Coral Cay Resort
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
$109+
Mackay Oceanside Central Hotel
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
$134+
Rydges Mackay Suites
Good (7.7, Good reviews)
$173+
Paradise Motel
Okay (5.3, Okay reviews)
$121+

Hiring a car in Mackay

Hiring a car in Mackay costs $209 per day, on average, or $13,795 if you want to hire it for 66 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 28% cheaper than airport locations in Mackay.

Expect to pay $1.99 per litre in Mackay (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $23.80 and $31.73. The most frequently booked car type in Mackay is Intermediate (Kia Forte or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Holden Trax or similar) is, on average, 47% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.