Townsville’s natural wonders are the main event, with Magnetic Island and the Great Barrier Reef the stand-out hits, and Castle Hill offering wonderful views and a tough hike for exercise fans. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more impressive aquarium in Queensland, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre is a fascinating gateway to the region’s indigenous culture.
Officially a suburb of Townsville, Magnetic Island is a gorgeous day trip from the main city. Skirted by beautiful, sun-drenched beaches and calm bays, the Magnetic Island National Park offers great bushwalking and a superb opportunity to spot koalas and wallabies. You can even take a ride in a hot-pink, topless, Barbie-inspired car! Ferries run throughout the day from 5:30am until midnight.
It goes without saying that one of Queensland’s biggest draws is the Great Barrier Reef, and Townsville is the perfect jumping-off point to visit this stunning natural wonder. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park offers incomparable scuba diving, and the chance to see turtles, groupers, rays, sharks and other unique aquatic life. Even better, the SS Yongala, one of the world’s most impressive wreck sites, is located off the coast of Townsville, and is an amazing underwater experience.
The Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre is a fascinating showcase for the history, traditions and customs of the indigenous Wulgurukaba and Bindal people. It hosts performances and exhibitions of the rich visual art of these indigenous people, and houses a unique and wonderful collection of artefacts and art. The Centre is open all week from 9am to 2pm.
The Townsville Aquarium is the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium, and one of the best in Australia. Over 2.5 million litres of water flow through the attraction, and the Coral Reef Exhibit alone is equivalent to an Olympic swimming pool. The aquarium is home to over 120 species of fish, and 130 species of coral unique to the Great Barrier Reef, and houses North Queensland’s only Turtle Hospital, where kids can touch and feed the turtles. The aquarium is open daily from 930am to 5pm.
Castle Hill sits pretty much slap-bang in the middle of town, and is an eye-catching sight. A monolith of red/pink granite it dominates the skyline, and offers incredible birds-eye views of the city and the surrounding area from the summit. For the more active and adventurous there are some exciting trails to climb, but luckily there is also a road, if a 2km hike uphill seems a bit much!
The award-winning Museum of Tropical Queensland offers an intriguing and illuminating snapshot of the Queensland region, covering the natural history of the rainforests and reefs, the archaeology and culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the history of life in the tropics from prehistory to today. One of the most impressive exhibits is the replica of the wreck of the HMS Pandora, the ship sent to recapture the HMS Bounty mutineers. The Museum is open daily from 9:30am to 5pm.