Rockhampton Airport (ROK)

Rockhampton Airport is a major regional airport, is described as “the gateway to central Queensland”, and is five kilometres west of Rockhampton’s city centre. It is operated by Rockhampton Regional Council and was opened in 1930. The airport completed major upgrades in 2013, including and expansion of the shopping area. 

Car Rental

Service desks are present for the car rental companies Avis, Budget, Thrfty, Hertz and Europcar. There are three car parks, short-term, long-term and premium long-term, and each is open from an hour before the first flight to an hour after the last. The two-minute pick up and drop off zone is in short-term, where parking is free for stays of 20 minutes or less.

Transport

Young’s route 20 buses go to the city centre eight times on weekdays and twice on Saturday, and local transfer operator Little Johnny’s Tours & Rentals offers a shuttle service (pre-booking is necessary).

Attractions

Major attractions in Rockhampton include the Rockhampton Zoo, between the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Murray Lagoon. The zoo showcases native animals in its aviary, dingo dens, crocodile enclosures and its colony of southern hairy-nosed wombats. The Botanic Gardens are said to be among the best regional gardens in the country, and highlights include the Cenotaph (built in 20124), Japanese Gardens and the Hugo Lassen Fernery. The backdrop to the city is Mount Archer, and its summit, 604 metres above sea level, can be hiked to in a visit to the eucalypt forest of Mount Archer National Park.

Climate

Rockhampton’s climate is humid subtropical, and has an average maximum and minimum temperature of 30.1 and 22.9 degrees Celsius in January, and 22.5 and 11.1 in July.

Airlines

The airport is served by Virgin (Brisbane) and Qantas (Brisbane, Mackay, Gladstone and Cairns). The busiest route overall from Rockhampton Airport is to Brisbane.