TOWNSVILLE ATTRACTIONS
Townsville, the capital of North Queensland, combines the lure of the tropics with the attractions of a major city. From
diving the Great Barrier Reef, trying your luck at the Casino, rafting white water rapids or simply lazing on golden
beaches - Townsville offers the best of all worlds.
Located in North Queensland's "dry tropics" Townsville and Magnetic Island
boast an average of 320 days of sunshine each year. Combining this glorious sunshine with a relaxed lifestyle and
a diversity of attractions - Townsville is the perfect choice for a North Queensland holiday experience.
The city is the perfect stepping off point to experience the wonders of the region - the outback, rainforests, magnificent waterfalls,
tropical islands and of course the Great Barrier Reef.
With all of these fascinating surrounding areas, there are also a great many attractions to experience within
Townsville and its twin city of Thuringowa.
The history of Townsville has been captured in the city's selection of museums. The Townsville Museum,
Maritime Museum, RAAF and Military Museums offer insights into the development and growth of the region from
settlement days through to its contemporary position as a strategic base within Northern Australia and the Asia Pacific.
Regional centres such as Charters Towers, Ravenswood and Bowen have museums with incredible historical memorabilia. Bowen was the first settlement in
North Queensland while Charters Towers and Ravenswood were major gold mining centres over 100 years ago. Buildings, furnishings, clothing and equipment
from this period are on display in each centre.
Reef HQ is the home of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and it also houses two significant attractions - The Reef HQ Aquarium (the world's
largest living coral reef aquarium), and the domed Imax Theatre (one of only a hand-full in the southern hemisphere). Right next door is the
state-of-the-art Museum of Tropical Queensland where a prime feature is the collection of outstanding relics from the wreck of the Pandora. This was a
British frigate which hit a remote reef and sank in 1791 while carrying fourteen crew of the Bounty from Tahiti to London to stand trial for mutiny.
Also on display is the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils you will see anywhere, tropical marine mammals, and exhibits focussed on the
cultures of the Torres Strait Islands and Aboriginal groups in Townsville.
Billabong Sanctuary is the north's most spectacular Australian wildlife park set on ten hectares of wetland, rainforest and native eucalypt habitat.
Cuddle a koala, hold a giant python or be fascinated by the crocodiles and cassowaries while enjoying all the facilities. Prolific natural birdlife can
also be experienced at the world-renowned Town Common Environmental Park, only 7 km from the city centre. Various National Parks surround the city and
encompass two thirds of Magnetic Island.
The drawcard of the north begins with the glorious sunshine and is only limited by your imagination!
