For anyone searching for an audiologist Marlborough locals can see without waiting on a visiting-clinic date, the nearest CQ Audiology location is the main Rockhampton rooms, roughly 106 kilometres south down the Bruce Highway. CQ Audiology has no clinic, office or visiting service in Marlborough itself. The Rockhampton rooms are at T33 & 34A, City Centre Plaza, 24 Fitzroy Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700, and they are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to 12pm.
Why Rockhampton is the practical choice
Marlborough sits on the Bruce Highway between Rockhampton and Mackay, and Rockhampton is the nearest city to the south. The CQ Audiology rooms there are permanent rather than periodic, which changes how you can plan.
With a visiting clinic, you wait for the audiologist to come to a town. With the Rockhampton rooms, you choose from regular weekday hours or a Saturday morning, and you can often line the appointment up with a day you were already heading south. That flexibility tends to matter more than a few extra kilometres when you are balancing stock work, school runs or a job on a mine roster.
An audiologist Marlborough drivers can reach in about an hour and a quarter
The drive from Marlborough to Rockhampton is roughly 106 kilometres, and most people allow about an hour and a quarter each way on the Bruce Highway. City Centre Plaza is on Fitzroy Street in the middle of Rockhampton, close to the rest of the CBD, so the appointment can sit alongside other errands in town.
To get the most out of the trip:
- Book ahead and ask for a time that gives you room for the drive in and out, particularly if you are coming off a property.
- Bring any hearing aids you own, together with chargers, spare batteries and any paperwork from a previous test.
- Think about the three settings where listening is hardest for you. That might be the cab of a road train, a crowded bar on a Friday or a noisy family barbecue.
- If you can, bring someone who talks with you every day. They often notice things you would not think to mention.
Cattle, gemstones and magnesite: working life around Marlborough
Marlborough grew up around the pastoral runs taken up in the 1850s, and cattle raising is still what much of the surrounding district is known for, with breeds such as Brahman, Hereford and Santa Gertrudis grazed in the area. The locality is also recognised for chrysoprase, a semi-precious green gemstone that has been mined nearby since the 1950s, and the Kunwarara magnesite mine lies to the south of town. The North Coast railway line runs through the locality, as does the Bruce Highway.
Work in the district can involve plenty of loud equipment: heavy mining plant, generators, cattle yards and crushes, stock trucks and workshop machinery. If you work in mining or heavy industry, your employer may ask for a hearing assessment before you start. Our pre-employment hearing assessments page explains how that service works at CQ Audiology. Custom earplugs, made from impressions of your own ears, are also available through the Rockhampton rooms.
Services at the Rockhampton rooms
Rockhampton is the main base for CQ Audiology. The services offered there include:
- Diagnostic hearing assessments for adults.
- Hearing aid fitting and follow-up appointments.
- Earwax removal by microsuction, which is offered at the Rockhampton rooms.
- Custom-made earplugs for noisy work and hobbies.
- Hearing assessments for pre-employment and industrial purposes.
- Children's hearing tests.
- Tinnitus assessment.
For more detail on the clinic itself, see our Rockhampton audiologist page. If you are thinking about devices, our page on hearing aids in Rockhampton has more on devices and follow-up care.
Families with school-age children
For families already travelling to Rockhampton, it may be practical to book a children's hearing test on a day that fits the school week. Let reception know the child's age when you call, so the right amount of time is set aside.
Between appointments
Hearing care often continues after the first visit. Devices may need fine tuning once you have worn them for a while, and small parts such as filters and domes need replacing from time to time. If something is not working as it should, call reception on (07) 4848 6528 before making the drive. Some questions can be answered over the phone, and when a visit is needed, reception can find a time that suits your next trip into Rockhampton.
Fees and the Hearing Services Program
Ask about fees when you book, so you know what to expect before you set off. 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.
When something changes quickly
A planned appointment is for routine hearing care. If you notice a sudden change in your hearing, see your GP or an emergency department the same day rather than waiting for a booking. On medical questions about your ears, your GP or an ENT specialist will advise.
Making a booking from Marlborough
Phone (07) 4848 6528 during opening hours and mention that you are coming from Marlborough. Reception can suggest a time that fits around the drive and let you know what to bring.