I've seen this in a few Queensland places now and a great alternative to the beach and waterways that can be dangerous. Good on you Mackay for providing a free pool and slides for families. It is also in a good location, across the road from the big shopping centre.

A great place to chill and relax, cooling off in the refreshing blue water. A fantastic safe place for kids to swim, slide and enjoy themselves… and best of all, it’s free!!

Pleasant, relaxing swim, not too crowded. The day I went there, the cafè had no coffee beans and the waterside was only open on the weekends. Otherwise a great time in the pool, close to shops. Staff and lifesavers were very friendly. Thank you 😊

Bluewater Lagoon is a great spot to cool off and relax. The pools are clean, the facilities are well-maintained, and there’s plenty of space for everyone. It’s perfect for families or anyone looking for a refreshing swim without the beach waves. A really enjoyable place to spend a warm day!

The pool is big and very pretty - lots of space even with a few people there! Being free is amazing, it was very cool experience and fun! Be careful if you are sensitive to chlorine, our friends eyes were quite red afterwards.

With a very warm welcome water temperature of 20.3°, the is the best place to come and relax, or bring the kids and let the have some fun. And the best thing is that it's FREE. The water is clean and the grounds are well maintained. We went and spent a couple hours in the water just paddling around and relaxing in the shallow waters. We didn't bring the kids this time but these is heaps there for them to do.

Lovely place to bring the children but the water was very hot u need to go to a pool to cool off not very well designed especially for tropical north Queensland I noticed the top pool was closed maybe the water was cooler there and the life savers three of them were huddled together talking to each other the whole time we were there so I gave it two stars

Was in walking distance to our motel. A great place to stretch your legs & for the kids to burn off some energy. Gardens were beautiful & green. Kids loved the playground & watching the birds, fish & turtles swimming in the water.

We visited here during a particularly stressful time in our lives (these pictures are from the beginning of June). How peaceful and wonderful to have found this place! I can't wait to go back after some rainfall to see what fungi pop up. Down by the water on the board walk there were dozens of turtles, all showing off. So many varieties of wildlife to try and count.

Lovely gardens for a walk thru or sit and have lunch at the Cafe (closed on the day we visited). Well maintained and lots of variety in plants and trees, lots of birds too.

Very nice garden, place to have a lunch or coffee. All you need is sunny day.

This is the best part of Mackay after the harbour, very peaceful and nicely organised

Beautiful spot, massive walking track that will get your steps in, while walking the dogs.

This garden is on a lovely site overlooking the water, there are several paths to take you through the collections with my favourite being the heritage gardens. You'll find something to inspire you, no matter that time of year you visit!

At a lake in nearby Andergrove, Wakehouse operates a cable for wakeboarding but also has an enormous, fun-packed inflatable course floating in the water. In 50-minute sessions, this is available to children as young as four and has long walkways, slides and all sorts of tricky obstacles to climb. One of the best bits is the giant water blob, propelling people several metres into the air. Wakehouse also runs a restaurant making tacos, pizza, breakfast dishes and sweet treats.

Look, there is no getting around the fact that this is an expensive day out for a family of 5. However, you pay for what you get and the entire family had a fantastic day out, the onsite food was fantastic and the service was well above and beyond. Would recommend to everyone!

Had so much fun! The kids had so much fun! Will definitely be back. Omg can't stress how much fun we had and the staff are so lovely.

Amanda and the staff are absolutely wonderful! Would recommend this to anyone looking for a great day out.

Great food loaded chips a wonder yum! Great staff, kids love it.

The kids enjoyed this so much , great fun and affordable. Loved it

Great location, great friendly staff, yummy well made food.

Big shopping centre, easy parking and we hired (free) mobility scooter on each time we visited, very helpful and friendly staff at the help desk. Larger sized centre and good food court.

Just another shopping center. It was clean plenty of parking. We were there on a Sunday so don't know if it's busiest in the week. It's a big place with plenty of shops.

Another big mall with a wide variety of shops and restaurants You could get most of your shopping from here

Nice place fo go shoping, plenty of market such as Target, Smiggle, WW, BigW, Coles, Rabels, foodcourt etc ,good park area.

Always a stop by when we visit Mackay, has a lovely indoor play area for the kids! So good and great seating areas for parents to relax. Good options are also good.

Very spacious, clean facilities. Its funny to see the escalator with footstep marks, maybe they training the people where to put their feet. (you gotta laugh)

Familiar set up to another I frequent. Enough shops with different stock to interest me. It has a clean environment.

Such a beautiful place to visit and the staff are amazing they are very informative and friendly.

Beautiful place! It's small and only opens 2 hours a day, but it has some amazing flowers and plants!

Nice free orchid house with many flowering orchids. Seems well looked after. Free information flyers about orchids and how they care for them. Within a nice park to walk around.

Approachable informative staff. Dismays are changed regularly so each visit is unique. Toilets near by. Picnic tables and BBQ s close. Even an adventure playground for a variety of ages a short walk from the orchid house. Plenty of parking.

Fabulous place with a stunning collection of tree and ground dwelling orchids from Australia & PNG, the Americas and Asia. It is an absolute must if you are interested in orchids. Beautiful!!!

I enjoy this place, if you want to see lots of orchids in bloom, it's best to ask/call in advance, because bloom time is a very good time to visit, but there are still many other interesting ornamental plants

Loving little place set in the gardens. It is a free activity but gold coin donation appreciated here. If you love orchids. Then need to take time to visit.

Pretty sure it was closed ,good dump point and water though even if a bit weirdly positioned

I spent all morning looking for that Dump Point, which was mentioned here in one of the reviews and the one that is listed in my Camping book as 320 Nebo Rd, Mackay. I was able to speak to one of the Ladies at the Visitors Centre and she mentioned that the actual Dump Point is near the City Gates but here is the actual address for the Dump Point: 324 Nebo Road, Mackay - at the back of the BP Truckstop and next to the Botanical gardens!!!!

August 2025. Be aware that the pool and associated toilets are currently closed. Thought this would be a good place for a picnic lunch on the trip south but with no toilet facilities we didn’t stay.

4 stars only because the volunteers are so helpful. The location of this tourist place is almost impossible find. Hidden somewhere near the pool. The accommodation is barely adequate. I felt so sorry for those working in this small box. They had no where to open a map especially if there were more than one customer. By far the most inadequate set up we have seen in the last 8 weeks of attending information places.

I'm a local and when I heard the centre was being moved from the city gates to the current location I wrote in and pointed out it's for visitors and would be hard to get to, especially for anyone with a caravan etc. Nothing wrong with the service, facilities but this is obviously a money saving exercise and to get people to the lagoon. I really think a large portion of the target market is being missed with the current location.

The visitors centre is the first place we go to when we arrive in a new town The Mackay visitors centre was extremely helpful and pointed us to many things that we would have never have thought of Well worth a visit

Why are you closed ..your a info centre ..the amount of money you've lost just today Sunday because your to lazy to open weekends..shame shame shame

Not a large gallery. Worth a look. Plenty of parking. No steps. Cafe called Food Space next door. Eat in or take away. Can reserve tables if required. Inside and outside tables. I had the thai beef salad. It was delicious.

The Art Space Museum really opened my eyes… mostly because I didn’t understand a single thing I was looking at. One piece was literally a chair in the middle of the room — and somehow, it spoke to me on a spiritual level. I stood in front of a blank canvas for 10 minutes, nodding like I knew what it meant (spoiler: I didn’t). 5 stars for making me feel both cultured and confused at the same time. Truly, modern art at its finest.

I had a look at the exhibitions that were on and a quick browse through the shop. They gave me directions to the Art Society, which was really helpful and most appreciated. The exhibitions were interesting.

Nice space for an art exhibition

Lovely space..disappointing cafe

Lovely staff and great art displays too. Highly recommend Billie-Jo, she spoke passionately of the pottery exhibit. They change exhibitions every 3 months. Spacious and clean, with easy to carry chairs too.

Beautiful quaint gallery, really well done. Staff and volunteers are passionate and helpful. Always have different and interesting exhibitions. The cafe is amazing too!

Our experience here surpassed our expectations. They gave us a tour, and a private one because there was nobody else at that time, and all the details regarding this homestead were fascinating. Walking around such a historical place for Mackay and Queensland was super interesting. We highly recommend this visit.

Beautifully preserved historic pioneer home. Tours available Mon, Tues, Wed. Open til 1pm. No cafe. Picnic table in grounds.

Greenmount is set in a lovely location with extensive views. The homestead and gardens are well maintained and rooms have interesting furnishings. The Council have provided information on John Mackay and later owners if you are interested in local history.

Built in 1915. Developed by Albert Cook on the cattle run first taken up by Mackay pioneer Captain John Mackay, Greenmount was gifted to the city by the Cook family in 1983 and is held in trust by Mackay Regional Council. The day was an absolute joy. I loved going back in time, seeing all the collections of different items the Cook family had used over the years. The photos do not do it justice.

Travel into Mackay’s hinterland, and within 20 minutes you’ll come to a typical Queenslander homestead that was established more than a century ago. This was donated to Mackay in 1984 by the Cook family, who had lived here since 1915. Along with the main house, with a beautiful veranda, there’s a series of outbuildings, including a blacksmith’s workshop, kitchen/schoolhouse, plant shed and garage. There are more than 20,000 artefacts to check out on your way round, among them original furniture and fittings belonging to the Cook family. The grounds have been left as they were when the Cooks were here, and boast an arbour, fernery and a sweet formal front garden

A fantastic historic homestead full of its original furniture and fittings. Nice to see it so well preserved.

This place is an amazing part of Australian history. Definitely a worth while place to check out

Great place to stay, had some of my family stay here while up visiting and they loved it close to the beach an it's a well maintained property, I recommend this place for a weekend away or for a fishing trip with friends the boat ramp is around the corner.

Absolutely perfect. Christmas 2009 seems an age ago but we stayed here for a week and it was our paradise. A short shady walk thru the trees to the beach and wow! Perfect.

Just called and was told they are no longer operating.

Plane but that have plan

Beautiful place to be

Watched Fitzgerald School Spectacular. Great seating, lighting, sound. Lovely staff.

Great venue. Relaxing vibe. Enjoyed the show.

A pretty good place to watch a concert or show. Has bar facilities and hot food is available.

Most boring place to see a concert not allowed to get up and dance 💃🏼 might as well save your money and watch on YouTube at home

I didn't get to experience the full facility as I was only there for an assembly. However I do not like the unbroken rows of seats. Not good for toilet breaks or safety in case of a fire. The lack of outdoor tables at lunch time was also not appealing

We had a fabulous evening with BABBA at the MECC. If you ever get an opportunity to attend an event at the MECC please do yourself a favour at go. Volunteers did an amazing job. Booking was easy.

Excellent for entertainment great venue recording try for yourself you will not be disappointed

Yea nice for long walks. We made a sun shelter, feel free to add to it. 🤙 Low tide is best for young children. You can splash it the tidal pools with no stingers in them.

A typical Australian beach, fairly quiet. There might be jellyfish and crocodiles, so we just went for a walk.

Awesome place to relax..

Great playground for little ones at harbour beach near the surf club plus its great to see the fredd, crocodile, boot and crocodile monuments that i use to climb as a kid. Amazing food and accomodation with breathtaking views.

Top spot to visit while in Mackay and districts, with the Marina being the place to go for a feed, drink or a lovely view of the boats of all shapes and sizes to add a stunning view

Pretty to look at. Didn’t swim because of all the danger warnings. There was lifeguards and flags. No shade. Playground behind beach.

fantastic beach.great fun for 4 wheel drive car enthusiasts.and great place to sit and relax.very peaceful.

Great lookout nice views. Can see whales at the right time of year. Parking is easy but obviously would be extremely busy when the whales are about.. but beautiful part of the world. Fishing can be done from the rocks and beaches. Can see 240° from the lookout. Won't be disappointed. Brad

Great views up and down Mackay coast. Brilliant spot to watch the whales during whale season. There is shade, but it's back from the edge a bit. Limited parking, but not a hard walk up from the bottom car park.

After visiting the pretty Water Tank, we took a drive up to this Beach Lookout. It gives pretty impressive views of the coastline. Well worth a quick stop.

A great spot for a view to the Mackay Marina and northern beaches. The beach itself is a perfect spot to watch the sunrise.

Lovely quiet beach, with best viewpoints for seeing whales, don't forget a pair of binoculars. Parking may be difficult at high season.

Superb view. Carpark is tight for bigger than a car but ok.

Great views 360degree helpful information boards great lookout

It was the beach I walked to from where I was staying. Beautiful beach and clear water. Much better than where I live down south.

Are there any wave there? If not, we’ll it’s just not for me 🤷🏻‍♂️😅

Always a beautiful place to be

Ohhhh🙂🙂🙂

Good fishing spot

Nice place

The rooms clean, designed with class and comfortable. Relaxation swept away by balcony palm tree lined coast. Free tv channels bonus. Only downfall, rocky beach/coast. Bring some snacks for yourself. Will come back again with hire car!

Absolutely worst food experience ever. Food was supermarket pizza and pasta reheated in microwave. Staff did not adhere to any health and safety standards. Paid $38 per head prior to seeing quality of food. Restaurant was dirty and moldy. Photos on website are completely inaccurate and this resort should be avoided at all costs.

Restaurant was dirty when we went few months ago..chair leg discovered snapped when I sat on it..fell on floor. No apology. Just shrugged shoulders. Ordered 2 hot drinks. Coffee instant and like water..tea with sour milk. Service appalling. Tried again with new cafe owners..place still run down and dirty. I understand body Corp and owner issues of resort. Too bad as local to us and location is beautiful. Also a pity owner of resort does not take feedback well on this site.

Absolutely beautiful location and scenery but would not stay there again. The only thing good about my room was the view. My room was not cleaned properly. When I opened the bathroom cupboard the entire room filled with the smell of mold and mildew. The restaurant is a zero rating for me. Food was not good and some of the staff were as rude. I was so disappointed.

Such a beautiful and peaceful setting right on the water. Rooms needs some love - taps leaking, way too many power cords and boards that trip everything out, hot water ran out after 2 minutes, sliding door gets stuck, bed was very old and uncomfortable, outdoor setting on the brink of collapse - all fixable/replaceable but I suspect won’t be. We tried to support the restaurant but it was an absolute joke. Half the menu wasn’t available and we waited over 2 hours for a simple meal that was disgusting, the staff seem lost/disjointed and the atmosphere is all wrong. Cook seems to spend a lot of time socialising hence the wait I guess. On a positive note the view is priceless and the pool looks great after being resealed!

Where do I start, had the most unpleasant experience in this hotel, motels around Mackay area are much cleaner and more comfortable than this hotel, our 1st check in day, we waited for about 20mins for a staff at the reception, the reception was empty, I had to go and look for a staff in the hotel to gets us checked in, the bed was uncomfortable, shower room rusty and hand basin has cockroaches running around. 1st afternoon we went to the pool and had to ask for beach towels from the restaurant. the second day no housekeeping services were provided, the reception was empty apparently very limited staff at the hotel, second day in the afternoon we requested for beach towels again and were denied by the staff at the restaurant mentioned that there are no hotel staff to give us the towels from the cabinet and was told to use the wet towels from yesterday. Surprised we did not argue. we used the same towels from yesterday for our 3-year-old son for the pool. I did send a complaint query through the travel website where we booked from and after 2 weeks, I have been given a partial refund from the travel website and nothing from the resort. I will never go back here. Rinal C

Been giving this restaurant a chance for so long as we live just up the road. Every time we get disappointed. We told ourselves not to expect anything and just order accordingly and to enjoy the night. BAP Bow. $230 for 4 people with a couple of drinks each. Why can i get a twice as good meal at the Dysart Bowls Club and pay half the price. 2 steaks below average. Asked for mushroom gravey and got watery something. Garlic Prawns my daughter couldn't eat and fish my wife couldn't eat. Ordered crumbed fish but they bought out battered without even offering an alternative. Very poor presentation, with an average salad with a squeeze dressing lol. Anyway we laughed it off and won't be back for dinner. Young girl behind the bar was amazing and seemed to be the only one having a crack. Sorry guys but you can't keep.letting down your locals.

Just love this place went up to see if we could see any whales but no luck beautiful views well worth a look

Lovey beach we enjoyed our walk

I would say best beach in Mackay. Beautiful scenery, also fairly wide sand beach obviously dependent on the tide. Patrolled. Waves were massive at the day when I was, it was great to jump over it, just need to be careful as current is strong and pulls you out to the ocean 🌊 has kids playground, public toilets, bbq area.

A lovely but stoney beach during the day but at night just sitting listening to the waves and the lights off the boats off shore is very calming when a cool wind blows on the still warm sand.

Great beach. Dog friendly. The red Tailed black cockatoos like to hang out here during the day.

Lamberts Beach in Mackay is awesome - probably the best around. It's got great views and lots of sand, especially when the tide's out. Plus, it's patrolled, which is good for peace of mind. The waves can get a bit big! Fun to jump over but watch out for the strong currents. There's also a playground for kids, toilets, and a BBQ spot, which is pretty handy. The beach is a bit rocky during the day but at night, it's a whole different vibe. Just chilling on the warm sand, listening to the waves and seeing the boat lights off in the distance is super relaxing. Definitely worth checking out.

Despite the signage indicating crocodiles I was brave enough to go in for a quick dip after chatting with a solid guy - local for years Lovely beach