Cheapest fuel stops from Mackay to Townsville
Plan your drive below with Mackay and Townsville already filled in. Add your car and fuel level to see stops you can reach. View route prices and details.
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This drive is about 389 km and takes roughly 4h 34m before stops. The prices and sample-car estimates below are a corridor snapshot.
Latest listed price report: . Individual stations may have older reports.
Filling 60 litres at the cheapest station on this route instead of an average one saves about $6.78 — before you count the detour to reach it.
The long stretch on this drive
The longest gap between listed stations on this corridor is about 95 km, between Merinda, QLD and Home Hill, QLD, starting about 195 km in. Most cars clear that on a full tank, so it is a stretch to be aware of rather than one to plan around.
Reported ULP 91 prices on this road range from $2.29/L at Mackay, QLD to $2.60/L at Merinda, QLD — a spread of 30.4c a litre. On a 60 litre fill that is $18.24 between the best and worst place to stop.
Fuel options along this drive
These are the lowest fresh ULP 91 reports in each third of the drive, among stations listed within 5 km of the route. They show where a cheaper stop falls in the journey; the lowest pump price is not always the best stop after a detour.
Early drive
Pearl Energy Mackay in Mackay is near the start in Mackay. Its reported price is $2.29/L, about 0.8 km off the route.
Middle of the drive
United Bowen in Brisk Bay is about 160 km from Mackay. Its reported price is $2.40/L, about 1.2 km off the route.
Final approach
OOM Energy Wulguru in Wulguru is about 380 km from Mackay. Its reported price is $2.33/L, about 2.5 km off the route.
Where the fuel gets dearer on this drive
No part of this drive is much dearer than another — there is about 10.6c a litre between the cheapest and dearest thirds, and the last third comes out lowest on average. On a road like this one, which station you pick matters more than where along it you stop: the gap between two servos in the same town is usually wider than the gap between the two ends of the drive.
| Part of the drive | Average ULP 91 | Stations listed | Cheapest in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| First third | $2.41/L | 28 | $2.29/L at Mackay, QLD |
| Middle third | $2.49/L | 8 | $2.40/L at Brisk Bay, QLD |
| Last third | $2.38/L | 33 | $2.33/L at Wulguru, QLD |
Towns selling fuel between Mackay and Townsville
40 towns on this corridor had a fresh price report at the last check. Listed below are 20 of them, spaced along the drive in the order you reach them. Where a town shows a range, that is the gap between its own stations — worth knowing before you pull into the first one you see.
| Town | Into the drive | Stations | ULP 91 reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| MackayQLD | 0 km | 7 | $2.29 – $2.46/L |
| North MackayQLD | 0 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
| Mackay WestQLD | 0 km | 1 | $2.45/L |
| RichmondQLD | 5 km | 1 | $2.29/L |
| AndergroveQLD | 5 km | 2 | $2.40 – $2.41/L |
| ErakalaQLD | 10 km | 1 | $2.42/L |
| KuttabulQLD | 35 km | 1 | $2.34/L |
| BloomsburyQLD | 85 km | 1 | $2.45/L |
| Brisk BayQLD | 160 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
| DeltaQLD | 190 km | 1 | $2.51/L |
| Home HillQLD | 290 km | 2 | $2.35/L |
| GiruQLD | 330 km | 1 | $2.35/L |
| Alligator CreekQLD | 370 km | 1 | $2.42/L |
| WulguruQLD | 380 km | 3 | $2.33 – $2.43/L |
| CludenQLD | 380 km | 1 | $2.34/L |
| Hermit ParkQLD | 389 km | 1 | $2.35/L |
| Garbutt EastQLD | 389 km | 1 | $2.37/L |
| Rising SunQLD | 389 km | 1 | $2.37/L |
| West EndQLD | 389 km | 1 | $2.38/L |
| CurrajongQLD | 389 km | 1 | $2.45/L |
Brands you will pass on this road
A discount docket or a loyalty card is only worth carrying if the brand turns up where you are going. These are the brands with a fresh report on this corridor, cheapest average first — averages across a handful of sites, not a verdict on the brand.
- Pearl Energy1 station listed$2.29/L
- Liberty3 stations listed$2.35/L
- Mobil2 stations listed$2.35/L
- United Petroleum7 stations listed$2.37/L
- 7-Eleven1 station listed$2.37/L
- Shell2 stations listed$2.39/L
- Independent5 stations listed$2.40/L
- Ampol9 stations listed$2.40/L
- Caltex13 stations listed$2.41/L
- Ampol Foodary5 stations listed$2.43/L
- BP9 stations listed$2.43/L
- Shell Reddy Express7 stations listed$2.45/L
- EG Ampol4 stations listed$2.46/L
- Metro Petroleum1 station listed$2.46/L
Will your tank make it?
Range here uses real-world consumption — about 20% above the lab figure most cars are advertised with — and holds back a reserve rather than running you to the last drop.
| Vehicle | Real range | Fuel used | One tank? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small car45 L tank, 6.5 L/100km | 513 km | 30 L | Yes |
| Mid-size SUV60 L tank, 8.0 L/100km | 563 km | 37 L | Yes |
| Ute or 4WD80 L tank, 9.5 L/100km | 632 km | 44 L | Yes |
Your car is not one of these three. Use your actual make and model in the planner above and OTW works it out from the manufacturer's figures and how much fuel you have right now. If you have measured your own fuel use, you can calculate your L/100 km.
Cheapest ULP 91 on this route
69 stations within 5 km of the road, averaging $2.41/L.
| Station | Price | Into the drive | Off the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl Energy MackayPearl Energy · Mackay · QLDReported | $2.29/L | 0 km | 0.8 km |
| Mobil RichmondMobil · Richmond · QLDReported | $2.29/L | 5 km | 2.8 km |
| Caltex MackayCaltex · Mackay · QLDReported | $2.33/L | 0 km | 0.5 km |
| OOM Energy WulguruIndependent · Wulguru · QLDReported | $2.33/L | 380 km | 2.5 km |
| Liberty IdaliaLiberty · Idalia · QLDReported | $2.33/L | 380 km | 2.7 km |
| Kuttabul Road House and StoreIndependent · Kuttabul · QLDReported | $2.34/L | 35 km | 1.3 km |
| Caltex CludenCaltex · Cluden · QLDReported | $2.34/L | 380 km | 2.0 km |
| Ampol WulguruAmpol · Wulguru · QLDReported | $2.34/L | 380 km | 3.5 km |
| United Hermit ParkUnited Petroleum · Hermit Park · QLDReported | $2.35/L | 389 km | 2.5 km |
| Liberty Hyde ParkLiberty · Hyde Park · QLDReported | $2.35/L | 389 km | 3.5 km |
Cheapest Diesel on this route
48 stations within 5 km of the road, averaging $2.79/L.
| Station | Price | Into the drive | Off the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| MG FuelsIndependent · Bowen · QLDReported | $2.61/L | 190 km | 3.4 km |
| Kuttabul Road House and StoreIndependent · Kuttabul · QLDReported | $2.65/L | 35 km | 1.3 km |
| OOM Energy WulguruIndependent · Wulguru · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 380 km | 2.5 km |
| Pearl Energy MackayPearl Energy · Mackay · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 0 km | 0.8 km |
| United Hermit ParkUnited Petroleum · Hermit Park · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 389 km | 2.5 km |
| Liberty IdaliaLiberty · Idalia · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 380 km | 2.7 km |
| Liberty Hyde ParkLiberty · Hyde Park · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 389 km | 3.5 km |
| Calen PetrolIndependent · Calen · QLDReported | $2.70/L | 55 km | On route |
| Glenella FuelsBP · Glenella · QLDReported | $2.71/L | 5 km | 0.9 km |
| Caltex CludenCaltex · Cluden · QLDReported | $2.74/L | 380 km | 2.0 km |
Common questions
- How far is it from Mackay to Townsville?
- It is about 389 km by road, roughly 4 hours 34 minutes of driving before stops.
- Can you drive Mackay to Townsville on one tank?
- A small car (45 L tank, 6.5 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 513 km, so it makes the trip without refuelling. A mid-size SUV (60 L tank, 8.0 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 563 km, so it makes the trip without refuelling. A ute or 4WD (80 L tank, 9.5 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 632 km, so it makes the trip without refuelling. These use real-world consumption, about 20% above the lab figure, and hold back a reserve.
- Where is the cheapest fuel between Mackay and Townsville?
- In the latest fresh reports, the cheapest ULP 91 on this corridor is $2.29/L at Pearl Energy Mackay in Mackay, about 0 km into the drive. Prices can change before you arrive.
- How far off this road is cheap fuel worth driving for?
- At the 30.4c spread currently listed between Mackay, QLD and Merinda, QLD, a 60 litre fill at the cheap end saves about $18.24. For a car using around 9.6 L/100km that pays for roughly 43.2 km each way off the route before the detour has eaten the saving — and that is fuel only, not the time.
- Is diesel cheaper than petrol on this drive?
- No. Along this corridor diesel is averaging about 38.3c a litre more than ULP 91 in the latest fresh reports.