Things to Do in Rockhampton, Australia

Things to Do in Rockhampton

Rockhampton, Australia is located right on the Tropic of Capricorn. Here are a lot of fun things to do in this area down under.

Tourist Information Centers

There are two you can visit, The Rockhampton Visitor Centre and the Capricorn Region Tourist Information Centre. Both have a huge amount of info about the town and surrounding areas.

Botanic Gardens & Zoo

Rockhampton Botanic Gardens are regarded as one of the best provincial gardens in Australia. The gardens cover about 96 acres. Recently heritage-listed, some specimens are 100+ years old. Get the Botanic Gardens Pocket Visitors Guide, fold it up and use it to go on a tour of the gardens, it is easy to spend several hours here. Specialty areas include:

• Japanese Gardens
• Hugo Lassen Fernery
• Palms and Cycads
• Memorial Cenotaph
• Gardens Tearoom

There are also walking tracks, a kiosk with food and gifts and an excellent children’s playground. Murray Lagoon is a part of the Botanic Gardens but you do not have to go into the gardens to enjoy this lagoon and the abundance of wildlife here.

The Zoo, located next to the gardens, is home to over 50 species of Australian native and exotic animals. Some animals and birds to see are koalas, kangaroos, emus, dingoes, monkeys, apes, wombats, wallabies and cassowary. There is a dome walk-through aviary and a reptile section. The 3 p.m. koala feeding is a highlight.

Parks

Rockhampton has an abundance of Parks and Gardens worth seeing. Get a brochure from the tourist info office to see which gardens you may like to visit.

Kershaw Gardens – Hard to believe, but the Kershaw Gardens are built on the old Rockhampton rubbish dump. Now a lovely park located in the center of Rockhampton, it includes two waterfalls, a scented garden, walking tracks and a children’s playground with a monorail.

Mt. Archer National Park – Located in the northern suburbs of Rockhampton, it’s great for picnics, leisurely strolls, or long hikes. Mount Archer rises 604 meters and is a scenic backdrop to Rockhampton city. Excellent views are had from the top from several lookouts. One lookout gives a view over to the ocean and Yeppoon, and the other takes in Rockhampton. Sunsets are meant to be spectacular. You do need private transport to get to the summit

Walk Through History

There are many historic and beautiful buildings in Rockhampton that have captured the hearts of visitors for decades. Quay Street runs along the riverfront and has a lovely historic streetscape that is quite unique for Australia. Buildings worth looking at include the Customs House, the old Post Office, a couple of old bank buildings and several private homes.

Rockhampton Heritage Village is an active township museum where you can experience Rockhampton’s rich and colorful history from 1850 to 1950. It’s a large complex and quite interactive: great for kids. You’ll see vintage vehicles, a hall of clocks, a timber cutters camp with some great examples of early tools, a blacksmith shop, homesteads and cottages, lots of vintage machinery and some great engines.

The Dreamtime Cultural Centre is set on 12 hectares of land and there is plenty to see here. Learn how to throw a boomerang, play the Didgeridoo and learn some Aboriginal dancing. If you do not know much about aboriginal culture this is an ideal place to learn. Take a self-guided or guided tour to really appreciate the Centre.

Before you leave, be sure to see the Rainbow Fountain and all the bull sculptures found throughout town.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about things to do in Rockhampton.