Townsville
The North Queensland city of Townsville is a bustling, regional hub and fast becoming a tourist destination. The relaxed lifestyle, diverse landscape and range of activities are drawing in more and more holiday makers every year.
Situated amid beaches, rainforests, and wetlands, Townsville Australia is open for so many outdoor activities. You can even sign up for an outback cattle drive. Whether you’re interested in barra fishing, snorkelling the reefs, scuba diving wrecks or just enjoying the natural environment you’ll find some activity to satisfy your sense of adventure.
If you’re going on holiday or staying for work, take a look through our site to find some of the best activities, restaurants and accommodation on offer in this regional centre.
Accommodation in Townsville
With the influx of military personnel, miners, and business representatives for regional companies, Townsville accommodation is suited to accommodate all walks of life. From the holiday apartments dotted along the shore line, the up-market Mercure, Rydges and Ibis to the guest houses and back packers, there’s something for all tastes and budgets.
Things To See & Do
Really feel your heart beat as you leap out of a plane with Skydive Townsville. Learn how to skydive so you can go solo or strap yourself in tandem so you can enjoy the view of Townsville, Magnetic Island and Cleveland Bay before you land on Strand Beach right in the city.
Experience the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef without actually getting wet at the Reef HQ Aquarium, the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium. They also have a turtle hospital for sick and injured turtles, getting them healthy and back out in the ocean.
With two military bases and a strong World War II history, Townsville is full of military memorabilia and monuments. Head to the Army Museum of North Queensland to see a huge collection of old army equipment and display from the town’s early days up to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.
Natural Attractions
Head to the Billabong Sanctuary where you can interact with more Australian Animals than anywhere else in the country. You can take a stroll around the park among friendly kangaroos and wallabies before taking part in the handling and feeding shows.
There are several diving centres in Townsville offering dives of Yongala Wreck and several reefs in the area. Go for a simple 1 day snorkel or a diving tour that stretches over several days. There are even affordable learn to dive courses available so everyone has a chance to experience the world beneath the surface.
Just 8km offshore from Townsville is Magnetic Island, enjoying 320 days of sunshine each year. Head over for a walk through the national park covering two thirds of the island, or take a relaxing swim on one of the beaches.
Townsville Weather
Townsville’s climate is characterised as a Tropical Savanna Climate, in that its rainfall is nowhere near as high as elsewhere in the tropics.
The winter months are usually characterised by southeast trade winds, blue skies, warm days and cool nights. There will be significant rainfall on occasion but on average expect fine weather with temperatures of 13 °C to 25 °C.
Summer will be rather warm with December the hottest month experiencing temperatures ranging from 24 °C to 31 °C. This is also the cyclone season so there may be a tropical cyclone or two in summer.
Getting to Townsville
The easiest way to get to Townsville is to simply fly there, with frequent daily flights from most Australian capital cities and Queensland holiday resorts.
Driving there is still relatively easy too, with the coastal Bruce Highway passing through Townsville and Flinders Highway finishes here after a long route through Outback Queensland. Most major coach companies will also have routes along these roads in and out of Townsville.
There is a certain ambience in rain travel that lets you sit back and enjoy the ride and scenery of Queensland’s coastline. The “Queenslander” has developed an international reputation for great food, service and facilities as it links Brisbane and Townsville with several regional centres.
