Traditionally a corporate mining and sugar cane town (it’s known as “the sugar capital of Australia”), the Queensland town of Mackay has become a more popular tourist destination in recent years with new hotels, a marina and an upgraded airport, featuring more flights from the major airlines; there’s even a new Virgin lounge for the frequent traveller! Though it would usually cater to the busy workman, during my trip it was full of scruffy, hungover musicians following the city’s popular River Sessions festival.
Not far from the Whitsundays, the Mackay region sits on a beautiful coastline, though the town itself primarily sits on the Pioneer river. Full of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and yes, even strip clubs, the town has very much a country vibe, while eliciting the pleasures of major modern cities – from fine dining to boutique small bars. We spotted a rum bar in the vicinity and spent an excellent evening at The Residency, an upstairs bar that’s part of the recently built and seemingly successful Dispensary (86 Wood St). With a restaurant called BURP and its two bars, Dispensary showcases classy decor, excellent food (Tapas is the focus of The Dispensary while Burp shows off more modern Australian cuisine) and cocktails and even some impressive steampunk inspired artworks upon its walls. When Monkey Shoulder is your house whiskey (and at a very reasonable $7.50 a pop), you know you’re doing something right.
In general, drinks in Mackay were relatively affordable. Every bar and restaurant we went to served house spirits at anywhere between $5 and $8 at any time of the day. Wines and beers were on the cheaper end of this spectrum, though surprisingly the spirits often came in as cheap or even cheaper than a house white. All of this is comparable to anything you’d pay in a major city, if not less than. Even at the festival drinks were $7 – albeit mid-strength.
Another bar of mention was Maria’s Donkey (8 River St), which, like The Dispensary, served drinks and tapas, though the selling point of this hotspot was the mismatching decor (a “DIY” feel, if you will), while the bar’s outdoor seating sits you right over the water of the Pioneer river. A beautiful setting that even at night had its perks, with fish jumping out below you as fishing boats passed by. The average cocktail was between $10 and $15 and we enjoyed a lychee mojito with our meal. As good as a cocktail as you’d get anywhere else.
Another bar along the river, Bridges, sits comfortably with a modern menu and beautiful views; a perfect spot for a Sunday Brunch. And if you’re willing to travel a little bit out of the main centre, the Eimeo Pacific Hotel serves food and drinks in a spot that is self-rated as “The Best Place in the World for a Drink!”. Though I wouldn’t go that far, you certainly can’t complain about the views.
Though I’ve highlighted the affordable drinks of the area, you’ll be hard pressed to find an affordable meal in the city that isn’t fast food or takeaway Eagles Boys pizza. Even at Tapas most dishes were around $15 – while a pasta at one of the city’s best restaurants, the Italian Sorbello’s (166 Victoria St), or a chicken stir fry at the Singaporean Kevin’s Place will set you back around $25. But the quality is, in general, very high.
At Maria’s Donkey, the Italian Meatballs ($14.50), Chorizo Bites ($9.50) and Chicken Quesadilla ($16.50) were not only tasty but showcased the varied mix of cuisines on offer. A burger wil set you back about $20 at Eimeo Pacific Hotel, but is of high quality, with the Chicken BLT crammed with avocado on a delicious sourdough roll and accompanied by perfect, crispy chips. A fishermans platter ($28) is a good option to share between two, and with the beautiful water views feels most appropriate. The rest of the menu sees salads, pasta and an emphasis on seafood.
Sorbello’s was definitely our pick of the city, with some exceptional italian cuisine. The restaurant was solidly booked out on our arrival, but a short wait at the bar, complete with $5.50 spirits and beers, ensured we weren’t waiting in vein. Excellent service accompanied the meal, which saw my partner and I share a garlic pizza bread, covered in Mushrooms and Parmasean ($7.50 for the small) and two pastas – a entree size crab and mushroom risotto ($20) and a main Spaghetti Marinara ($25). Each pasta does give you the option of an entree or a main size, as in keeping with the traditional italian fare, with “Secondi” options such as schnitzels and steaks providing plenty of choice, accompanied by traditional and gourmet pizza choices.
Kevin’s Place served another impressive dinner for us during our three day stay in Mackay, with a touted Singaporean cuisine essentially providing a mix of Malaysian and Chinese dishes – much as you’d find in the city of mention. We started off with the San Choi Bao ($11) and for mains shared the Sambal Chicken ($25), Vegetarian Fried Rice ($13) and the Chat Kwai Tao Beef ($15).
Those who are looking for more affordable options can find places like the Lighthouse fish and chip shop, which sits at the marina, a few minutes out of the town (and a relatively recent addition). Here I enjoyed a steak sandwich ($7.50) while my partner had a grilled atlantic salmon. We’re sure there are plenty more gems that the locals would know of, too, and our weekend no doubt only scratched the surface.
We had plenty of recommendations for breakfast, and enjoyed a few of Mackay’s best spots. At Toscani’s, an omelette was the go, though an unflattering 45 minute wait and average service in a fairly empty restaurant made you wonder how they cope when they’re busy. For coffee, visitors and locals need look no further than the Woodman’s Axe Expresso Bar. Highly rated on apps like Urbanspoon, this is defintiely the place to get your coffee fix. They also serve wraps, sandwiches and other cafe treats – though this is not the place to come for a big meal.
We ended our trip with breakfast at Bridges, on the waters of Pioneer River. Paying as much for the views as anything else, my $17 breakfast was a filling one all the same… though for a couple of dollars more I may have enjoyed the big breakfast. It wasn’t a bad way to end a week in Australia’s sugar capital – filled with fine, diverse food, drink and incredible views. And the town is a fair reminder that even in places like this, you never know what you’ll find if you go exploring…
The best way to get to Mackay is by air. Qantas and Virgin both have daily flights to the region. For more about Mackay visit mackayregion.com