15 Best Things to Do in Rockhampton (Australia)

Set just in from the Central Queensland Coast, Rockhampton is one of the oldest cities in the state, developed on the banks of the Fitzroy River from the 1850s. In the CBD there’s a lot of architecture surviving from Rockhampton’s first decades, especially on Quay Street on the River Front. Much of this was paid for by a gold rush, while today the city is the capital of Australia’s cattle trade. Being on the Tropic of Capricorn, Rockhampton has a wonderful lush botanic garden, home to one of the best zoos in the state.

Venture a little way out and you can discover ancient limestone caves, amazing mountain lookouts and the beaches of the Capricorn Coast.

1. Rockhampton Botanic Gardens

You can discover the vibrant plant life sustained by Rockhampton’s tropical climate and what is described as one of the best regional botanic gardens in the country. Whether you’re here to unwind on a stroll, take a family picnic or do some horticultural exploration, you could lose all track of time in this gorgeous environment. There are almost 30 different sub-gardens and precincts, among them two tracts of rainforest, 150-year-old Banyan figs, a pinetum, Japanese garden, lagoon foreshore, fernery, palm grove, tropical fruit arboretum and many more than we can list. The gardens also provide a habitat for over 50 native animals and are the setting for a variety of local sports clubs, as well as Rockhampton’s war memorial.

2. Mount Archer National Park

Between Rockhampton and the Central Queensland Coast is the Berserker Range, the highest peak of which is protected by this national park. Mount Archer is 604 metres, affording marvellous views from its peak over the surrounding ranges and back to Rockhampton. This can be reached via two easy trails from the main picnic area. In the wider park are 4250 hectares of mostly eucalypt forest, with a big pocket of dry rainforest along Moores Creek’s deep valley. Come to the valley early in the morning or late in the day and you stand a good chance of seeing rock-wallabies hopping to the creek to drink. 3. Rockhampton Zoo