Kangaroos of Cape Hillsborough
Cape Hillsborough is on the Hibiscus Coast in the Mackay Queensland Region.
It is well known for its stunning scenery, beautiful sunrises and for the Kangaroos and Wallabies that feed on the beach at sunrise.
How To Get To Cape Hillsborough
Cape Hillsborough is approx. 50kms north of Mackay, and will take you about 45-50 minutes to drive there.
You can stay at the Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park, in the camp grounds or in one of their cabins.
There's also a great camping spot at nearby Smalleys Beach Camp Grounds.
Or you can drive there in the morning to see this spectacular view.
We decided to stay a couple of days at the Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park in a cabin. It gave us time to not only see the Kangaroos but to also explore the area and all it has to offer.
When To Get To Cape Hillsborough
To see the Cape Hillsborough Kangaroos and Wallabies feed on the beach at sunrise you need to be there at, you guessed it, SUNRISE!
If you want to see them come down onto the beach you'll need to be there a little earlier.
So check your sunrise times and set your alarm.
I Imagined I would watch quietly as the kangaroos and wallabies wander out of the bush at first light. Searching for their morning breakfast and getting ready to start their day.
We set our alarm for around 5am and walked the short distance onto the beach from our cabin. Unfortunately we were too late to watch them come down onto the beach. By the time we got there the kangaroos, wallabies and people had already gathered.
Now I've seen Kangaroos in the wild and in zoos before, but getting up close to the small Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Wallabies was a treat.
They're just so damn cute and they're comfortable with “Humans” in a natural environment, so are happy to interact with their visitors.
Getting Up Close To The Kangaroos
Getting up close to the kangaroos is easy. Murray the “Ranger” strategically positions cones to keep people a safe distance from the animals, and initially the visitors stay behind the cones.
But the kangaroos apparently aren't aware of the rules. They go wherever they want, wandering around the beach, not giving a care where the people or the cones are.
When we visited there were a lot of families, couples and friends, all vying for the perfect position to take photos of the roos and wallabies.
And of course, there were those who were trying for the perfect selfie.
Most people who came to the beach were camping nearby and had wandered down from their camp sites. Kids in pyjamas and adults just out of bed with coffee in hand, were all enjoying the very well planned, but no less exciting experience.
There may have even been a few who got up earlier than everyone else, had a shower, did their hair and put on makeup.
Just to make sure the selfie was perfect for an Instagram post. (I wasn't one of them)
My Selfie minus the make-up!
A Bit About The Kangaroos
Murray the “Ranger” gave a very informative speech on the history of the Cape Hillsborough Kangaroos and Wallabies.
They come down to the beach at sunrise to feed on seaweed and mangrove seed pods that wash up overnight.
Murray was also spreading pellets around the sand for a little more to eat. The pellets give them additional vitamins as the seaweed and Mangrove seed pods aren't as abundant as they once were.
I asked Murray if there were any families in the mob (a group of Kangaroos is called a mob). He said that years back the mob was wild and there were indeed mamas with joeys in their pouches.
However, over the years the mob died off, and instead now the kangaroos you see are rescues and orphans that have been relocated to the park.
The Wallabies that come down are wild and if you're lucky you'll see a mama Wallaby with her baby.
A Special Experience Not To Miss
I was initially disappointed to find out that the Kangaroos are essentially “pets of the park”. But there's just something special about watching them come together with the Wallabies and the visitors.
Just watching them interact with each other and their visitors is something you can look forward to.
And don't forget, there's also the magic of a sunrise over the ocean.
If you are in the Mackay Region of Queensland, Cape Hillsborough and the Kangaroos are definitely worth getting up for.
