Anyone looking for an audiologist Duaringa families can reach has two realistic choices with CQ Audiology, and neither is in Duaringa itself. The Blackwater visiting clinic, held at North Blackwater General Practice, 14 Blain Street, Blackwater QLD 4717, is about 80 kilometres west along the Capricorn Highway. The main Rockhampton rooms are roughly 108 kilometres east along the same highway. CQ Audiology has no clinic, office or regular presence in Duaringa.
Visiting-clinic days vary by location. Please call (07) 4848 6528 to confirm the next available clinic in Blackwater before travelling.
Two directions on the Capricorn Highway
Duaringa's local council describes the town as the gateway to the Central Highlands, and that position works in your favour here. Head one way and you reach a periodic clinic that is a little closer. Head the other and you reach the permanent rooms, which are a little further but open through the week.
Heading west to Blackwater
- Roughly 80 kilometres from Duaringa.
- Appointments are held at North Blackwater General Practice on Blain Street when the audiologist is visiting.
- Clinic dates change, so the day must be confirmed by phone before you set out.
- Our Blackwater audiologist page explains more about that clinic.
Heading east to Rockhampton
- Roughly 108 kilometres from Duaringa.
- The rooms are at T33 & 34A, City Centre Plaza, 24 Fitzroy Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700.
- Open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to 12pm.
- Earwax removal by microsuction is offered at the Rockhampton rooms.
- More detail is on our Rockhampton audiologist page.
Choosing an audiologist Duaringa households can fit around the week
The difference in distance between the two options is small, so the better choice usually comes down to timing and what else you need to do that day. A few questions can help you decide:
- Which way do your other errands already take you? If you regularly shop, bank or see other health providers in one of the two towns, it makes sense to book there.
- Do you need a Saturday? The Rockhampton rooms open on Saturday mornings.
- Is earwax removal on your list? That service is offered at Rockhampton.
- How soon do you want to be seen? Sometimes the next Blackwater clinic date lines up nicely; other times Rockhampton has a sooner appointment. Reception can compare both when you call.
Floodplains, cattle and coal country
Duaringa was established in the 1870s as a rural and railway service centre while the line was being built westward from Rockhampton, and pastoralists had settled the area from the 1850s. The Dawson River forms the eastern edge of the locality and the Mackenzie River the northern edge, and the two rivers meet north-east of town to form the Fitzroy. The council notes that the fertile floodplains of these river systems now produce grain crops and beef cattle, while the Brigalow Development Scheme of the 1960s opened up large areas of country to the north.
Further west, several open-cut coal mines and an underground mine surround Blackwater and provide that town's main employment.
Put together, the district's working life can involve a lot of machinery: harvesters and tractors in cropping season, cattle yards and trucks, pumps, workshop tools and heavy mining equipment. Hearing protection that fits well enough to wear through a full shift is worth raising with the audiologist, and custom earplugs made from impressions of your ears are one of the services CQ Audiology offers.
Community life and everyday listening
Duaringa has a strong community streak. Mackenzie Park, at the eastern entrance to town, grew out of local effort along with the golf course and walking track, and the sports complex hosts cricket, golf and rodeo. Camp-drafting is among the sports locals enjoy, and the Dawson River draws people for fishing and camping.
When you see the audiologist, it helps to describe the real places where you listen. That could be a crowded canteen at a camp-draft, a round of golf with friends, a phone call on a patchy line out on the property, or a family gathering in a busy kitchen. Describing those settings gives the appointment a practical focus.
What happens at a hearing appointment
Whether you travel to Blackwater or Rockhampton, the appointment starts with a conversation about your hearing and the situations that matter most to you. The audiologist then carries out the testing that suits your needs and explains what the results show. Our hearing tests page covers the assessment in more depth. Depending on your situation, you may also discuss hearing aid fitting and follow-up, a tinnitus assessment, pre-employment or industrial hearing assessments, or custom earplugs. Ask when you book which services are available at a Blackwater visiting clinic.
Before you get in the car
- Confirm the date and time by phone, particularly for Blackwater.
- Pack any hearing aids you use, with chargers or batteries.
- Bring a list of your current medications and any recent letters from your GP.
- Consider bringing a family member or friend who knows how you manage day to day.
Costs and the Hearing Services Program
Please ask about fees when you book. Eligible pensioner concession card and DVA card holders may access services under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program; eligibility criteria apply. Conditions apply under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program.
If your hearing changes suddenly
A booked appointment in Blackwater or Rockhampton is not the place for an urgent change. Should your hearing change suddenly, see your GP or an emergency department the same day. If the question is a medical one, your GP or an ENT specialist will advise.
Book from Duaringa
Call (07) 4848 6528 and say you are coming from Duaringa. Reception can check the next Blackwater visiting clinic and the next opening in Rockhampton, so you can choose whichever works better for you.