If you live in Gladstone, the nearest CQ Audiology clinic is in Rockhampton, and you would be travelling to us for your appointment. We do not have rooms in your town. This page is written for people who are happy to make the drive, roughly 110km up the Bruce Highway, and who want that one trip to be genuinely worth the fuel and the morning.
Where you will find us in Rockhampton
Our clinic is at T33 & 34A, City Centre Plaza, 24 Fitzroy Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700. City Centre Plaza is a shopping centre in the middle of Rockhampton on Fitzroy Street, so you are not hunting for a side street address in an unfamiliar town. We are open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 12:00pm, and closed on Sunday.
There is parking on site and lift access inside the centre, which matters if stairs are hard work, if you use a walking frame, or if you are bringing an older parent. Being inside a shopping centre also means the rest of the trip, the chemist, the shopping and lunch, happens on the same stop rather than three.
How long is the drive from Gladstone to Rockhampton?
Allow about 1 hour 20 minutes each way for the run of roughly 110km north west along the Bruce Highway. Treat both figures as approximate only. That stretch carries a lot of heavy vehicles, and roadworks, wet weather or a slow run through Calliope and Mount Larcom can add time without much warning. Leave yourself a margin. A hearing assessment goes better when you have not just spent twenty minutes worrying about being late, and arriving with a few minutes spare means you can have a drink of water and settle before we start.
Can appointment times be arranged around the drive?
Yes, and it helps a lot if you tell us you are travelling in from out of town when you book. We can usually offer a mid morning or early afternoon time so you are not driving the highway in the dark at either end, and Saturday morning suits people who cannot take a weekday off work. If we are running behind on the day, reception will ring you before you leave home rather than let you sit in a waiting room. If something has to change at your end, one phone call frees the spot for somebody else.
Making one trip do the work of two
The practical trick is to stack the visit. Tell us everything you want looked at when you book, not when you arrive, and we will allow the time for it. A hearing test and an ear check can often sit in the same appointment, and if wax is part of the problem, ear wax removal may be able to be handled in the same visit once we have had a look.
- Book two people from the same household back to back rather than making two separate trips.
- Ask for a longer single appointment if you wear hearing aids and want them checked as well as your hearing.
- Pick up batteries, domes, filters and cleaning supplies while you are in the building.
- Raise tinnitus, balance concerns or difficulty on the phone at booking, so the time is set aside for it.
What to bring with you
A little preparation saves the second trip. If you have not had your hearing checked before, our page on what happens at a hearing test walks through the appointment step by step so nothing is a surprise.
- Your Medicare card, and your pensioner concession card or DVA card if you hold one.
- Any GP referral or previous hearing results, even old ones, because comparison is useful.
- A list of your current medicines and any history of ear surgery, perforations or infections.
- Your current hearing aids, chargers, spare batteries and any accessories.
- A family member or friend, both for the company on the highway and to help take in the results.
Will I have to drive up a second time?
Sometimes, and we would rather be honest about it than surprise you. If you are fitted with hearing aids, the fitting is a separate appointment from the assessment, because the devices are ordered and programmed to your results. Beyond that, we work hard to keep the number of trips down. Your results are explained on the day, not posted out later. Fine tuning can often be done remotely where your hearing aids and phone support it. Questions get answered by phone on (07) 4848 6528 or by email to reception@cqaudiology.com.au, and consumables can be posted to you. We will not ask you to drive 110km for something that can be sorted without you leaving the house.
Help with the cost, and what to ask when you book
Ask about funding before you drive anywhere. Eligible pensioner concession card and DVA card holders may access services under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program; eligibility criteria apply, and reception can check your position over the phone in a couple of minutes. It is also worth asking how long your appointment will run, what you should do if the highway holds you up, and whether anything else can be added to the same visit.
Booking your appointment in Rockhampton
Call (07) 4848 6528 or use our booking form and mention that you are driving up from Gladstone, so we can set a time that suits the trip. You can also read more about our Rockhampton city clinic before you come. We are an independent, family run practice, and Rajesh Geddada, our qualified audiologist, will take the time to explain your results properly so the drive was worth making.
DISCLAIMER: The content on this page is intended for general educational purposes only and does not replace individual professional advice. Please speak with a qualified audiologist or your GP about your own hearing, diagnosis or care options.