The town of Mackay is located at the mouth of the Pioneer River. On the north side of the river mouth is 9 km of near-continuous beach, now broken in the centre by the breakwaters and seawalls for the Port of Mackay. The main Mackay surfing beach begins on the south side of the harbour walls and runs for 4 km to the rock training wall that lines the north side of the river mouth. This beach houses the Mackay Surf Life Saving Club (founded in 1928). The club is located in the centre of a 500 m long beachfront reserve containing extensive parking, together with shady picnic and plays areas and a kiosk. However, during 1998 the surf club was relocated 1.5 km to the south, due to the construction of a resort and marina at its previous location. The beach (1118) faces almost due east and is exposed to some of the biggest tides on the east Australian coast (up to 8 m) and biggest waves inside the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, commonly 0.5 to 1 m. As a consequence the beach has a 60 m wide high tide beach which, as the tide falls, is fronted by a continuous low tide beach/bar up to 200 m wide, with the chance of rips cutting across the bar at the low tide level. read more

Beach Length: 4.3km