Things to do in Mackay

Since I was a bit nervous about swimming, I opted for the glass-bottom boat and snorkeling package! The glass-bottom boat was amazing; just looking down, I could see beautiful fish and sea turtles, which was truly breathtaking. For snorkeling, I paid an additional AUD 12 to rent a life vest! Just a short distance away, there were schools of colorful fish, and swimming among them myself was a completely different experience. (The fish themselves were actually clearer to see from the glass-bottom boat!) Coin lockers, the souvenir shop, and restaurants all accepted credit card payments!

The scenery starts off amazing 👍. The pilot counts down when approaching the Heart Reef. I'm usually very afraid of turbulence and weightlessness; I took motion sickness medication in advance and was able to manage it well ~ Highly recommended, and the pick-up service was also very thoughtful without a long wait.

Our tour was delayed by an hour because of bad weather (quite unseasonal, considering winter is supposed to be the "dry season"), but honestly they made the right call! We had a brief window of okay weather and good visibility over the reefs. The pilot Jesse was very nice and cheerful; he made me sit beside him seeing that I was travelling solo, and honestly it made the experience so much better! Also, that was one of the smoothest landings I've ever experienced for an aircraft; I didn't even notice we were already on wheels on the runway. Highly recommend this tour! But allow some flexibility in your schedule as it is a very weather-dependent activity: keep an eye on the forecast 2-3 days before locking in a date.

Great Tour, very comfortable ship, good Team, good food, very good Overall experience!! Very Special thanks to Simon!! Great German Guido who helped us with our 6year or Child to See everything during the snorkeling! Outstanding guide, he is the Best, especially if you Need help around the Boat and or snorkeling!

Excellent experience! Thr Great Barrier Reef is definitely worth going! Sunlovers boat was really nice compared to other boats. The guides to the SeaWalker and the Scuber Diving were excellent. We also had the best snorkeling experience !

Wonderful experience! Well ogranized for over 100 passsengers, from safety, seating, equipment to lunch and afternoon tea. Great for our first time snorkelling, and staff were friendly. unfortunately, the helicopter was cancelled due to the weather but everything else was good. Even though we got really seasick (although we took tablets), it was totally worth it!

Nice island getaway with a relaxing vibe We joined a day trip to Fitzroy Island and overall had a nice experience. The boat ride from the marina took about 45 minutes, which was quite manageable. The weather in the days before our trip had been rainy, so the guide let us know in advance that the water might not be very clear. Even so, it was still enjoyable to spend time on the island and go into the water. The beach we were at had corals instead of soft sand, so it was a bit harder and more slippery to walk on, something visitors may want to be prepared for. We still managed to see a few fishes and corals while snorkelling. Overall, it was a relaxing and pleasant day trip, especially if you want to enjoy island scenery and spend some time by the water. I’d recommend bringing suitable footwear for the coral beach and managing expectations depending on recent weather conditions.

This trip took us to two outer reefs, Milln Reef and Flynn Reef, where we also saw whales and dolphins. The outer reefs are much more beautiful than the inner reefs, but you first have to endure two hours of rough seas to get there. However, it's absolutely worth it. I highly recommend taking motion sickness medication beforehand to avoid spoiling the experience.

The scenic flight was the best choice for this tour. We traveled from Sydney for it, and it was the best hour. It's truly so beautiful. The boat tour was also long, and the route was enjoyable. However, we did the boat tour on a cloudy day, so the views for snorkeling and the walking trail were a bit disappointing. If it's raining or cloudy on your booked date, I recommend quickly changing your reservation date two days in advance. We had requested a date change in advance because we thought the scenic flight tour would be difficult due to strong winds and rain, but we received no response. Ultimately, we were notified on the day of the tour that the scenic flight was canceled. However, we were surprised to be told that neither a schedule change nor a refund was possible. I definitely recommend doing this on a clear day. Somehow, we managed to do both, and the tour was truly excellent. After the tour, if you relax on a mat or swim at Airlie Beach and then have dinner and drinks at a beachside bar, you'll have an absolutely perfect day.