Travellers Tips

Remember if you are ever in trouble call 000 for emergency assistance!

Climate
Mackay is situated 400km north of the Tropic of Capricorn and has a similar climate to the Hawaiian Islands . Hot summers and warm sunny winters making Mackay's climate one of the best in the world.

Clothing
Lightweight clothing is suitable most of the year, with something a little warmer required for winter evenings. Be sure to slip on a shirt, slop on plenty of sunscreen (15-30+ coverage) and slap on a hat.

Health and Fitness
Mackay has one public and two private hospitals. General practitioners are open 5 to 7 days a week. Mackay also has some excellent fitness centres and an extensive range of sports are played in the Region.

Retail Trading Hours
Trading Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm . Thursday 8.30am to 9pm , Saturday 8.30am to 3pm. Mackay City Heart is open on Friday nights until 7pm . Most larger stores, especially department and grocery stores often stay open a little later. Don't forget about the large range of Markets available throughout the Region.

Banking Hours
Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 4.00pm and Fridays 9.30am to 5.00pm . Closed Saturday and Sunday's. Local Building Societies are open on Saturday's from around 8.30am to 11.00am .

Internet Services
There are a number of internet services available to the public, please ask at your local information centre for up to date locations and rates. You can also use the internet service at our Nebo Road Information Centre for a small fee.

Places of Worship
Mackay offers various churches and religious organisations, including the following: Anglican Church, Apostolic Church of Qld, Assemblies of God, Baptist Union of Qld, Catholic Church, Christadelphians Worldwide, Christian Outreach Centre, Churches of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Lutheran Church, Mackay Christian Family, Presbyterian Church of Qld, The Salvation Army, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventist Church, United Pentecostal Church, Uniting Church in Australia and Wesleyan Methadist Church. For service times and addresses, the staff at the Mackay Information Centre will be able to assist.

Bushwalking
Ensure you take plenty of water with you, as dehydration is possible. It is a good idea to take some salt, insect repellent or a cigarette lighter with you, as these items can be used to safeguard you against leeches. Don't panic, they are quite harmless!

Cyclones
The best thing for you to do is ask at any Information Centre or listen to the radio for cyclone advice. An estimate of cyclone severity is now included in all tropical cyclone advice's. Categories of cyclone severity range from 1 for weak cyclones to 5 for sever cyclones. Winds can vary from less than 125km to more than 280km. Mackay has the great advantages of being situated in the beautiful tropics, and has not been directly affected by a cyclone since "Cyclone Kerry" in 1979.

Snakes, Spiders, Mosquitos & Toads
If you do not provoke the above creatures and avoid contact you have very little change of being affected by any of their harmful bites, poisons, etc.

Sunscreen & Care in the Sun
Keep in mind the present danger of skin damage from the sun. Remember to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen (15-30+ coverage), slap on a hat and wrap on some sunglasses, especially between the hours of 10am to 3pm every day. Getting sunburnt is not only painful - but it can also lead to cancer. Please ensure you take care of yourself whilst enjoying our beautiful climate.

Swimming & Beach Safety
Safe swimming is available all year round, whether it is at a fresh water swimming hole or at one of over 30 beautiful beaches in the Mackay Region. Like all North Queensland beaches, those in the Mackay Region can attract marine stingers and box jellyfish from October to May. To avoid danger it is recommended that you swim at patrolled beaches and/or swimming enclosures. Enclosures can be found at Bucasia Beach , Seaforth Beach and Halliday Bay . Many of the beaches around Mackay are also lifesaver patrolled. Please take care on our beaches and be a responsible swimmer.

Medical Services
There are a number of medical services available to the public, please ask at your local information centre for up to date locations.