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City in Queensland, Australia
Photo: Hanek45 at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Townsville is a laid-back coastal city of over 173,724 people (2021) in North Central Queensland. Townsville is on the coast and enjoys an average of 320 days of sunshine a year. It is an appealing place for locals and a great jumping off point for visitors, especially to Magnetic Island which is only 25 minutes by passenger or car ferry. A great spot for visitors wanting a taste of rural Australia while not venturing far from the coast.
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The Spirit of Queensland Tilt Train runs from Cairns and Brisbane five times a week each direction. The Inlander to Mt Isa is operated twice a week.
If you have the chance to see a football (rugby league) match while you're in the area and are into sports, it's recommended that you do so. The atmosphere in the Stadium, the home of the North Queensland Cowboys, is abuzz at all home matches. The stadium used to be known as Stockland Stadium, Malanda Stadium and Dairy Farmer's Stadium.
Castle Hill at the centre of the city has amazing views both east to Magnetic Island and west to the suburbs and hills. There is a road to the top, but the steep uphill walk is also popular, particularly in the evening when it is cooler.
Reef HQ is an aquarium focusing on Great Barrier Reef fish life. It is built around two large tanks each several metres high, and some twenty meters in length. The larger of the two tanks contain smaller non-predatory reef fish, and the smaller tank contains reef fish and predators including several species of shark.
The Museum of Tropical Queensland's main drawcard is the display of artefacts from HMS Pandora, the ship that the British sent in pursuit of HMS Bounty. Other exhibits include the wildlife of the tropical areas of Queensland.
is the road into Pioneer Park that forms the city/park integration. from the car park it extends through the park as a pedestrian spine that follows the rivers edge and forms the heart of Pioneer Park.
A geographical formation with a grass roof that is incorporating the parkland without a decrease in the amount of grassed area. It also lowers the interior temperature by reducing the roof surface temperature.
It winds its way thought the city and play part to a large range of sporting and leisure activities. The Riverwalk is a pathway that overlooks Ross River. Loam Island and Pioneer Park are part of the Riverway development and provide locals and visitors with entertainment such as, Skiing and wakeboarding plus some good fishing spots. Other areas along Ross River are Apex Park and Ross Park.
A part of Paluma Range National Park (approximately 65 km from Thuringowa Central). It features large deep swimming holes that are very popular with locals and visitors. The picnic areas, BBQs, camping, and toilets are wheelchair accessible. Free bookings for the campsite can be made by phoning Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on 13 13 04.
It is one of the most popular destinations for locals and tourists where you can swim in the crystal clear water, have a picnic or BBQ and there are toilet facilities here with wheelchair access.
It was one of Thuringowa's most popular residential beachside community, and is now one of Townsville's fastest growing residential communities. At low tide you can walk to a wooden shipwreck and some fantastic ponds that are full of marine life that the whole family can enjoy. There is a boat ramp for public use at the beach plus BBQs and kids playgrounds, Bushland Beach also has a hotel, resort and a small shopping center.
Right on the beach. One of the most popular attractions here is the barramundi feeding.
A sandy beach which stretches for kilometers, Saunders beach is one of Thuringowa's more popular beaches but you can often have this beach to yourself due to the long length. there is also a boat ramp.
A quiet beach, ideal for birdwatchers and fishing or a quiet day on sand. This area has a picnic area as well as public toilets.
Somewhat of an isolated beach, but boasts and a great free camping area, picnic area, public toilets and a boat ramp for public use. This is also another great area for bird watching.
A small community 53 km north of Thuringowa Central (located a few minutes from Rollingstone) and is the perfect day or overnight destination for locals and tourists that visit the Townsville area. Balgal Beach features clean, white sand, a stinger net that is patrolled from November to May for safe swimming. A boat ramp is available to allow easy access to Palm Islands area. Apart from the beach, the wide creek mouth is a great fishing location. Other activities in here include the ANZAC memorial, a picnic and BBQ at the park, bird watching, golf and lawn bowls at Mystic Sands Golf & Country Club.
It holds a fish BBQ on the first Sunday of each month at 5PM.
A camping area that is popular due to the freshwater creek swimming area next to the park. Community markets are held on the first Saturday of each month, April to September from 8AM. Rollingstone also has a Museum, Caravan Resort and shop.
A township of around 25 permanent residents in the Mount Spec ranges of Thuringowa's heritage listed Wet Tropics.
On Hervey Range, it lets you view over the land below Hervey Range and all the way out to sea. While you in the area you can check out the Hervey's Range Heritage Tea Rooms here they serve refreshments and offer all the info about the local history.
Opened in 2007, it features 8 fully lit Touch Football fields as well as carparking and a fully licensed clubhouse which is home to Redskins Touch Club and Thuringowa Touch Association.
An international-standard golf course with a 72-hectare (180-acre) golf wildlife sanctuary and also home to the Queensland Masters. The area is also home to a residential estate.
These gardens were established in 1932. There are special collections of Pandanus. They have been called Townsville's finest park.
The Palmetum is a botanical garden featuring one family of plants, the palms. The collection contain all six subfamilies within the family Arecaceae. Approximately 60 species of palms are native to Australia; most are represented. The collection contains about 300 species; many rare and threatened in their natural habitat.
These gardens were established in 1984
Located at Townsville's beautiful Jezzine Barracks, the Museum collects and exhibits objects and stories relating to the history of the Australian Army in North Queensland from colonial days through to modern day conflicts.
The Strand Beach is a sandy beach right in front of the main waterfront area of Townsville. It is generally a calm swimming spot thanks to the shelter of Magnetic Island; don't bother trying to surf. An artificial swimming lagoon called The Rockpool is located at one end.
This playground is at the southern end of the Strand, free and more fun than the kids can handle on a hot day.
Adrenalin Dive offers 2 dive day trips to the Yongala departing Townsville and Magnetic Island. PADI certification courses are available via the Pro Dive liveaboard for the Pro Dive prices.
Remote Area Dive offers day trips to the Yongala wreck, Pelorus/Orpheus Island. Open Water certification is also available for a total of $615 all inclusive.
For a list of all scuba dive sites in the region around Townsville you can visit the Townsville, Magnetic island section of GreatestDiveSites.
Townsville's newest dive centre. Offering PADI dive courses, professional programmes, technical dive training, dive club, travel, full gear servicing, equipment sales, online shop and a group of friendly, passionate and professional divers waiting to welcome you into our dive community. Regular boat dives both weekdays and weekends $199 for all boat dives (excluding courses)
Townsville's upscale dining district with moderate priced dining inbetween.
Townsville's dining precinct for the southwestern suburbs. Budget to moderately upscale dining available.
The C Bar Cafe is right on the water's edge and you can look out over the bay, which just about makes the wait bearable: despite enormous demand there are few staff and at peak times you could wait up to an hour for a simple cafe meal. Breakfast lunch and dinner.
For a quality Chinese meal, come to Dynasty. Boasting an excellent selection including a live lobster tank, Dynasty boasts to be Townsville's premium Chinese food service. Prices are expensive so for a cheaper feed, try the Capitol Reagent Chinese Restaurant across the road.
Come for some pizza! Casual and passionate dining. Take away and eating in are both available.
Serving quality steaks
Casual and formal dining options for excellent Indian. Take away is also provided.
For a cheap feed, head down to Molly's. Molly's might be known primarily by the locals for its $8.50 crumbed steak every Tuesday; but it also has daily specials. The food may be fairly average (even for pub grub) and you might have to go and collect it from the counter yourself, but nothing beats cheap!
A Thai eatery with a particular emphasis on the delights of the ocean, this eatery may have diners thinking they've hit the jackpot and landed somewhere in Phuket. Prices are moderate.
Excellent seafood and steak!
For spice heads, excellent Pakistani style dishes.
Pick up and delivery
Eclectic Modern Australian dishes served in polished surrounds with expansive outdoor seating.
For those visiting the Palmer Street Restaurant District, pop into the Aussie (as known by the locals) for a cheeky beer and a yarn with a typical Townsville local. A smoking garden is at the very end of the hotel behind the dining area. Located towards the western side of Palmer Street.
For a real South Townsville pub experience, the Commonwealth provides amply. Mingle with a vast array of interesting characters, bogans, tradies and blunt South Townsvillians and rock out to real live electric pub rock every Saturday afternoon. For the easily amused, topless raffles (a topless woman walking around the pub selling raffle tickets) are conducted between 12-3PM every Saturday afternoon as well. To top things off, drinks are cheap.
Bringing together the best of former Thuringowa, Irish Finnegans aims to please with live bands and DJs every Friday and Saturday. Make sure to come after 9PM to meet the rowdy locals who meet here regularly. Come for Saint Patrick's Day celebrations where everyone is Irish for the day. There is a large smoking area out the side door. Drinks are reasonable
Tear it up with the uni kids at the Uni Club. Drop in for O-Week celebrations in February and July and celebrate like only a drunken university student can. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays especially go off with live bands often playing or DJ's spinning all the popular club hits. Drink prices can be a bit steep. Located towards the back of the campus off Angus Smith Drive.
formerly Jupiters Hotel & Casino
Just down from the Townsville Entertainment Centre, Jupiters is a waterfront casino and hotel. It features blackjack, roulette and pontoon among others. Being a casino, naturally it features Townsville's widest selection of pokie machines. It contains five bars, including three in the casino. It also features outdoor two smoking areas. Drinks are surprisingly well-priced. For nightowls, the Casino is the only place that allows entry to patrons after 3AM on weekends where it is usually open til about 5AM.
As one of Townsville's three Irish themed pubs, Molly Malone's (or Molly's for short) makes its reputation with the older crowd, usually stocked with patrons 35 and older (but quite often stocked with plenty of twenty-somethings too!) Live bands play every Friday and Saturday with softer acoustic acts playing during the week.Drinks aren't so cheap though, with basic spirits starting at $7.00 and higher. The aptly named Five Bar featured in Molly's serves cocktails. An open smoking and drinking area with tables and chairs are located out the back in the Shed Nightclub's forcourt as the two are interlinked. It's at the eastern end of the Flinders Street just across the Road from Flynn's Irish Pub. Open til 2AM on Friday and Saturday.
For a relaxing game of pool, or maybe a catch up with friends, Monsoons provides all with a relaxing atmosphere. It features quite decent views of the Ross River mouth from its balcony outside. Drinks are not horribly priced. Drinking specials feature every Tuesday. Located on the western side of Flinders Street East next to Dynasty Chinese restaurant.
A strip club. Drinks are quite steep. Located to the left of Bullwinkle's Nightclub and across the road from Molly Malones. Up the stairs.
Come for a drink in the beer garden by the sea! Drink prices are moderate. Every Saturday night upstairs features the infamous 'Grab a Granny'; an informal event where the single older ladies/cougars of Townsville come to meet and greet!
Townsville's premier gay bar serving the wider LGBT community of North Queensland. The Sovereign Hotel offers a welcoming pub, bar, live entertainment and comfortable, affordable accommodation in one of the most desirable Townsville areas.
For those in need of an ale, come down to the Upper Ross for a quiet (or sometimes loud) drink with the locals of the west Townsville suburbs of Rasmussen, Kelso and Condon. (The suburbs that are not-quite-bush but are not-quite-suburban either. Free pool and jukebox tunes every Tuesday.)
Located on the eastern part of the Strand, the Watermark attracts tourists and locals alike with its calm ocean views and chic design. Drinks are quite expensive but there is a cheap drink happy hour every Friday from 5 - 7PM.
Waterfront views.
An air-conditioned backpackers resort with a swimming pool and BBQ area. Paid Wi-Fi.
waterfront accommodation on Townsville's Strand. Views over Cleveland Bay to Magnetic Island.
Civic Guest House is a budget hotel. There are internet, barbecue and pool facilities. Air-conditioning available in some rooms.
Affectionately referred to as the Sugar Shaker by the locals, the Holiday Inn has stood in pride as an iconic part of the Townsville horizon since 1976. The Holiday Inn serves with the usual facilities. In addition, there is a rooftop pool.
Townsville Central Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the city dining precinct and only a few minutes walk from the main shopping centre of Flinders Mall. Free Wi-Fi and onsite parking.
Facilities include a pool, a barbecue area, tennis courts and babysitting.
Clean hostel. Free Wi-Fi.
Seagulls is close to the city and Castle Hill. Accommodation is available in the form of resort rooms, family rooms, rooms with kitchenettes, self contained two-bedroom apartments or suite rooms. Two pools, half court tennis, playground, barbeque facilities, bar and award winning restaurant on site. Complimentary off street parking. Rooms start at $110 per night.
The Summit Motel is a 2-minute walk from the city centre and a 5 minute walk to the strand beach. Includes satellite TV, a pool, and airconditioning
Direct access to the beachfront and views that overlook Cleveland Bay. There are 40 self-contained air-conditioned holiday apartments with kitchenette studios and 4 self-contained air conditioned one-bedroom kitchenette apartments
Clean, cozy little rooms with shared bath and toilets. Residents have access to a full kitchen as well as bbq area. Internet is very slow but functional. No breakfast provided, despite the "B&B" in the name.
A tropical beach, the rockpool is among what this hotel offers.
Internet on the Mall is a fully automatic internet cafe with a 1.5Mbit connection. PC access is available via pre-paid cards, and wired and wireless laptops are available via credit card purchase. It is in the CBD (in the mall!).
By car
Townsville is on the Bruce Highway (A1) between Cairns in the north, Mackay and Brisbane to the south. The city is also served by the A6 (Flinders Highway) to Charters Towers and Mt Isa to the west.
By train
By coach
Flixbus and Greyhound both stop by Townsville along their Brisbane–Cairns routes.
By bus
Public transport in Townsville and the former Thuringowa city consists of bus services run by Sunbus.
By taxi
Taxis operate 24 hours and service all areas of Townsville.
Tour operators
Kinetic operates bus services 7 days a week with 16 bus routes in Townsville plus one on Magnetic Island.
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Townsville · Regional · TSV
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