Five freshwater escapes worth getting your swimmers wet for
There are plenty of good reasons to head inland from Mackay, but on a warm day, freshwater is a pretty convincing one.
You’ll find rainforest creeks, waterfalls, sandy riverbanks and wide stretches of open water where swimming is part of the day rather than the whole reason for it. Some take a walk to reach. Others are close enough to town that you can stop in for a swim between lunch and wherever you’re heading next.
Here are five places worth keeping the swimmers handy for.
1. Wheel of Fire, Finch Hatton Gorge
Take the longer walk
Finch Hatton Gorge is one of the Pioneer Valley’s best-known freshwater stops, and the walk to Wheel of Fire takes you deeper into the rainforest than the shorter Araluen Cascades track.
The return walk is about 4.2 kilometres and takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. It continues beyond Araluen Cascades through subtropical rainforest before reaching the Wheel of Fire area, where water tumbles through the gorge between large volcanic boulders.
The walk makes the swim feel well earned. Take water for the track, shoes with decent grip and a towel you don’t mind carrying back through the rainforest.
Swimming is permitted in the creek, but this is also one of the places where it’s important to pay attention to conditions. Be sure to check the Queensland Parks signs that show restricted areas around Wheel of Fire and Araluen Cascades because of dangerous cascades, slippery rock faces and variable water depth. Stay within the open areas, follow the rules and don’t climb, jump or dive from the rocks.
2. Araluen Cascades
The shorter Finch Hatton option
If you want the rainforest and freshwater without walking all the way to Wheel of Fire, Araluen Cascades is the easier option at Finch Hatton Gorge.
The walk is around 2.8 kilometres return and generally takes 1 to 1.5 hours. The track winds through the rainforest before arriving at the cascades and surrounding pools, where the water runs over large boulders beneath the canopy.
The picnic area at the start of the walk makes it easy to stop for lunch before or after heading in, and there are toilets available near the trailhead.
3. Platypus Beach, Mirani
A freshwater beach on the Pioneer River
Platypus Beach sits beside the Pioneer River near Mirani and looks more like a small inland beach than a traditional river access point.
There’s a sandy bank, picnic shelter and sealed access road, and the area is used for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding. It’s close enough to Mirani that you don’t need to make a full day of it, which makes it a handy stop while travelling through the Pioneer Valley.
Before getting in the water, check the latest water quality monitoring for Platypus Beach. As a general rule, avoid entering the water during or for up to three days after heavy rainfall.
For lunch afterwards, Mirani is only a few minutes away, or continue west through the Valley towards Pinnacle, Finch Hatton and Eungella.
4. Cattle Creek, Finch Hatton
Swim close to town
Cattle Creek runs through Finch Hatton, so you don’t always need to head deep into the Gorge to find freshwater.
One of the easiest places to be near the creek is around the Pioneer Valley Showgrounds, directly across from the Finch Hatton MTB trailhead. The showgrounds sit alongside Cattle Creek and are also used for camping outside the annual Pioneer Valley Show.
This stop works well after a morning on the MTB trails or while spending a day around Finch Hatton. Have a swim when conditions are calm, dry off and walk into town for lunch.
The Criterion Hotel is nearby and serves lunch daily from 11am to 2pm, with a menu that includes homemade pies, steaks, pizzas, pastas and salads.
5. Teemburra Dam
Plenty of room to spread out
Teemburra Dam is around 50 kilometres west of Mackay near Pinnacle and gives you a completely different freshwater setting to the creeks and swimming holes around Finch Hatton.
The dam has more than 1,000 hectares of surface area when full, with long inlets and forested edges that make it popular for kayaking, fishing and boating. Swimming is also permitted, provided you stay outside the signed exclusion zones and away from the dam wall.
The recreation area has toilets, barbecues, picnic shelters and tables, so this is one of the easier places on the list to settle in for a few hours.
If you’re travelling with kayaks or paddleboards, Teemburra is particularly good because you can combine a swim with time on the water.
There’s no camping at Teemburra Dam, so head back towards Finch Hatton, Eungella or another Pioneer Valley stay when you’re finished.
Wild swimming 101
Freshwater swimming around Mackay Isaac happens in natural waterways rather than managed pools, so conditions won’t be the same every time you visit.
Rain can raise creek levels quickly and create stronger currents, particularly around Finch Hatton Gorge. Rocks near waterfalls and cascades can also be extremely slippery. Never jump or dive into unfamiliar water, stay within any designated access areas and don’t ignore closure or warning signs.