Wallabies At Sunrise

A Mackay Must-Do

There are few more magical ways to start the day than watching wild wallabies grazing along the shoreline as the sun rises over the ocean. And right here in Mackay, you can experience this unforgettable moment in real life.

Each morning at Cape Hillsborough, just 45 minutes north of Mackay, a mob of agile wallabies and eastern grey kangaroos emerge from the forest and make their way onto Casuarina Beach. Drawn by the seed pods and seaweed that wash ashore with the tide, they feed peacefully as the sky slowly shifts from inky blues to golden pinks.

This daily ritual has become one of Australia’s most iconic wildlife experiences—and it’s completely wild. No fences, no feeding, just nature doing what it’s always done.

To help preserve both the wallabies and the fragile beach ecosystem, Mackay Tourism now offers a guided Sunrise with the Wallabies tour. Led by experienced rangers, the small group tour provides fascinating insight into the animals’ habits and personalities. Using earpieces and transmitters, visitors can listen as guides like Ranger Samantha Tilden point out individual wallabies and share their stories, without disturbing the peaceful scene.

Wallaby-watching etiquette is essential. Stay quiet, keep your distance, avoid flash photography, and never feed the animals. It’s all about observing respectfully and allowing these iconic marsupials to carry on their routine undisturbed.

This coastal pocket of Mackay has long been significant to the Juipera people, the Traditional Owners of the land. Their stories, shell middens and ancient fish traps are still visible in the area, connecting past and present.

For nature lovers, photographers and curious travellers alike, sunrise with the wallabies is truly a bucket-list moment; pure, unscripted and found only in Mackay.

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