Yeppoon

The natural point of embarkation for the Keppel Bay Islands, Yeppoon has evolved from a sleepy seaside village to a built-up town with good sleeping, eating and shopping options. With a long, beautiful beach backed by apartments and restaurants, it's a holiday destination for graziers, miners and many other folk seeking to escape the inland heat of Rockhampton. Its warm, subtropical skies are also the setting for a nightly migration of black-and-red flying foxes, which pass over the main beach and beyond in a startling sunset display. If you're here on the first Sunday of the month, drop in on the Figtree Creek Markets, a craft-and-produce market held in the grounds outside the Capricorn Coast Visitor Information Centre. Nearby, a hinterland of volcanic outcrops and pineapple patches and the wonderful Byfield National Park complete the picture of a lively, sun-soaked and appealing destination. Its traditional owners are the Darumbal people.