Visitors to Mackay will be interested to learn that Captain Cook was one of very first explorers to put a foot down on the soil in the late 1700s. However, it wasn't formally settled until one hundred years later when an expedition, led by John Mackay, went out searching for suitable grazing land. He named the area after his father. Mackay soon flourished as settlers arrived to stake their claims to land. It wasn't long before the success of the sugar crops in other parts of Queensland were replicated in Mackay. Today, Mackay produces over one-third of the country's sugar and you will often hear it referred to as the sugar capital of Australia

Mackay has a wide range of attractions and there is something for everyone, from sun-worshippers to outdoors enthusiasts. A number of picturesque islands are dotted along the coastline and day tours or overnight stays with accommodation can be arranged to many of them.