Townsville

North Queensland offers a relaxed tropical lifestyle to balance the bustle of commercial life. It boasts 300 days of blue skies and sunshine every year.

The warm winter months offer a perfect escape from the southern chill. Locals were summer clothes all year round, and enjoy life on the water while the rest of Australia rugs up.

The region is home to two inner city cultural hubs - Townsville’s award winning waterfront esplanade, the Strand, is joined by the new Riverway lagoon precinct Thuringowa.

The city’s new restaurants and bars have set a new standard of tropical inner city life. New waterfront holiday apartments sit alongside a host of new hotels - there’s an accommodation option for every budget. The quality of inner city living in Townsville ensures guests choosing to holiday in Queensland can enjoy a big city lifestyle in a relaxed holiday environment.

Magnetic island is on of Australia’s undiscovered tropical island getaways. Visitors to the island can now enjoy 5-star luxury as a string of new resort developments complement the existing backpacker and family accommodation on the island.

Townsville serves as a gateway to a wide range of Australian experiences, including the Great Barrier Reef, tropical islands, the rainforest and the outback. The natural beauty of the Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed all year round.

The Great Tropical Drive offers travellers the chance to experience the best North Queensland has to offer. Encompassing reef, rainforest and wetland the Great Tropical Drive showcases the rich natural, and historical highlights the region has to offer.

Things to See and Do

Drive
Discover a tropical paradise where rainforests meet pristine beaches banana farms and sugar cane envelop historic art deco architecture, and rolling rapids and waterfalls tumble through National parks.

The magnificent Great Green Way is 340 kilometers of scenic highway between Townsville and Cairns and is one of Australia’s best drives.

Dive
Regarded as the greatest natural playground on earth, the Great Barrier Reef lies just off the coast of Townsville. Dive or snorkel amide the rich clusters of coral, swim in the warm shallows of the ocean or search for seasonal fishing haunts.

Sunsea Cruises make scheduled day visits and private vessels are also available for charter. Townsville is also home of the famous SS Yongala shipwreck, Australia’s best wreck dive site and well worth a voyage into the deep blue. An abundance of sea creatures and array of coral makes this dive a must. To learn more about the Great Barrier Reef and how the different species help to sustain the reef, visit Reef HQ, the largest living coral reef aquarium in the world, which houses more than 100 varieties of coral and 200 species of fish.

Natural Life
Billabong Sanctuary is a wonderful interactive wildlife experience where native animals roam freely in the natural habitats. The Sanctuary is set in 11 hectares (25 acres) of natural tropical North Queensland bush and is home to all kinds of native mammals, birds and reptiles.

A birdwatcher's paradise at Townsville’s Town Common Conservation Park. Open woodland, grassland, swamps and vine thickets, only minutes from the centre of Townsville, provide habitat for up to 280 bird species. Summer rains transform the area into an immense wetland, attracting large flocks of waterbirds.

See wild rock wallabies, sea eagles, koalas and feed the Rainbow Lorikeets on Magnetic Island - nature’s paradise.

Island Life
The Townsville region offers easy access to five resort islands which float like jewels in the blue waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Take your pick from Magnetic, Dunk, Bedarra, Orpheus or Hinchinbrook Island

Event Life
Australian Italian Festival in Ingham is held in May each year, along with the Charters Towers Country Music Festival, the Mingela Rodeo and the Townsville Greek Festival, all attracting local and national visitors. For the complete list of events in the North Queensland region visit www.townsvilleonline.com.au/events

Adventure Life
Whitewater rafting, bushwalking, abseiling, skyseiling, parasailing, snorkelling, sailing, fishing, diving, jet skiiing, horse riding, swimming and sky diving are just some of the activities to enjoy you an adventurous life in the tropics.

Must See and Dos:

  • Billabong Sanctuary
  • Cotters Markets in Flinders Mall, Sunday Mornings
  • Reef HQ
  • IMAX domed theatre
  • RAAF and Military Museums
  • The Museum of Tropical North Queensland
  • Jupiters Townsville Hotel and Casino
  • Magnetic, Orpheus, Hinchinbrook, Bedarra and Dunk islands
  • Flinders Street East - vibrant nightlife
  • The Brewery - Townsville’s mini brewery
  • Palmer Street Restaurants

For more information go to: Townsville Enterprise