Guide to Emu Park Queensland Australia

Emu Park is a small seaside town on the southern Capricorn Coast, 21 kilometres south of Yeppoon and 45 kilometres from Rockhampton. It was the district’s first beach resort, and it has kept the unhurried feel of a place where people come for a swim, a walk and fish and chips.

Known For

• The Singing Ship
• The Centenary of Anzac memorial walk
• Sheltered beaches with island views

The town sits on a low headland with beaches on either side and the Keppel islands scattered across the bay. A grassy park runs along the top of the hill.

Things To Do in Emu Park

The Singing Ship

This white sculpture on the headland represents the sail, mast and rigging of Cook’s Endeavour, and was built for the bicentenary of his voyage past this coast in 1770. Hidden pipes make it hum and whistle in the sea breeze. The view from its base takes in the whole bay.

Anzac memorial walk

A boardwalk and path along the headland, opened for the centenary of Anzac in 2015, lead past artworks and panels on the First World War to a gatehouse and a striking memorial court. It is one of the most thoughtful war memorials in regional Queensland.

Beaches

Main Beach, below the town, is patrolled in season and has a swimming enclosure. Fishermans Beach, on the south side, is long and quiet.

Museum and markets

The Emu Park Historical Museum is run by volunteers, and markets are held in Bell Park on set Sundays. The town’s Oktoberfest is a popular local event.

Where To Stay

There are motels, holiday units and caravan parks near the beaches. Resorts at Zilzie, just to the south, add more rooms.

Eat & Drink

The Pine Beach Hotel is the local pub, and the main street has a bakery, cafes and takeaways. Fish and chips in Bell Park is hard to beat.

History

This is Darumbal country. A railway from Rockhampton reached Emu Park in 1888, and for decades trainloads of city families came for their holidays. The line closed in the 1960s.

Getting to Emu Park

Drive from Rockhampton on the Emu Park Road, about 40 minutes, or follow the Scenic Highway south from Yeppoon past Rosslyn Bay and Kinka Beach.