Yeppoon sits about 40 kilometres north east of Rockhampton, and not everyone on the Capricorn Coast wants to make that drive for a hearing appointment. CQ Audiology holds a visiting clinic in town at Keppel Bay Medical Centre, Shop 26, Keppel Bay Plaza, 64-67 James Street, Yeppoon QLD 4703. It is the same independent, family run practice that works from City Centre Plaza in Rockhampton, and the same audiologist, Rajesh Geddada, who sees you there.
How our visiting clinic in Yeppoon works
The Yeppoon rooms are not open every day. Our audiologist travels out to the coast, runs a block of appointments, then heads back to the Rockhampton clinic. That arrangement puts audiology within reach of Capricorn Coast residents without a round trip along the Yeppoon Road, but it does mean appointments are arranged ahead of time rather than dropped in on.
Visiting-clinic days vary by location. Please call (07) 4848 6528 to confirm the next available clinic in Yeppoon before travelling.
If what you need cannot wait for the next coastal clinic, we can usually offer an earlier time at the Rockhampton rooms, which are open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday mornings from 9:00am to 12:00pm.
Finding us at Keppel Bay Plaza
Keppel Bay Plaza is on James Street in the middle of Yeppoon, with parking on site and the town's main shops a few steps away. For most people on the coast that means a hearing appointment can be folded into an ordinary morning of errands rather than set aside as a day out. If you are coming in from Emu Park, Farnborough or the Byfield end of the coast, allow a little extra time for James Street through the holiday season.
Listening on the Capricorn Coast
Coastal life brings its own listening conditions. A steady south easterly across the foreshore takes the edge off consonants, so a conversation on the esplanade can be far harder work than the same conversation indoors. Surf at Lammermoor and Mulambin adds a low, constant wash of sound underneath everything else. Open air tables along Anzac Parade, the marina at Rosslyn Bay and the run across to Great Keppel Island all pile background noise over the voice you are trying to follow.
Those are the situations worth jotting down before your appointment. When we know that the outdoor tables at your regular cafe are where you struggle, or that you cannot make out the skipper over the outboard, we can be far more useful than if we only have a chart of tones to work from.
A town that empties and fills again
Yeppoon's population swells through winter and the school holidays. A good share of the people we see on the coast have retired here from further south, and others are here for a few weeks with the caravan. Both groups run into the same practical problems away from their usual clinic: a hearing device that has stopped working, a dome or wax filter that has come adrift, or batteries that run out at the wrong moment.
Where appointment space allows, we can check a device that is not performing, clean it, and supply consumables. Bring the device itself, the charger or spare batteries, and any paperwork from wherever it was fitted. Records help a great deal, particularly if the device came from interstate.
What a hearing appointment covers
Appointments on the coast follow the same shape as those in town. Allow about an hour for a full assessment.
- A conversation about your hearing history, the situations you find hardest, noise you have been around at work or on the water, any ringing in the ears, and past ear problems.
- A look inside both ears with a light and camera, so you can see the ear canal and the eardrum on screen as well.
- Micro-suction ear wax removal if wax is in the way, because a blocked canal changes what the testing shows.
- Pure tone testing, where you respond to quiet tones across a range of pitches through headphones.
- Speech testing, because following words in real life matters far more than hearing single beeps.
- A middle ear check that shows how the eardrum is moving and helps place where the difficulty sits.
Results are talked through with you on the day. If a hearing device is worth considering, we will say so and explain the options and what each one costs. If it is not, we will say that too, and suggest when to come back for another look. Anything that points to a medical cause we will flag plainly so you can raise it with your GP.
Ways to pay for hearing services
Costs are set out before anything goes ahead. Eligible pensioner concession card and DVA card holders may access services under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program; eligibility criteria apply. Many private health funds contribute towards devices depending on your level of cover, and work related and insurance claims are handled where they apply. Ask when you book and we will tell you what is likely to apply in your case.
Care between coastal clinics
Hearing care is rarely a single appointment. Devices need adjusting as you get used to them, ears change over the years, and equipment occasionally needs servicing. Seeing the same audiologist each time means your history and your hardest listening situations are already on file. Between Yeppoon clinics you are welcome at the Rockhampton rooms at T33 and 34A, City Centre Plaza, 24 Fitzroy Street, and home visits can be arranged where getting to either location is difficult.
Booking with an audiologist in Yeppoon
To arrange a time with an audiologist in Yeppoon, call (07) 4848 6528, email reception@cqaudiology.com.au, or use the online booking form. Please check with us when the next coastal clinic is running, so you are not driving in on a day the rooms are closed.
This page is general information, not personal medical advice. For guidance about your hearing, speak with a qualified professional.