15 Unmissable Things to do in Townsville, Queensland

Nestled successful the Tropical North Queensland, with the Great Barrier Reef to 1 broadside and the towering highest of Mount Steward to the other, determination are plentifulness of adventures to beryllium had successful Townsville.

Townsville is champion known for being the gateway to Magnet Island, a distant land with pristine beaches and spectacular views, but it offers overmuch much than this. There are tons of amusive and breathtaking things to bash successful Townsville, making it a spot you privation to halt and enactment a while.

We adjacent had friends who, connected their travel to Australia, stopped successful Townsville and stayed for astir 2 years. So it indispensable person had immoderate things going for it.

The Strand

On our sojourn to Townsville, we learned that 27 degrees is simply a mean winter’s day, it’s Queensland’s 2nd biggest city, location to the biggest service basal successful Australia, it played a immense relation successful World War II and it has the champion Aquarium successful Australia.

It has a beauteous practice consciousness to it and arsenic a town, it’s really precise pretty.

If you’re making your mode down to the fashionable Airlie Beach, gateway to the Whitsundays, from Cairns, past Townsville is the cleanable halfway constituent to walk a fewer days connected your travels astir Australia. 

Things to Do successful Townsville

1. Relax connected The Strand

The Strand lifts Townsville up. It’s a 2.2km agelong beachfront playground with h2o parks and playgrounds for the kids, a beauteous walking path, BBQ’s, cafes and restaurants.

It besides has a nationalist swimming lagoon called The Rock Pool, which is hugely fashionable and the spot to beryllium connected 1 of those blistery Far North Queensland days.

The Rock Pool

Take a stroll on the promenade, sojourn the Rockpool Water Park and chill disconnected connected the h2o slides, unpack a picnic connected the beach, oregon simply bask a sunrise oregon sunset. The Strand is the spot to beryllium if you privation to bask the tropics of Queensland and bask being by the ocean.

2. Visit The Best Aquarium successful Australia, Reef HQ

Reef HQ is decidedly the champion aquarium I’ve been to successful Australia, perchance the world. Speaking of the world, it is the largest surviving coral reef aquarium successful the world!

Even if you program connected scuba diving oregon snorkelling the existent Great Barrier Reef, I deliberation this is worthy a sojourn to spot the vibrant coral and oversea beingness up adjacent and larn truthful overmuch astir the reef strategy and the interconnectedness of each surviving things. I truly enjoyed it, and truthful did our kids.

There are plentifulness of antithetic displays to spot each the marine beingness and there’s besides the Turtle hospital. It’s large for the kids to larn astir taking attraction of the animals we unrecorded beside and wherefore they are truthful important – adjacent sharks though they mightiness scare america a little!

3. Hike Up Castle Hill

Castel Hill is the pinkish granite monolith that makes you beryllium up and instrumentality announcement of the city.

This 286m precocious stone is the astir fashionable walking way successful Townsville and determination are assorted walking tracks – called the goat tracks that tin instrumentality you to the summit.

You could adjacent beryllium similar the locals and tally up Castle Hill. Or if you person kids, you mightiness conscionable privation to thrust up for the 360-degree views implicit Townsville and Magnetic Island.

4. Take A Townsville Military Tour

I perfectly loved my fractional time acquisition with Townsville Military Tours. I wasn’t expecting specified a invaluable penetration into our nation’s subject past from the Boer War II to existent operations successful Afghanistan.

I was bittersweet that during my years increasing up we lone truly heard of Gallipoli erstwhile determination were truthful galore soldiers and RAF doing heroic things during World War II.

Townsville was precise important during the Second World War, and it’s present the biggest service basal successful Australia. Toby,  laminitis and usher of the tour, comes from a subject inheritance and was truthful passionate and knowledgeable astir our subject history.

Toby made the circuit travel live with his stories and had the tears rolling down my look successful the archetypal 30 minutes. I was fascinated and walked distant with specified a greater pridefulness and admiration for the spot and resilience of our federation and gratitude for those who serve.

The circuit takes you to Kissing Point, the subject museum, The Black Hawk Down calamity memorial tract and the subject basal (outside of it). You halt for barroom and java astatine the Tumbetin Tea Rooms successful Palmetum Gardens.

5. Relax successful Palmetum Gardens

Palmetum Gardens is 1 of Townsville’s 4 Botanical Gardens. It’s a 17-hectare botanic plot displaying 1 of the largest and astir divers nationalist collections of palms successful the satellite – 300 taxon of palm, galore uncommon and threatened, and includes astir Australian palms.

I lone visited Palmetum concisely connected the Military Tour. I loved the tranquility and jungle consciousness of the parkland and particularly the memorial to the victims of the Black Hawk Tragedy that happened successful Townsville successful 1996.

It’s a large spot to spot tropical plants and beryllium backmost and unbend nether the shadiness of the trees.

6. Admire the Views from Kissing Point

The Kissing Point Fort has been turned into a beauteous country for the assemblage to bask with walking tracks and views retired implicit Magnetic Island and Cleveland Bay.

There are plentifulness of aged weapon replacement bunkers and tunnels present for the subject past buffs. A caller boardwalk that runs astir to adjacent Rowes Bay is present open.

7. See the Animals astatine Billabong Wildlife Sanctuary

If you’re looking for an interactive wildlife acquisition with Australian animals past caput retired to the Billabong Sanctuary astir 20 minutes extracurricular of Townsville. It’s a tranquil tropical bush mounting by the billabong.

There are interactive wildlife shows each time and bring your camera arsenic you tin ticker turtle races, pat a dingo, spot immoderate croc feeding, spot the wombats, provender immoderate kangaroos, and cuddle immoderate koalas.

8. Take a Day Trip to Magnetic Island

It’s good worthy taking the short 20-minute ferry ride crossed to a tiny land afloat of wildlife, stunning beaches, hiking tracks and the accidental to intermission clip for awhile and conscionable footwear backmost and relax.

With its pristine beaches, specified arsenic Horseshoe Bay and Balding Bay, it’s a large spot to sojourn blissful beaches and bash immoderate sunbathing and snorkeling successful crystal-clear waters teeming with marine life.

You tin besides bash immoderate scenic walking trails done rainforest and bays, including the fashionable Forts Walk, for a accidental to spot chaotic koalas.

The island’s laid-back ambiance and earthy quality makes it the cleanable time travel – oregon amended yet, enactment a mates days!

9. See the Texas Longhorns

Only a two-hour thrust from Townsville is the Texas Longhorns Experience conscionable extracurricular of Charters Towers.

This is 1 of the past horse-drawn wagon thrust experiences successful the country, and the lone spot to spot Texas Longhorns connected a safari.

We recovered it fascinating and we loved the hosts Mick and Lynda. They were truthful hospitable and amusive and are genuinely passionate astir their cattle and showcasing it and the stories with their guests.

10. See Waterfalls successful Paluma Range National Park

Small Creek successful Paluma Range National Park

For a accidental to spot the beauteous rainforest landscapes that marque this portion famous, caput to Paluma Range National Park, a abbreviated thrust from Townsville, for a delightful flight into lush rainforests and cascading waterfalls.

The parkland is location to the picturesque Little Crystal Creek and Big Crystal Creek, some renowned for their crystal-clear waters and scenic swimming holes. You whitethorn adjacent spot immoderate freshwater turtles portion you’re swimming!

The parkland is besides good known for its plethora of vibrant vertebrate species, from rainforest birds similar chowchillas, upland thornbills and aureate bowerbirds, which are autochthonal to this region.

The park’s elevated presumption provides breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and tranquil ambiance and earthy quality are dissimilar anyplace else.

11. Visit the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA)

art installations by sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor | Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) is simply a unsocial depository that combines art, marine conservation, and adventure!

Take a abbreviated vessel thrust to this unsocial underwater museum, which has a bid of stunning sculptures submerged successful the crystal-clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Each installation is designed to beforehand coral maturation and supply habitats for marine life. One of the highlights is the iconic “Ocean Siren” sculpture, which you tin spot by diving and snorkeling.

12. Admire The Wallaman Falls

Another must-see quality spot adjacent Townsville is Wallaman Falls, the tallest imperishable waterfall successful Australia, with a driblet of 268 meters!

Wallaman Falls is simply a spectacular sight, cascading dramatically into a lush gorge surrounded by vibrant rainforest.

The falls are located successful the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Wet Tropics and are accessible via a 3.2 kilometre trek with lone a 228-metre descent.

13. Dive the SS Yongala

Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

If you’re a diving enthusiast, don’t miss a accidental to spot the SS Yongala, a sunken rider vessel that went down successful 1911, who’s wreck present rests connected the water level disconnected the seashore of Ayr.

The wreck has been covered successful a vibrant artificial reef that’s teeming with divers marine species.

Explore the remnants of the ship, adorned with colorful corals, which supply feeding grounds for elephantine groupers, oversea turtles, and schools of tropical fish.

It has been recognized arsenic 1 of the champion dive sites successful the world, making it a must-visit for diving enthusiasts!

14. Visit the Hinchinbrook Islands

Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Another land worthy visiting adjacent Townsville is Hinchinbrook Island. Just a abbreviated vessel thrust away, this pristine land is renowned for its rugged mountains, lush rainforests, and secluded beaches.

One of the highlights is the celebrated Thorsborne Trail, a multi-day hiking way that winds done the island’s divers ecosystems, offering breathtaking views, hidden waterfalls, and opportunities to spot section animals specified arsenic wallabies and assorted vertebrate species.

The crystal-clear waters surrounding the land are cleanable for snorkeling and kayaking, making it a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts!

15. Museum of Tropical Queensland

Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

We’re not large connected museums, but we recovered the Queensland Museum Tropics an enriching experience.

The depository features a divers array of exhibits that amended visitors astir the affluent biodiversity of the tropical environment, including fascinating displays connected the Great Barrier Reef and the indigenous cultures of Northern Queensland.

It besides has a stunning postulation of maritime artifacts, including items from the historical shipwreck of the HMS Pandora!

Places to Eat successful Townsville

1. Longboard Bar & Grill

Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

A must-visit barroom for views, beers, mojitos and awesome digit nutrient is Longboard’s connected The Strand.

Very American successful flavour, Longboard’s is simply a spot we anticipation to instrumentality to. We haven’t had buffalo wings arsenic bully since we lived successful the States. (They were overmuch cheaper backmost determination too!)

2. Juliette’s Gelateria

Our section person from North Queensland insisted we person to spell to Juliette’s. It’s an instauration for gelato and coffee.

The crystal pick comes successful galore weird and fantastic flavours. There’s a cafe and a smaller kiosk on the Strand.

3. C Bar

Cbar has large h2o views and bully coffee. We didn’t halt present for lunch, but we enjoyed the raisin toast with our cuppa.

4. Townsville Brewing Co.

If there’s a brewery successful municipality you’ll typically find america there, and The Townsville Brewing Co didn’t disappoint.

The gathering itself is awesome and afloat of character, it’s successful the aged station office, and whilst we didn’t devour present we dropped successful for a brew and truly enjoyed our mates of pints of section trade beer.

City Lane

City Lane is simply a laneway successful the metropolis centre, and Townsville’s archetypal originative precinct with funky bars and eateries, including my favourite, the Paleo Cafe.

Places to Stay successful Townsville

Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

We stayed successful 2 abstracted places successful Townsville during our visit. The archetypal mates of nights was astatine the Grand Hotel and the determination was precise central, close connected Palmer Street surrounded by respective bully cafes and restaurants and an casual locomotion to the CBD.

Then we stayed astatine archetypal ever vacation rental property, in the centre of the metropolis and casual to locomotion to shops and restaurants and being close adjacent the cinema was a bonus with 2 children.

The autobus stopped close crossed the roadworthy which made it precise casual to get to the Strand – though it’s besides walking distance.

If you privation a much lux, tropical edifice accommodation, The Ville Resort Casino connected the waters borderline is vibrant and playful and comes highly recommended

Save To Save On Pinterest