The Ultimate Emu Park Travel Guide
Emu Park is an idyllic seaside Australian village beside the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
There's something here for all ages, and it's a great place to get back to nature. You might even see horses swimming at the beach near the Great Barrier Reef when you travel to Emu Park!
Still not convinced? Check out my ultimate guide to Emu Park, starting with a list of Emu Park highlights that offer great reasons why you should visit this peaceful coastal village on holiday...
Top 10 sights in Emu Park, Australia
The Singing Ship
- The Singing Ship
Listen to the sounds of the great barrier reef breezes.
This huge sculpture represents the billowing sail, mast and rigging of a sailing ship. Hidden organ pipes create musical sounds using sea breezes. This is music made by wind power! It is set against a spectacular coastal vista of Great Keppel Island and the waters of the Great Barrier Reef in the distance
Capricorn Coast
2. The Capricorn Coast
Explore pristine coastline hikes and vast beaches.
Find a beach to yourself or hike in the national parks. Take in the views of Great and North Keppel Islands and the many smaller islands. The islands are stepping-stones to the wonders of the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Sip refreshing drinks, taste delicious local delicacies, and dance to full mood drumming. This is the life!
Bell Park, Emu Park
3. Bell Park
Shady pine trees, free facilities and sea views.
Buy takeaway lunch from the nearby shops or pack a picnic. Feel the see breeze under the shade of huge, fragrant pine trees. You'll also find the monthly Emu Park Markets here, plus the annual Festival of the Wind.
Fisherman's Beach, Emu Park
A long, beautiful beach with great facilities!
You can stroll along pristine sand and overlook the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. There's a skate park playground beside the beach entry, plus public toilets. If you're lucky, you might even see horses swimming at the beach here!
ANZAC Commemorative Project
The Centenary of ANZAC memorial walk is a must see!
Start at ANZAC Court and then make your way past the installations along the gentle path towards the point. You'll reach The Gatehouse free museum that offers stunning views from a shady nook. The boardwalk offers spectacular panoramic views.
Emu Park Main Beach
6. Emu Park Main Beach
Beach with playground, free facilities and lifesavers.
Stroll down from the main street to this beach and playground. Here, you'll find surf livesavers (lifeguards) too. If you swim between the flags they'll keep an eye on you and keep you safe at no charge. They're kind volunteers!
Emu Park Community Arts Centre
Built in 2021! View art and enjoy interactive workshops!
This new Arts Centre has been designed as a great space for its exhibition gallery, workshop spaces, and commercial space. The community art scene is thriving here. Check out the Emu Park Art Gallery's facebook page to see what they're like!
Emu Park Historical Museum
8. Emu Park Historical Museum
So many different things on display, with friendly locals to show you around!
Run by friendly volunteers, you'll find plenty of things to see in this intersting Museum. You'll be assigned a local to take you around the 4 buildings and train carriage, sharing great yarns (Australian for 'stories') to keep you entertained!
Mulambin Beach
A peaceful beach meets extreme sports adventures!
This beach starts at the south side of Bluff Point and runs south for 2 km to Pinnacle Point, with the beach extending to over 200m wide at low tide! This is a perfect beach for Blokarting (SandYachting). Get yourself down to a Capricornia Blokart Club social day to see it, and even try it!
High Valley Dawn, Permaculture Farm
10. High Valley Dawn, Permaculture Farm
Join in a tour.
Join a Sunday morning farm tour with farm Owner, Ross O'Reilly. You'll get an introduction to Permaculture, see the market garden and the food forest. Marvel at their sustainable features like the natural desalination plant, the powerless cold room, the solar irrigation systems, their upcycled house and mud-brick pizza oven.
Music in Emu Park
For live music, check out the Emu Park RSL on the weekends. You can listen to live music while enjoying the water views from the popular front deck. Local bands also play at the Emu Park Markets each month. Chill out on the grass and enjoy the relaxed community vibe here!
A local club to track down is the Keppel Coast Blues and Music Club. There are other local groups that you can join in with while you're in Emu Park and surrounds. An adorable local phenomenon is the Yepoon Ukulele Movement, affectionately known as 'YUM'!
Another local music scene is full moon drumming. Emu Park events do happen. To find one during your holiday in Emu Park, try the Tropic of Capricorn Drumming Circles facebook page.
Top 4 Instagrammable Locations in Emu Park, Queensland, Australia
You'll find a lot of great photo locations around Emu Park, especially if you explore the beaches leading up to Yeppoon as well! It's hard to pick shoot locations. At a pinch, I'd say the top instagrammable location in Emu Park are:
Singing Ship: This is a great place for photos, offering an incredible background with vast views and beautiful trees beyond the sculpture itself.
Post Office: Get a photo in front of the beautiful cockatoo artwork by local artist Rosie Woods.
Emu Park Historical Museum: Think, rustic warm images of interesting objects and fun holiday portrait photo opportunities!
High Valley Dawn, Permaculture Farm: Get back to nature!
Popular hashtags for Emu Park travel posts on instagram, facebook twitter and other social media include: #emupark #emuparkbeach #beautifulemupark #capricorncoast #australia #VisitCapricorn #SouthernGreatBarrierReef #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia ... and the location (e.g. #singingship #mulambin #mulambinbeach ) . Consider adding related hashtags such as #beach , #sunset , #museum and #streetartaustralia for example.
Emu Park
Fun in Emu Park: 8 Reasons you must visit Emu Park
Ok, let's wrap it up. I've told you about the fun experiences and simple pleasures. In a nutshell, you should visit Emu Park for the:
Slow, relaxed and calming lifestyle.
Biodiversity and pristine coastline
Friendly locals who have lots of interesting stories to tell you!
Instagram worthy locations and experiences
Safe swimming environment
Incredible views of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef
Beautiful public art installations.
Character-filled local music and arts scene.
When you combine these reasons with the fact that it isn't the 'same old same old' destination, Emu Park should be on your bucket list!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Emu Park a good place to live?
With its big house blocks, Emu Park is a quiet place to live with a great community spirit. Neighbous are friendly and go out of their way to help if needed. Community markets and events are a regular occurence. It's only a few minutes drive to beaches and shopping but it feels like country living. Local schooling and child care is available for all ages. The regional employment and university hub (Rockhampton) is within commuting distance. Neighbouring communities offer interesting day trips, and the islands of the Great Barrier Reef are on your doorstep!
Can you swim at Emu Park?
Yes! You can swim in Emu Park. The best place to swim is Emu Park Main Beach. There are volunteer surf lifesavers to look after you. Fisherman's Beach is another popular beach, but it's unpatrolled. You can also swim in fresh water at the Don Ireland Swimming Complex at Emu Park. Remember to 'slip slop slap'! That means, remember to slip on a shirt then slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. You will see signs using this phrase to remind you to do it. You need to protect yourself from the sun in Australia!
Why is Emu Park named Emu Park?
The real reason is lost to history, but the reason that Emu Park has its name may have been because of the local emus and the park-like appearance of the foreshore.
What is the population of Emu Park?
The population of Emu Park in 2020 is estimated to be 2,382 people.
Are there emus in Emu Park?
Emus aren't a common sight and they're very shy, but you'll still sometimes spot one in the Emu Park area if you're lucky!
Currency in Emu Park
The main currency is the Australian Dollar. It's probably better to exchange your currency before you arrive or withdraw money through an ATM. The local bank ATMs provide currency at reasonable excange rates, but they can charge fees that make it worthwile visiting a money exchange instead.
Mobile Phone Service / Roaming in Emu Park
The main service providers are Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. You'll find other providers too. If you're going outside of a capital city, be sure to ask the phone store if your service provider "uses the Telstra network". Coverage can be a big problem outside of the capital cities in Australia and not all network providers give the same quality and speed of data and mobile reception!
Prepaid SIM cards are easy to buy, but it's easiest to buy them in a company branded shopfront.
The calling code for Australia is +61.
Share your Emu Park Holiday Tips!
I know there are even more things to do and see in Emu Park and I want to hear ideas from you! Comment below or head over to our Travel Fun Music Community Facebook Page , Travel Inspiration Instagram account or join the Our Travel Addict Conversations on Twitter. You can also leave tips in the comments on the Travel Fun Music YouTube Channel . Use the #travelfunmusic hashtag and it’ll show up on our website.
P.S. I've also received these questions. Don't worry - I haven't forgotten you folks! I just haven't had the chance to update this article to answer them yet! Sorry!
What to wear / what to pack for a trip to Emu Park
How To Enjoy The Water around Emu Park
The Perfect Emu Park Travel Itinerary (with a map to download)
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Emu Park
Top 10 Free Things To Do in Emu Park
Top 10 Things You Can’t Miss in Emu Park
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Stunning! Like, really incredible. If you're into sailing, cycling, photography, hiking, adventure or food... this is the place for you!