Townsville, Australia‘s largest tropical metropolis, is in North Queensland’s dry tropics and gets over 320 days of sunshine. The town center’s high-rise buildings reveal its importance as the region’s capital, but it still attracts tourists. Our list of the best things to do in Townsville might help you get started on organizing your tropical vacation.
1. What is Townsville famous for?
Townsville has a well-deserved reputation as a fantastic vacation spot thanks to its picture-perfect beaches, proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, and abundant sunshine. The unofficial capital of northern Queensland, however, has more tricks up its sleeve than you may expect.
2. Why should you travel to Townsville?
Enchanting nature at its best
Townsville not only has unmatched beach attractiveness, but it also outperforms in the waterfall category. You can find several in Paluma Range National Park, which is only a little over an hour away from the city.
Locals admire the magnificent waterfall at Little Crystal Creek, while Big Crystal Creek also has a stunning waterfall. It’s also worthwhile to explore Ethel Creek Falls, Diorite Falls, and Jourama Falls. The majestic Wallaman Falls, Australia’s biggest permanent single-drop waterfall, may be seen in the Girringun National Park.
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The other major portrait award in Australia
The Percivals are coming! This esteemed Townsville-based art competition, which is held every two years, was started in 2007 as a result of failed attempts to display the Archibald Prize in the city’s Perc Tucker Regional Gallery.
Three categories are available: portrait paintings, photography portraits, and — best of all — animal portraits, which draw entries from both regional and international artists. The finalists are then displayed at the gallery, a spectacular heritage structure from the 19th century that is essentially an original work of art.
Charters Towers are so unique!
Although Charters Towers is only a little more than 90 minute drive from Townsville, it feels much further away. Its immense red expanse and endlessly blue skies are pure outback, and its exquisitely preserved historic structures recall its heyday as a thriving gold-rush town.
And it’s also really quirky. Where else in Australia can you find a Texas longhorn ranch with a drive-in theater that dates back to 1966, a guided ghost tour, and Wild West experiences? Consider it the oddball country cousin of Townsville.
Local beer
It makes sense that Townsville would be home to some outstanding locally brewed beers in a city where even winter feels like summer. Since 2001, the family-owned Townsville Brewing Company has been soothing tropical thirsts in an iconic historic structure complete with a clocktower.
It is also famous for its lighter ales and easier-to-drink lagers. Tiny Mountain, a relative newcomer, is gaining popularity with its experimental selection. Cowboys Castle Kölsch, which the North Queensland Cowboys, a nearby rugby league team inspired.
Magnetic Island is amazing!
Over the years, a disproportionately high number of ships have perished in the blue waters around Townsville. The S. S. Yongala, which drowned in 1911 after colliding with a cyclone and claimed 122 lives, is the most well-known example. It is presently a well-liked dive site.
The 20 ships sprinkled around Magnetic Island, constituting a real Shipwreck Trail, are less well-known but more accessible. Some are so close to shore that you don’t even need to dive to explore them, like the amazing City of Adelaide in Cockle Bay.
3. Best things to do in Townsville
Visit Australia’s pioneer underwater museum
The only museum of its sort in the southern hemisphere is the brand-new Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) in Townsville. It is one of the best things to do in Townsville that you should not miss.
The goal of MOUA, which consists of four interesting installations created by internationally known underwater artist Jason deCaires Taylor, is to promote reef protection, restoration, and education while also sharing the First Nations people of the area’s tales.
Besides, the Strand on Townsville’s seafront is home to its debut installation, Ocean Siren. It emerges from the water and changes color in reaction to real-time changes in water temperature. It is modeled after Takoda Johnson, a young Indigenous girl from the Wulgurukaba tribe.
The John Brewer Reef, where the second installation, Coral Greenhouse, is situated, is approximately two hours by boat from Townsville. Visitors are also welcome to snorkel or dive to see the 20 “reef guardians” that live there and encourage natural coral growth.
Take a ferry to a beautiful island in the tropics: Unmissable things to do in Townsville
Without taking the quick 20-minute ferry voyage out to picturesque Magnetic Island, no visit to Townsville is complete (Yunbenun). A thriving community of 2500 people calls this area of tropical beauty home, and the instant you step ashore, you can feel the tranquil, carefree way of life there.
The island is also famous for its stunning bays and beaches, snorkeling routes on fringing coral, and a wealth of trekking trails through a mountainous interior of eucalypt woodland and granite rocks. It is located within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and is rich in Indigenous heritage.
Not to add that it is also the location of the biggest wild koala population in northern Australia. A trip to Bungalow Bay Koala Park will guarantee a close encounter with these animal companions.
Horseback riding, jet skiing, fishing, engaging in water sports, and embarking on a sailing or diving excursion are additional things you can do while visiting. A trip with Aquascene or the use of a fun “topless” automobile from Isle Hire are two of the greatest ways to experience what Magnetic Island has to offer.
Find out more about the Museum of Tropical Queensland
For a glimpse of the dazzlingly diversified North Queensland region and its rich cultural and ecological legacy, visit the internationally acclaimed Museum of Tropical Queensland in the center of town.
You may also discover all about life in the tropics, from prehistory to the present, through family-friendly exhibitions and displays. It is one of the best things to do in Townsville that you should not miss.
Key exhibit highlights include the nearby World Heritage-listed reefs and rainforests as well as the gripping tale of the HMS Pandora shipwreck. The ship, which had been sent to Tahiti to apprehend the Bounty mutineers, ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef and went down in 1791.
Besides, a model and items found in the wreck, which wasn’t found for 186 years, are shown in the museum’s Great Gallery.
Enter the Great Barrier Reef from below: Top things to do in Townsville
The world’s largest living coral reef aquarium, Reef HQ Aquarium, is located right next to the Museum of Tropical Queensland.
It is currently undergoing a significant $80-million renovation that will modernize the facilities, and add new immersive and interactive exhibits. Additionally, increase the size of the display windows for uninterrupted views, use more sophisticated technology, and emphasize the relationship between traditional owners and the reef.
Take a trek at sunset for breathtaking sights
The pink granite inselberg known as Castle Hill, which also goes by the same name for a nearby suburb, dominates the city skyline and is recognized as a national historic landmark.
One of the most gratifying activities you can do in Townsville is hiking just before dusk. It offers stunning panoramic views of the city, the ocean, and the Magnetic Island.
There are various routes that you can also use to ascend to the top, including the Goat Track, which starts from Hillside Crescent just outside of the CBD and is brief, sweet, and quite steep.
From the foot of Castle Hill Road in North Ward, you may access the Cudtheringa Track, which is the most well-known. This 1.1-kilometer one-way trail features steep and difficult starting and finish sections but has a decent middle segment with magnificent views.
Visit Townsville’s bustling beachfront: One of the best things to do in Townsville
The Strand, a 2.2-kilometer parkway where palm palms almost touch the ocean, is Townsville’s bustling beachfront. This is a great place to relax at any time of day, with magnificent views of Magnetic Island and shady areas galore.
Other family-friendly amenities on The Strand include playgrounds, the well-known Strand Waterpark, swimming in rock pools, a kid-friendly water park, and the Jezzine Barracks near the northern end, where you can learn about the history of Townsville’s colony.
Visit Paluma Range National Park and go waterfall-chasing
To enter Paluma Range National Park, the southern entrance to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area from Townsville, turn north out of the city. It is one of the best things to do in Townsville that you should not miss.
You will get to Little Crystal Creek, a weekend getaway destination for Townsville natives, in about an hour. Swim in the freshwater creek that is framed by a heritage-listed stone arch bridge that was constructed during the Great Depression and fed by a charming, tumbling waterfall. It is the ideal location to cool yourself on a scorching summer day in the tropics.
The rainforest-covered Jourama Falls is located 30 minutes further north. In this picturesque location, Waterview Creek cascades and rushes down waterfalls, producing clear rock pools for bathing and cool falls for showering. The creek attracts birds, turtles, and goannas, making it a popular location for wildlife viewing as well.
If you want to experience a modest bushwalk with views of the falls and rainforest, take the three-kilometer return to Jourama Falls trek. Besides, if you want to extend your time in the tranquility, pitch a tent in the well-liked camping area.
E-bike through the city, an island, or a rainforest: Amazing things to do in Townsville with your friends
NQ Cycle Journeys, which also offers guided e-Bike excursions across Townsville and Magnetic Island, is another opportunity to discover the treasure trove that is Paluma Range National Park.
The Paluma Range National Park tour includes three kilometers of walking and 20 kilometers of pleasant riding, stopping along the way to explore historical WWII locations, see cascading waterfalls, and swim in waterholes.
While the Magnetic Island tour will take you to coves, lookouts, and swimming locations inaccessible by cars, the Townsville tour also includes seeing colonial and indigenous landmarks, the coastline, and wetlands.
Discover one of the world’s most amazing dive sites
One of the biggest and best-preserved historical shipwrecks in Australian waters is the S.S. Yongala, a passenger ship that sank after colliding with a cyclone in 1911 while sailing from Melbourne to Cairns. It is one of the best things to do in Townsville that you should not miss.
Due to the abundance and sheer magnitude of the marine species you’ll see there, including huge gropers and big trevally and schools of barracudas, eagle rays, turtles, sea snakes, and bull sharks, the coral-encrusted wreck is now recognized as one of the top dives on the planet.
Beginners can enroll in a diving lesson with Yongala expert and PADI 5 Star Dive Resort Yongala Dive by traveling 1.5 hours south of Townsville to Alva Beach in Ayr. You almost certainly have one of the most incredible training facilities in the world right here. Yongala Dive offers an action-packed day tour of the wreck for certified divers.
At Billabong Sanctuary, let loose
Visit Billabong Sanctuary in Nome, located 17 kilometers south of Townsville, for your chance to pet a koala (Queensland is one of only three states, along with South Australia and Western Australia, that permits this), hug a wombat, hand-feed a cassowary, hold a small crocodile, or even witness the feeding of a giant estuarine crocodile or saltie.
The 11 hectares of tropical North Queensland bushland that make up this ecotourism-accredited sanctuary are home to some of the most interactive wildlife encounters you can find in Australia.
In between encounters with animals, get a bite to eat at Blinky Bill’s Cafe and cool off in the hotel’s tropical resort-style pool.
Take a JetSki trip to the ocean
Townsville Jet Ski and Watercraft, run by two ocean-loving friends, offers activities that can satisfy either your desire for adventure or your want to relax and take in the beauty. It is one of the best things to do in Townsville that you should not miss.
From The Strand, you may take a tour to historic Cape Cleveland Lighthouse, Magnetic Island, where you can go snorkeling, or for a change of scenery, take a cruise along the Bohle River, where crocs are known to hang out.
Be alert as you cruise around the sea, as turtles, dolphins, dugongs, and whales (between July and August) can all be seen in the waters near Townsville. Additionally, you can rent a Jetski without a license and design your own experience.
Let loose on Hinchinbrook Island: One of the best things to do in Townsville
Travel, stroll, swim, fish, and unwind. Whatever you decide, a day spent with Wild Hinchinbrook Adventures will undoubtedly be one you’ll never forget.
They provide a range of excursions on and around Hinchinbrook Island, which is only reachable by private vessel or tour, departing from Lucinda, an hour’s drive north of Townsville.
You can create your own day with a variety of adventures, such as a guided hike to roaring waterfalls, a picturesque boat in the untamed Hinchinbrook Channel, or a sport fishing expedition. Enjoy a seafood or antipasto platter to elevate your day while you sail in style.
Experience Magnetic Island in privacy
By scheduling an experience with The Beach Club, you can make the most of your trip to Magnetic Island. It is one of the best things to do in Townsville that you should not miss.
To explore Magnetic Island’s hidden caverns and crevices away from other day-trippers, reserve a skippered boat. Bring your own supplies for the day, or ask for extras like champagne and snorkel rental.
If you’re in a committed relationship, the Beach Club Picnic is a romantic way to explore Maggie. You’ll be taken to a private beach where you may have a gourmet seafood or antipasto picnic with wine or beer.
Learn about the Nywaigi people’s past
Visit Mungalla Station, which is 90 minutes north of Townsville, to meet the Nywaigi Aboriginal people, who are the area’s traditional proprietors.
You may hear about the horrific conflict between European settlers and the local Aboriginal people and how the Cassady family intervened during a guided walk of the property and surrounding wetlands. Irishman James Cassady initially constructed the homestead.
Additionally, you can practice your boomerang-throwing skills and participate in an underground Kup-Murri meal experience.
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