Best of Townsville
Day Trips from Townsville: Islands, Gorges and the Outback
Townsville's position in North Queensland makes it a good base for a varied range of day trips. Magnetic Island is the most accessible, reached in 25 minutes by ferry from South Townsville. Charters Towers, a well-preserved gold rush city about 135 kilometres inland via the Flinders Highway, takes around 90 minutes by road and offers a strong heritage streetscape, including the remarkable Zara Clark Museum and an intact Stock Exchange Arcade. Paluma Range National Park, 60 kilometres north, has cool rainforest, Hidden Valley and waterfalls at a noticeably lower temperature than the coast. The Bowling Green Bay National Park and Billabong Sanctuary (a wildlife park south of Townsville) round out the accessible options for a full day.
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- 1
Magnetic Island
A 52-square-kilometre island 25 minutes by ferry from Townsville, with 23 beaches, a large national park, wild koalas and a strong scuba diving community.
- 2
Paluma Range National Park
A misty rainforest range 62km north of Townsville, with the crystal-clear swimming hole at Crystal Creek Falls and a dramatic altitude change from coastal plain to cloud forest.
- 3
Charters Towers
A remarkably preserved 1880s gold-rush city 135km inland from Townsville, with 65 heritage buildings, the Stock Exchange Arcade and the Ravenswood ghost town nearby.
- 4
Bowling Green Bay, Alligator Creek
A national park 40km south of Townsville with a popular freshwater swimming hole at Alligator Creek, accessible as a half-day trip.
- 5
Cairns
Three hours north by car or 55 minutes by REX aircraft, Cairns offers the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree access as an extended day or overnight trip.
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