The town of Rockhampton (the beef capital of Australia) straddles the Tropic of Capricorn, over six hundred kilometres north of Brisbane.

The town's many superb attractions include the award-winning Dreamtime Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Koorana Crocodile Farm, a zoo and botanical gardens. There is also an excellent art gallery, which holds a number of exhibitions annually. Many festivals and carnivals are also held throughout the year, as well as sporting events and a variety of shows.

Located forty kilometres north of Rockhampton is the coastal resort town of Yeppoon. Lying on shores of Keppel Bay, it's a popular holiday destination for the beautiful beaches including Cooee Bay, where the annual World Cooeeing Festival takes place. Yeppoon also has markets every Sunday and some magnificent state forest parks where you will find picnic areas and camping grounds.

Just offshore from Yeppoon is the secluded isle paradise of Great Keppel Island, probably the biggest drawcard of the region. Nearly twenty kilometres of crystal azure coastline and superb white beaches are fringed by lush tropical wilderness, creating the idyllic setting for some comfortable accommodations and a high quality resort. If you can drag yourself away from the beach this alluring holiday destination has an abundance of exciting activities including parasailing, water skiing and diving - just to name a few. There are also organised cruises which include reef snorkelling with colourful fish and a glass bottom boat trip.

Whether your idea of a holiday is white beaches, warm sunshine and cold drinks, 4WD touring and bush tucker, climbing a mountain, bathing under a waterfall or sleeping under the stars - the Rockhampton region can provide.

READER REVIEW
Amanda gives us the low-down on the clubs in Rockhampton

If you're planning a big night out in Rockhampton The Criterion hotel is the best place to start drinking as it has a great athomsphere. There is a live band every friday and saturday night and a beer garden for chilling out. They play a range of music including some old classics which guarantee to get everyone dancing. It's usually packed untill about 12 when everyone heads to the clubs located a short distance walk down the road.

The Bird Cage bar is mainly for Uni student but brings in people from everywhere. It has pool tables, bar, dance floor and DJ. They have theme nights such as R&B, house, techno and party nights. And at 12 they have a free bus that takes you to a club.

There are two new clubs in Rockhampton. Hooter's night club which has strippers on Wednesday night. On friday nights the first 100 ladies throught the door get basic spirts for $1.50 and on Saturdays it's Hoot Loot night where everything is half price. Starting on the 10/1/03 for three friday nights they are having foam parties. The other new night club is High Society and it has a beer graden, pool room, restaurant and a night club. The drinks are average prices.

Stutters night club have specials every wednesday and friday nights, if you buy a $22 drink card you get 20 basic spirts drinks. The club also has a karako bar down stairs if you're looking to have a laugh.

The Staduim night club is the best in Rockhampton with the latest dance music and a huge dance floor with a viewing deck. It also has a separate bar in a quieter chillout area and a large bar near the dance floor. There's a $5.00 cover charge, and it is packed on saturday nights. The drinks cost a bit more but you expect to pay that in a high class club like the staduim.