Gladstone glow-up: how this Queensland town is reinventing itself

Hit the road to Gladstone, in Central Queensland, to discover local beaches, brews and a city changing its tune.

I haven’t been to Gladstone since I was about 11, one of four kids crammed in the back of a VW kombi van. My dad, an English subject master, encouraged us to make up a sing-song of the place names as we bounced along the Bruce Highway to Brisbane. It was both a game and geography lesson.

Rockhampton, Marlborough, St Laurence too
Carmila, Clairview, skies so blue
Gladstone, Miram Vale, the sun breaks through
Gin Gin and Bundaberg we’re coming for you

The staccato tune has stayed with me ever since. And returning to Gladstone, Traditional Lands of the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda peoples, after all these years made me nostalgic for those carefree east coast road trips of my childhood.

Gladstone’s glow-up: a new era for Central Queensland

an aerial view of the pool at Peppers Gladstone — The property has a heated pool.

Gladdie, as the town is affectionately known, is again on my radar thanks to the Peppers Gladstone property that opened here in February 2025. Peppers Gladstone shares its footprint with Mantra Gladstone and marks the first new-build hotel to open in the region in more than a decade. It is, says general manager Craig Conley, a clear sign that Central Queensland is evolving as a place to linger.

the bathroom at Peppers Gladstone — Earthy interiors at Peppers Gladstone. (Image: Toby Scott)

“Peppers Gladstone has helped put the town on the map," says Craig. “And, being a dual-branded property, it offers guests a choice between the familiar comforts of Mantra and the elevated experience of Peppers," he says. Craig says Accor, in collaboration with Yaralla Sports Club, launched the five-star hotel to provide a five-star accommodation option for visitors in town on both business or leisure.

pool bar at Peppers Gladstone — The Pool Bar at Peppers Gladstone.

The property speaks to its locale. There is the indoor-outdoor space near the pool and terrace designed for all seasons. And each room is themed – Outback, Coastal, City, Rainforest – reflecting the diversity of the surrounding landscape. We’re in an Outback room, which is all earthy tones and textured wallpaper, and a reminder that we’re deep in the agro-industrial Queensland countryside.

Industry meets evolution in Gladstone

the Boyne River estuary, Tannum Sands — Boyne River estuary meets the ocean at Tannum Sands. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Mark Fitz)

You can’t tell the story of Gladstone without acknowledging its role as a major export hub for billions of dollars’ worth of coal and liquid natural gas. It’s a town that was built around heavy industry. And this Accor property is designed to accommodate some of the executives who are visiting Gladstone, one of the largest bulk commodity ports on the planet. And while the Port of Gladstone Harbour Tour is one of the most popular tours in town, visitors to the region should also widen that circle to include its abundance of pristine beaches – Tannum Sands, Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy – untouched islands and subtropical hinterland.

an aerial view of the coastal town of Seventeen Seventy, Gladstone — The coastal town of Seventeen Seventy. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Jesse Lindemann)

Craig is somewhat of an evangelist for the area’s attractions and says the Peppers property is a great example of the area’s evolution. “The Peppers experience is about community and connection. It feels like a hub for the local community," Craig says.

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The best place in town for a pint

food and drinks at Ward’s Brewery, Gladstone — Ward’s Brewery is the city’s only brewpub.

Ward’s Brewery is also a top spot to test the barometer of this true-blue borough. Today, there are young families gathered to celebrate a baby shower around a table decorated with balloons. A group of FIFO bros clad in high-vis vests sinking schooners to mark the end of a stint in the mines. And a couple of grey nomads glued to the pub’s big-screen promotion of Lady Musgrave Island and the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

After living and working in London for 23 years, owner Michael Comley returned to his hometown of Gladstone pre-Covid. He says the pandemic gave him time to ponder his next move: to open the city’s only brewpub in the old soft-drink and cordial factory owned by his family.

Ward’s Brewery Founder, Michael Comley — Founder of Ward’s Brewery, Michael Comley.

“I grew up in the house next door," smiles Michael, in between pulling pints and delivering food around the brewpub, decked out with local artwork, historic photographs and memorabilia. “My family owned the soft drink business from 1974 and the property was sitting empty when I returned, so I felt it was my duty to revitalise it," he says.

The hum of friendly chatter says a lot about Gladstone and the brewpub’s place and position in the community. Ward’s has a rotating list of seven craft beers on tap and a menu of pub grub such as chicken wings burnished orange with spice. And lamb kofta served on tortillas slathered with hummus and stuffed with salad.

“I’ve lived all over the world, and I’m proud to be from Gladdie," Michael says. “The surrounding areas are all on the map for visitors and now it’s finally Gladstone’s turn."

While the region is best known for nearby boom towns Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy, it is now time to raise a pint of Ward’s award-winning pale ale – it clinched gold at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards – to exploring the country’s lesser-known contours. Cue the chorus… Gladstone, Miram Vale, the sun breaks through, Gin Gin and Bundaberg we’re coming for you…

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

Gladstone is about a six-hour drive north of Brisbane. Qantas offers direct flights from Brisbane to Gladstone with a flight time of about one hour and 10 minutes.

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Staying there

Stay at Peppers Gladstone, where you can dine at Encore and watch your favourite team on the big screen at the adjacent Yaralla Sports Club.

Eating there

two women clinking their cocktail glasses at Gladstone Marina — Raise a glass at the waterfront marina.

Sample local beers at Ward’s Brewery, housed in a century-old cordial factory and serving craft beers and a menu of small bites and bigger plates. Enjoy pub grub and water views at Auckland House, which is open for breakfast and serves an all-day menu from 11am.

Playing there

a family heading to Gladstone Marina in the East Shores precinct — Gladstone Marina in the East Shores precinct. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Mark Fitz)

Join a Port of Gladstone Harbour Tour or visit the Gladstone Maritime Museum to learn about the city’s importance as a port and maritime history.

Gladstone Marina from above — Gladstone Marina offers access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Mark Fitz)

Take a stroll in the city’s open spaces, along the Millennium Esplanade at Tannum Sands, which has a playground and barbecues, and East Shores Parklands, which includes Gladstone Marina and has a waterfront boardwalk, green space, barbecues and a water play area.

the Tondoon Botanic Gardens, Gladstone — Tondoon Botanic Gardens celebrates biodiverse regional plant species.

Visit the 83-hectare Tondoon Botanic Gardens, which has 3000 plant varieties, a Japanese tea garden, sculptures, a herbarium and a lake. Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are also worth the detour.

From poolside bites and tasting flights to seafood plates and dry-aged steaks, a foodie adventure on Hamilton Island is worth every bite.

Hamilton Island’s sun-lacquered shores have long magnetised travellers craving an escape from reality. But what’s less expected – and more interesting – is just how assuredly this Whitsundays idyll delivers on the culinary front. Dialling up the flavour as much as the barefoot allure, the Hamilton Island food scene offers world-class dining and drinking options, spanning slick fine-dining moments to just-caught seafood served within sight of the sea. Let’s dig in.

Catseye Pool Club

Framing the electric blues of Catseye Beach from The Sundays hotel, Catseye Pool Club is Hamilton Island’s latest culinary prodigy. Shown to our table, we thread through rattan chairs, Zellige tiles and tumbling greenery that opens up to Coral Sea shimmer.

The poolside restaurant is the brainchild of Sydney-based chef duo Josh and Julie Niland, who have brought their relaxed yet elevated dining ethos north. The menu – designed to bring people together – is made for sharing, each hero ingredient orbited by a palette of sides to mix, match and layer as you please.

My thyme cocktail – woody with scotch, lifted by lime leaf – pairs perfectly with the charcoal grilled prawns entree, which is served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Each forkful lands differently, but all are a delight. Then comes the coral trout. True to Josh Niland’s ‘scale-to-tail’ philosophy, the fish is presented whole in a theatrical crescent, a tiny fork stuck into its cheek in a nod to Niland’s declared prize cut. Ribbons of zucchini resembling gauzy curtains bring brightness and snap, while kasundi lends depth and warmth. It’s tongue-tantalising, special occasion dining with humanity.

Sails Restaurant

A more casual poolside dining scene awaits at nearby Sails Restaurant, where Eastern Mediterranean flavours are dished up with an island twist. Chermoula chicken skewers and barramundi souvlaki lie on the more filling side of the menu, while the sumac squid and stone-bread flatbread with za’atar – arriving alongside pomegranate molasses, beetroot hummus and crushed macadamias – are perfect light bites after a dip in the pool. And don’t miss the garlic lemon scallops.

The setting is equally part of the draw. Sunlight floods the high-ceilinged dining room, while outdoor tables look out across the glittering expanse of Catseye Beach. Holidaymakers in oversized sunglasses sip spritzes beneath umbrellas, the gentle clink of plates mixing with splashes from the adjacent pool. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger long after lunch.

Bommie

Tucked into a sleek curved wing of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Bommie delivers experiential fine dining with a sense of occasion. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Locke, the seasonal menu champions local and native Australian ingredients whipped up into a modern display of creative precision.

Inside the dim-lit dining room, guests can choose between the Tasting Menu or Chef’s Signature Degustation. Sourdough with pine oil sets the tone for the six-course tasting menu, beautifully presented in a bed of pine needles alongside smoked paperbark butter. I love how the squid ink choux pastry is served with flavour-popping native finger lime, which our waiter encourages us to eat caviar-style. Standout moments continue with the wattle-seed-crusted venison elevated by red fruit and pickled beetroot swirls; the meat is perfectly pink in the middle and an homage to the island’s history as a deer farm.

Pebble Beach

Exclusive to qualia Resort guests for lunch and dinner, Pebble Beach is Hamilton Island’s most serene expression of seasonal island dining. Ocean-facing chairs dot a timber deck that spills straight onto the resort’s private beach, while crystalline turquoise waters stretch to meet distant islands – a scene far prettier than any postcard could capture.

The recently refreshed menu doubles down on seasonality and bright, layered flavours. While the more substantial T-bone steak with hazelnut honey carrots tempts, we go lighter: Coffin Bay oysters with Champagne foam and keffir lime dust kick us off splendidly, followed by Byron Bay burrata served with balsamic and caramelised figs. The fennel and orange salad topped with succulent grilled chicken is utterly delectable, but it’s the zingy, oh-so-fresh soft shell fish tacos that I can’t stop thinking about. It all goes down a treat with a glass of delicate Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.

Beach Club Restaurant

A lunch or dinner table at Beach Club Restaurant is best booked in advance – and it’s easy to see why. Looking out over the hotel’s palm-fringed infinity pool, the restaurant spotlights elegant contemporary Australian cuisine with a stellar (also Aussie-leaning) wine list to match.

I am completely enamoured by the grilled Queensland prawns, which are brought to life with a smoked compound, local fried curry leaves and lime. Digging into the butter-soft lamb rump served atop pea ragout and parsley Paris mash feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. And dessert – vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with hot salted honey and apple gel – ends the night on a high note.

Expect warm and discreet service; our waiter Marco tells us that the tiny decorative starfish on our table are there to help the staff remember whether we prefer sparkling or still water, so they don’t need to bother us by asking multiple times.

Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher

There’s more to Hamilton Island’s foodie scene than restaurant reservations alone. For wine-curious travellers seeking something a little more immersive, Beach Club has recently introduced Talk & Taste – a tutored tasting hosted by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher. Held twice weekly for a maximum of eight guests, the experience explores Australian wine culture through four thoughtfully selected drops paired with native-inspired bites.

We opt for the white wine and seafood option. Alongside pours from Eden Valley and Launceston, a nibbling platter arrives featuring sashimi, salmon roe, Mooloolaba prawn ceviche and palate-cleansing ginger. The seafood is pristine and pared back, allowing the wines to take centre stage.

The real highlight, however, is discovering just how nuanced winemaking can be. Courtenay speaks of viticulture as both art and science: harvest grapes a week too late and ripeness tips into ruin; plant the same varietal on different elevations and the sun, slope and water flow will shape entirely different expressions. Pinot noir, she explains, with its delicate skin and high water content, yields lighter fruit-forward wines, while thicker-skinned shiraz delivers depth and structure. I leave feeling fascinated and inspired by Courtenay’s evident passion.

coca chu

Sweet and hot. Sour and salty. Dining at ever-popular coca chu is a sensation-swirling experience that’s not to be missed if you’re a sucker for punchy Southeast Asian flavours. Located at the Main Pool end of Catseye Beach, this lively hangout is all swaying lanterns, driftwood, high beamed ceilings and giant open windows that let in the balmy ocean breeze.

Drawing from hawker traditions, the grilled betel leaf is a neat, vibrant mouthful of chilli fried cashews and spiced beef. The tofu surprises – soft beneath a tumble of dill, mint and coriander, and glossed in moreish peanut sauce. The massaman curry is pure comfort: creamy, fragrant, fall-apart meat. It’s generous and expressive cooking that I, for one, cannot get enough of.

Marina Cafe

Sometimes, all you crave on holidays is a bacon and egg roll done properly and a creamy fruit smoothie. Boasting harbour views, an easygoing atmosphere and clean modern interiors, Marina Cafe is a popular local haunt for a reason. The casual menu lures families and couples alike with its all-day brekky, seasonal salads and sandwiches – from a roasted pumpkin bowl to prosciutto and rocket on herby focaccia.

The acai bowl, topped with toasted nuts and berries, is a refreshing start to my day. Whether you sit in or takeaway, it’s a good-vibes-guaranteed place to refuel before or after your Whitsundays adventures.

Discover your foodie getaway now at hamiltonisland.com.au.

Gladstone glow-up: how this Queensland town is reinventing itself

Hit the road to Gladstone, in Central Queensland, to discover local beaches, brews and a city changing its tune.

Gladstone’s glow-up: a new era for Central Queensland

Industry meets evolution in Gladstone

The best place in town for a pint