7 Of The Best Things To Do In Maryborough, Queensland

It’s time you heard about Maryborough. Not only does it ooze colonial-era charm but it is also the birthplace of one of the world’s most beloved childhood novels. We visit the Fraser Coast town to uncover her many attractions firsthand.

The historic Queensland town of Maryborough is located four hours north of Brisbane and half an hour from the Fraser Coast’s other underrated gem, Hervey Bay. And while it’s small in scale it is big on attractions.

You don’t have to be in Maryborough long before you realise that every building, statue and artwork has a story to tell. Even the traffic lights here are a nod to one of Maryborough’s brilliant former residents (but more on that later).

History aside, there are plenty of other reasons to visit, and we’ve got seven of the best things to do in Maryborough right here to get you started.

1. Learn about Maryborough’s military past

A short stroll through the heritage-listed Queens Park reveals an oasis of waterfalls, flowers and towering trees – many of which were planted before 1900.

Given its historical significance, the park which was established in 1860 was the obvious choice when it came time to select a home for the striking Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial. In fact, the park is mere moments from the former home of Lieutenant Duncan Chapman who was the first Anzac to make it ashore at Gallipoli in WWI – you can find his commemorative statue at the beginning of the memorial.

The Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial traces the birth of the Anzac legend, drawn from the personal perspectives of those who fought on the front line. Letters written home to loved ones are proudly displayed, inviting audiences to learn more about the courage and bravery of the Anzacs. The structure itself soars eight metres into the sky.

A line of steel planks that are arranged to represent the cliffs of Gallipoli are mounted with panels that tell stories from the battles. Inscribed pavers guide visitors through sculptures that lead an arbour dedicated to the pitiless Battle of Pozieres. The exhibition is free to visit and is a truly poignant reminder of the depth of the Anzac sacrifice.

The Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial traces the birth of the Anzac legend

2. Visit the Military & Colonial Museum

Once you’ve learned all you can outside, venture to the nearby Military & Colonial Museum for an eclectic selection of some 10,000 pieces of military and colonial memorabilia. The museum has two of the most historically significant medal groups to Australian soldiers for the Vietnam War – 1964 to 1973 kept in a drawer under lock and key. They also have the largest collection of Boer War medals on display in Australia. Ask the friendly staff and they might put on some gloves to give you a closer look.

Upstairs, the extensive library houses over 2,000 written forms of historical data. Most of the subject matter transcends Australian and New Zealand military history, dating from pre-Boer War and pre-Federation to the present. Hundreds of files are made up of original military documents, photographs, servicemen’s diaries, newspapers, periodicals, maps and correspondence. Plus, a few period costumes for those more interested in the fashion of the day.

The Military and Colonial Museum stands tall in the heritage precinct (Photo: Eliza Sholly)

3. Follow the Maryborough Mural Trail

It’s hard to believe a town as tiny as Maryborough has so much burgeoning street art to explore – but that’s the beauty of this place, there is something to discover around every corner.

Launched in 2015, the self-guided trail now has 27 large scale murals and installations adorning buildings and industrial faces in the city’s CBD. Each artwork tells quirky and poignant stories of Maryborough’s colourful past. Begin your sojourn in Kent Street at the Visitor’s Information Centre, collecting a trail map while you’re there.

Inside you can learn about the baking of the historic Peace Cake and how the trail came to be. The trail traverses two kilometres spread over 10 city blocks. Take the time to stop and relax at the specialty cafes, shops and parks that line the route.

The street art tells stories of Maryborough’s colourful past (Photo: Eliza Sholly)

4. Run wild at the birthplace of Mary Poppins

Believe it or not Mary Poppins was created in the backstreets of Maryborough via the creative genius of Pamela Lyndon Travers who was born here in 1899. You’ll find a bronze sculpture of the famous English nanny that commemorates the town’s tie to the author of the novels on the corner of Kent and Richmond streets in front of the former home and birthplace of P.L Travers. The heritage house now serves as the site of Story Bank Museum – a place where fantasy and fact intertwine.

Kitsch, illustrated magic in the Story Bank museum (Photo: Eliza Sholly)

“If you are looking for autobiographic facts," P.L Travers once wrote, “Mary Poppins is the story of my life." The museum serves as an education on the magical character, in an impossibly kitsch, illustrated backdrop. White walls are donned with drawn accents, images and documents from the estate are displayed, and there’s even a ringing phone where you can talk to Mary Poppins herself.

Visit in September to arrive in time to experience the annual Mary Poppins Festival in Queens Park. In 2017 the town implemented themed street crossing traffic lights in the shape of the famous umbrella-carrying nanny for the festivities. The playful installation was so popular that it became permanent and can be viewed at all major intersections around town.

Mary Poppins traffic lights

5. Shop Local at the Maryborough Markets

Like all good regional towns, Maryborough has a flourishing community market that provides an overindulgence of smells, tastes and colours once a week. Every Thursday from 7am to 12pm traffic is brought to a halt in the town centre as Adelaide Street is transformed into a bustling outdoor market and cars are replaced with stalls and live music. It’s been a weekly celebration since it began in 1987 and continues to provide Maryborough’s residents with fresh produce from the Fraser Coast and surrounds.

Visitors can make a day of it and join a guided Heritage Walk Tour outside City Hall at 9am, or opt for a ride through Queens Park on the ‘Mary Ann’, a replica steam engine that traverses riverside through the neighbourhood.

Maryborough flourishing community market

6. Drink from ancient rum barrels

The Bond Store – hidden inside a heritage building in the wharf precinct – tells the stories of Maryborough’s portside history. Having stood since 1864, the place still retains its original earthen floors, as well as the barrel rails which once transported rum. It also served as a secure storage facility for goods that attracted a tax, including cigars, tobacco, rum, wine, spirits and opium – back when it was legal.

Today, the Bond Store has been reinvented as a showcase for regional produce. Tour the building and enjoy a tipple. You can sample a range of delicious regional ports and liqueurs, while making your way through its displays and artefacts.

For a unique, immersive experience, book a Tipples and Tales Tour through the Fraser Coast website. You’ll meet the friendly Gauger and hear his stories of the Bond Store’s past as you sample regional ports, liqueurs and tasting platters.

A store for artefacts documenting Maryborough’s Portside history

7. Howl with dingoes at the Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary

Interact with an array native animals at the Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary as well as K’gari’s most famous inhabitants – the dingoes. The dingoes, which are now protected by law, were first introduced to the Australia by South East Asian seafarers roughly 5,000 years before Captain Cook claimed the country. At the time, the island was only a couple of kilometres from the mainland and dingoes were able to swim to the island and live peacefully among the Indigenous people.

The Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary allows visitors to interact with, and learn about Australia’s largest sand predator. Dingo experiences are available, as well as opportunities to feed and pat kangaroos. You can also learn about snakes, stroke a blue tongue lizard, be entertained by cockatoo antics and wrap a black-headed python around your neck… if you’re brave enough.

Feeding time at the Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary

Explore K’gari and you will not only discover the rainbow-coloured cliffs sacred to the local Indigenous people, or a coastline that swoops and soars, or the astonishing turquoise waters of a lake so translucent you want to stay immersed in it forever.

For the world’s largest sand island, there is a surprising number of things to do on K’gari (formerly Fraser Island). From wandering through thick rainforest, to spending the whole day hopping from lake to pool to lake, to experiencing the island’s ancient and modern history. It’s clear that a trip to K’gari is more than just a day trip.

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing holiday or a natural adventure, buckle up. Here are 12 things to do on K’gari, appropriately named by the local Butchulla tribe to mek’gari an ‘paradise’.

1. Explore the rainforest

pile valley on k'gari fraser island queensland

Find yourself in the middle of lush rainforest, like Pile Valley. (Image: TEQ)

Fraser Island is the only place in the world where rainforest is found growing on sand dunes at elevations of more than 200 metres. The low-lying shrubs and heaths on the island are of great evolutionary and ecological significance as they make up the most complete age sequence of coastal dune systems anywhere in the world.

The diverse vegetation on the 184,000-hectare island also includes towering kauri pine and piccabeen palms, flora-rich shrubland and heath and subtropical rainforest. Don’t miss: The magnificent wildflower displays in spring and summer on the island, which is about three and a half hours’ drive north of Brisbane.

2. Lake McKenzie

aerial of Lake Mckenzie on k'gari queensland

Relax on the silica sand shores of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Sit and watch the way young children approach Lake McKenzie/ Boorangoora: they advance at speed, arms pinwheeling, and propel their bodies into the water again and again. This is the way to do it. The crowds that converge around the lake make this a top spot for people-watching. Choose your tribe: dreadlocked hippies sitting in the shade of an eucalyptus tree; flashpackers with their selfie sticks prodding the sky; and families advancing and retreating from the water.

The white sandy beach tinged with a turquoise swirl of water is one of the most visited natural wonders in Australia. Lake McKenzie is a ‘perched’ lake, meaning it contains only rainwater, and it is set into the landscape like a precious stone.

It’s accessible by 4WD or on foot when following a 20-kilometre return loop trail from Kingfisher Bay Resort.

3. Indian Head

people walking on Indian Head Headland at one end of Seventy Five Mile Beach opn k'gari

Walk to Indian Head. (Image: Mark Fitz/TEQ)

Located on the eastern side of K’gari, Indian Head is a rocky outcrop said to have been originally created by volcanic activity up to 80 million years ago.

Captain Cook first caught sight of the Butchulla people in 1770 and named the eastern beach after them; the term ‘Indian’ was used to describe Indigenous people centuries ago. Known to the local Indigenous people as tuckee (stone), the distinctive head shape of the rocky cliffs made it one of K’gari’s most notable attractions.

It’s both an iconic landmark and a natural lookout for spotting sea life: look out over the ocean for manta rays, dolphins, sea turtles and whales.

4. The Cathedrals

Aerial shot of 4WD driving along the beach at The Cathedrals on k'gari

Drive passed the rusty-coloured Cathedrals. (Image: Kyle Hunter/ TEQ)

These cliffs of coloured sands are permanently stained in various shades of rust and ochre and are one of many sacred sites on the island for the local Butchulla people. According to Dreamtime legend, the cliffs were formed long ago as a result of a love story gone wrong.

Watching The Cathedrals change colour as the sun moves across the sky and the first rays of dawn paint the pinnacles is like watching the final touches being applied to an artwork. Over time, the elements have clawed at the cliffs and resulted in this breathtaking construction.

5. Champagne Pools

aerial of champagne pools on k'gari queensland

Enjoy the natural fizz of the Champagne Pools. (Image: TEQ)

Why Champagne? Because of the pleasant fizzing sensation that happens when waves crash into the water of the pools. Sit back and relax in the blue-green water of this natural spa bath – or we should say, baths. The Champagne Pools are a series, hemmed in by rocks and polished smooth by the sea. Soak in the gorgeous ocean views while you do.

The pools are about 2.2 kilometres north along the 75 Mile Beach from Indian Head. Go at low tide when the sea is calm – while they are relatively safe, caution should be taken at high tide.

6. 75 Mile Beach

a dingo walking along the water on 7r mile beach on k'gari fraser island queensland

Spot resident wildlife, curve off to explore more sections of the island, or stay to fish. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

75 Mile Beach is long, surprisingly long despite its very obvious name. Yes, it is 75 miles long – or over 120 kilometres – but it’s not until you’re standing on this straight, sandy stretch that you realise the reality of those numbers. Looking out onto the horizon here makes you understand why people once thought the world was flat: it’s all straight lines of blues and yellows, from the sand between your toes to the cloud-spotted skies.

This spectacular stretch of sand traces the eastern side of K’gari, and is officially a national highway and runway – it’s one of the few beaches in the world where light aircraft can actually land and take off.

You’ll spot plenty of 4WDs pulled over along this beach, its occupants trying their luck catching a fish or two. It’s a great place to pass a few hours, or to carve off a trail to places like Eli Creek or stop at the famous shipwreck (more to come).

7. Eli Creek

Mother and daughter enjoying Eli Creek, as part of the Beauty Spots 4WD tour on k'gari

Ride the tide along Eli Creek. (Image: Courtney Atkinson/ TEQ)

Speaking of Eli Creek pours up to four million litres of clear, fresh water into the ocean every hour. The result? A pleasantly steady – but not scary – current that will also carry humans on floatie devices along it. I don’t care how old you are; it’s surprisingly fun.

Even if you don’t want to ride the tide, it’s a popular picnic spot with a boardwalk following the creek inland. So you can still have a gander at it, and the surrounding banksia and pandanus.

8. The Maheno Shipwreck

aerial of the ss maheno on 75 mile beach k'gari fraser island queensland

Drive by the SS Maheno. (Image: TEQ)

The SS Maheno is a beacon for visitors to K’gari because it’s a bit of lingering evidence of history: a cyclone devastated parts of the Queensland coast in 1935. The ship was on its way to a Japanese shipyard to be turned into scrap metal when its tow line snapped; it is now better known for being washed ashore on Fraser’s Eastern beach than for being the fastest ship to cross the Tasman between Australia and New Zealand.

Formerly a First World War hospital ship, the skeleton of the SS Maheno has a broken hull that looks like cracked ribs. It’s worth seeing, especially with that backdrop of waves, dunes and tangled trees.

9. Lake Wabby & Hammerstone Sand Blow

aerial of Lake Wabby & Hammerstone Sand Blow on k'gari fraser island

See striking sand dunes and a crescent-moon lake. (Image: TEQ)

As the deepest lake on the island (it’s 11.4 metres deep at its lowest point), the half-moon shape and dark green water of Lake Wabby is a popular sight on K’gari. It’s what know as a barrage lake, meaning it was formed when sand dunes shifted over time, blocking a body of water before it could reach the ocean. Brush box, satinay, tallowwood trees and more form a striking, thick green border around the lake.

Perhaps even more striking than the lake is the massive collection of sand dunes right next to it, creating Hammerstone Sand Blow. Walking along here feels like you’ve stepped right onto a desert moon out of Star Wars.

There are two ways to get here. The most common way is to park on 75 Mile Beach (where signs point to Lake Wabby) and walk 1.5 hours (return) along the bush track. The secret way is to park at Lake Wabby Car Park off Cornwall’s Break Road, and walk a steep but short 15-20 minutes.

10. Central Station

Couple with a guide at Central Station things to do on k'gari

Discover the boardwalks of Central Station with a guide. (Image: TEQ)

Central Station was originally home to a community of more than 100 people during its days as a forestry camp when timber logging was the thing here in the 1920s. Thankfully, chainsaws are a thing of the past on World Heritage-listed K’gari.

Lace up your boots for a walk along the boardwalk that hugs the curves of Wanggoolba Creek as it snakes through the rainforest. The creek was used for Secret Women’s Business before the land was cleared for forestry operations. These days, the picnic area sits amid a botanical garden.

11. Indigenous history

Bush Tucker Talk and Taste at kingfisher bay resort things to do on k'gari

Try native ingredients. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

The original inhabitants of K’gari were the Butchulla people, who occupied the land for about 5000 years. There are around 500 Indigenous archaeological sites located across K’gari, which are rich with Dreamtime stories.

It is also equipped with ingredients from the original Indigenous pantry. You can taste some of these native Australian flavours during a Bush Tucker Talk + Taste session at Kingfisher Bay Resort. See, touch and taste native ingredients in their raw state before the chef turns them into a tasty meal.

12. Kayaking through the mangroves

Kayaking near Bowarrady Creek things to do on k'gari fraser island

Explore mangrove systems on a kayak. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

Another brilliant way to get out on the water (and get a very good workout) is taking to a kayak and exploring K’gari’s beautiful mangrove system.

Hire one (or a canoe or stand-up paddle board) from Kingfisher Bay Resort to explore on your own. If you’re not so comfortable with a paddle and would like extra support, or you’d just like to learn more about the ecosystems you’re adventuring through, join a tour led by Kingfisher Bay Resort’s rangers. Check at the resort’s front desk for timings.

Still want more K’gari tips? Let the experts guide you on one of our picks of top K’gari tours.

7 of the best things to do in Maryborough, Queensland