Leave your car behind and head for the sea in this boating haven. Skipper your own charter yacht in the Whitsundays or opt for a fully crewed sailing yacht.

Leaving Gladstone, you follow the highway along side the famous electric coal rail line through lovely mountain scapes and scrubland through the sleepy towns of Mt Larcom, Raglan and Marmor... as you leave Mt Larcom and travel towards Rockhampton you cross the Tropic of Capricorn and you are now officially in the Tropics.

Rockhampton is the gateway to the Capricorn region and bears the proud label of Beef Capital of Australia, with 2 million cattle within a 50km radius of town. The Tropic of Capricorn is marked by 'The Spire' as you enter Rockhampton... this Capricorn coast region is known for its diversity of attractions and is home to the serene seaside townships of Yeppoon and Rosslyn Bay, where you'll find easy access to Great Keppel Island. The intrigue of the limestone caves and the many other attractions unique to the area make the Capricorn region a colourful holiday destination.

The highway north of Rockhampton is a straight stretch of road passing through cattle stations, cane fields and the sugar town of Sarina, south of Mackay. Sandy shorelines border the city of Mackay with its bustling city heart extending to the northern beaches, which includes Blacks Beach, Dolphin Heads, Eimeo, Bucasia and the unforgettable Cape Hillsborough National Park and Hibiscus Coast areas.

To the west, Eungella National Park, Queensland's largest rainforest park, allows visitors to view platypus in the wild. The drive through the Pioneer Valley to Eungella provides spectacular views and many walking tracks. With rainforests, mountains and gorges, lush hinterlands, gemfields, estuarine streams, white sandy beaches, tropical islands and the Great Barrier Reef... there's a lot to see in the Mackay Region, the heart of Queensland's central coast.

Head north towards Proserpine, and amidst the lush sugar cane fields, rainforest, tropical islands and the Great Barrier Reef, you'll find one of Australia's favourite aquatic playgrounds - The Whitsundays & Airlie Beach Australia... Enjoy the village atmosphere of Airlie Beach on the Whitsunday Coast, which now boasts a large year round swimming lagoon. Visit Whitsunday island resorts such as Hamilton Island, Daydream Island, Hayman Island, South Molle, Lindeman, Long or Hook Islands and capture the essence of fun and relaxation.

A great way to explore the area is on the water. Try a speedy maxi yacht, a fully crewed charter vessel, a tall ship adventure, or one of yesteryear's square riggers... skipper yourself on a bareboat or take one of the many Whitsunday Island day trips offered to the islands. Many of the day trips include a visit to Whitsunday Island - where you can stay at magnificent Whitehaven Beach, during July to September you can experience frequent encounters with one of the ocean's gentle giants, the humpback whale. Take a Scuba diving holiday or snorkel your way around the fringing reefs of the Whitsunday islands. You can even spend a night on the outer Reef and experience the moonlit beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's natural wonders.