The islands immediately off Mackay are renowned for their azure blue waters, and are popular with fishermen. The Bluewater Trail was named the National overall winner and won its category (Planning for Active Living) at the Heart Foundation Local Government Awards. WIN previously produced a local WIN News bulletin for the area between April 2009[80] and May 2015. Lambert's Beach is also close to the city. The Clarke Range lies to the west of the city. [7], There has always been much contention over the pronunciation of the name Mackay. Trains from Brisbane pass through Mackay railway station and continue through to Proserpine, Townsville and Cairns, including the regular Tilt Train service between Brisbane and Cairns.

Days are pleasant and warm; however, occasional cloudy days may keep the temperature below 20 °C (68 °F) all day.
Generally, the area is known as the Mackay–Whitsunday Region.

It was awarded for providing equitable and accessible facilities in the category of Best Recreation/Leisure Venue or Precinct. The foundation stone of the Mackay War Memorial was laid on the river bank on 18 November 1928 by the mayor George Albert Milton. The private system encompasses six and a half primary schools, Beaconsfield State School, Eimeo Road State School, Bucasia State School, Whitsunday Anglican School, Andergrove State School and secondary college, two P-12 colleges, one P-10 college, one 7–10 college and St Patrick's College[74] – the state's only 11–12 college.

Average maximum temperatures range from 30 degrees Celsius (86° Fahrenheit) in summer to a mild 23 degrees Celsius (73° Fahrenheit) in winter. Cooled by breezes off the coast, nights can be quite cool in winter while summer sees the arrival of the wet season from December to March, when the majority of Mackay's 1.5m annual rainfall occurs. Mackay has a subtropical climate with many humid days. [63] Some of the most famous buildings are the former Main Post Office dating from 1940 with its clock tower, the Masonic Temple built in 1936, the Pioneer Shia Council built in 1935, Taylors Hotel (1936) and the Ambassador Hotel (1937). [16], The Rats of Tobruk Memorial commemorates those who died at and since the Battle of Tobruk. This is despite being close to notable attractions including Eungella National Park, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Whitsunday Islands. The city is expanding to accommodate for growth with most of the expansion happening in the Beachside, Southern, Central and Pioneer Valley suburbs. It is one of the few places where platypus can be seen swimming in the wild, while more than 225 species of bird have been recorded in the surrounding forests.[69]. The weather in Mackay can vary slightly from year to year, but this data should limit surprises. On average, in Mackay, the days of march last 12:14. The Mackay Regional Council operates the Dudley Denny City Library at 134 Victoria Street.[75].

[51][52], Mount Pleasant Shopping Centre is the second major shopping centre in the Mackay region. Historically, plantations were small and had their own mills to crush the cane during harvest.
Be prepared with the most accurate 10-day forecast for Mackay, ID with highs, lows, chance of precipitation from The Weather Channel and Weather.com Further east along the trail is Bluewater Quay. [citation needed]. Mackay is well situated to become a major service centre for the marine industry, being in immediate proximity to the Whitsundays, and located halfway between Brisbane and Cairns. It is the home of many of the region's banks, law, accounting and other professional service firms. The flood peaked at 9.14 metres (29.99 ft). The growers are capable (in good seasons) of supplying up to 6.5 million tonnes of cane to the factories for processing. Among the natural assets of the Pioneer Valley are the walking tracks and swimming holes of Finch Hatton Gorge. Mackay was known as the "sugar capital" of Australia, producing a sizeable portion of Australia's domestic supplies and exports. High humidity, almost daily rainfall and very warm nights are typical of this time of year. more information. The Mackay region is home to the Mackay Festival of Arts held annually throughout July. Due to the construction of the Civic Centre, it was relocated to another part of the park in March 1973. Winters are sunny and fairly dry, with minimum temperatures usually around 10 °C (50 °F), but rarely any lower than 5 °C (41 °F). As part of Queensland's 150th anniversary celebrations, $12 million has been invested [58] into the transformation of River Street, to the immediate east of the Forgan Bridge. With proper weather, march is okay (but not good) to go in this locality in Australia. The north coast railway line, operated by Queensland Rail, meets the western line in the city's south. In 1918, Mackay was hit by a major tropical cyclone causing severe damage and loss of life with hurricane-force winds and a large storm surge. ", This page was last edited on 13 September 2020, at 15:20. The sun rises at 06:05 and sets at 18:19. Hi/Low, RealFeel®, precip, radar, & everything you need to be ready for the day, commute, and weekend! Thus, the mean temperature average in march in Mackay is 28°C. [41] Average maximum temperatures range from 30 °C (86 °F) in summer to 23 °C (73 °F) in winter, while minimums range from 11 to 23 °C (52 to 73 °F). The gardens opened and replaced Queen's Park as Mackay's botanic gardens in 2003[56] containing an array of rare plants native to the Mackay area and Central Queensland. [53], The Mackay City Heart, located in the older city centre, is also another thriving part of the city. [68] It is also home to a sizeable residential village of luxury apartments, in addition to the Clarion Mackay Marina luxury hotel. Held annually in June, River Sessions is Mackay and Central Queensland's premier youth and contemporary music festival. Adelaide, Perth, Alice Springs, Cape Arid National Park, Fitzgerald River National Park and Nullarbor National Park have perfect weather. [citation needed]. Carlisle, Scawfell and Keswick are other notable islands. These charts show the evolution of average minimum/maximum temperatures as well as average daily precipitation volume in Mackay in march. The festival features the best rock, hip-hop, alternative, folk, pop and dance music acts from around Australia.[71]. It hosts department stores, supermarkets and other speciality outlets. [5] In June 2018, Mackay had a population of 80,148,[1] having decreased slightly at an average annual rate of -0.32% year-on-year over the preceding five years.[1]. Now more than 20 years old, it is the largest regional arts festival in Queensland. A waterfall connects the two main lagoon areas, which vary in depth up to 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in). You You can hope to have about 6 days with temperatures above 30°C, or 19 of time. Comprising three tiered lagoons, the lagoon is a free family-friendly leisure facility overlooking the Pioneer River in the heart of Mackay's city centre. As of the 2007–08, Mackay contributed $15.4 billion to the Australian economy, or 7.1% of Queensland's gross state product (GSP). Mackay Marina Village is a coastal precinct located adjacent to the Mackay Harbour. Myer is among the new anchor tenants. Mackay (/məˈkaɪ/) is a city and its centre suburb in the Mackay Region on the eastern or Coral Sea coast of Queensland, Australia. Occasionally, Mackay can be affected by the arrival of the cyclone season experienced further north. [48], The sugar industry in Mackay has faced steep challenges since 2000, since it is largely dependent on high world sugar prices to remain viable. Check below seasonal norms These datas are compiled from the weather statements earlier years of the month of march. Compared to many of its neighbouring cities and regions in Queensland, Mackay's tourism industry is small and still developing. Further north of the city are popular beaches at Bucasia, Dolphin Heads, Blacks Beach, Shoal Point and Eimeo – collectively these areas are known as the Northern Beaches. MacAir Airlines previously provided a limited service into and out of Mackay for mining companies before it went into receivership in 2009. The city is also home to a TAFE (technical/vocational) college, which is in the south of the inner city. Outside the main centre, a number of bulky-good outlets also operate, along with a six-screen Birch Carroll and Coyle cinema complex. [67] Of particular interest is a sculptured free-form seat in the shape of a bommie, or bombora, and covered in myriad colours depicting the Great Barrier Reef through to the rainforests of Eungella National Park. The only daily local newspaper in the city is the Daily Mercury. So you can pack your bags or check for the best time in year to go to Mackay. [72] Another primary school, Mackay North State School opened on 23 March 1915.

The City Centre is noted for its art-deco inspired architecture, with many buildings throughout the main streets of the central business district featuring distinctive designs from the early 20th century. The city is served by Mackay Airport, from which QantasLink, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar Airways offer flights to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as to regional destinations such as Geelong, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Gladstone. [81] Southern Cross Nine aired a regional Queensland edition of Nine News from Brisbane, with local opt-outs for Mackay, from July 2017[82] to February 2019.[83]. [54] Now completed the track links several new attractions and tourism infrastructure pieces around the city including the Bluewater Lagoon, the Bluewater Quay and the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens. Mackay Weather & Climate Enjoying a tropical climate, Mackay experiences stunning weather year round with hot summers and warm, sunny winters. [18] The water flowed down the valley and flooded Mackay within hours.

[45] While much of this is used in Australia, Japan and China are the largest export recipients. Mackay has 31 beaches within driving distance.