Townsville City

Townsville combines water activities, botanical gardens, birdwatching and maritime history. The Strand waterfront promenade features a 2.5-kilometre path with views of Magnetic Island. When planning your trip, you can focus on different things: time by the water, nature watching or exploring the city’s history. Consider which of these aspects you want to shape your stay when looking for a holiday rental in Townsville.

Water spots for different interests

The Strand Rockpool is a stinger-resistant seawater pool. The Strand Water Park has slides and water cannons. The Riverway Lagoons cover an area of more than three Olympic-sized swimming pools. If you’re travelling with children, you can make these specific water spots one possible focus of your time together in Townsville.

Botanical gardens and birdwatching

The Palmetum is a 17-hectare botanical garden in Douglas, Townsville. It features one of the world’s largest and most diverse publicly accessible palm collections. Anderson Gardens is Townsville’s largest botanical garden, covering 25 hectares, and includes the World Cycad Collection. Queens Gardens, in turn, is the city’s oldest botanical garden and is heritage-listed. Plant enthusiasts can include these three gardens in their travel plans based on their distinctive features.

Townsville Town Common offers a different focus for nature watching. It is home to numerous forest and waterbird species, and there are five viewing points for birdwatchers. The Jacana bird hide overlooks the Freshwater Lagoon. It can be reached via a 450-metre one-way path. Townsville Town Common is also part of the Cape Pallarenda Trails network, which is shared by walkers and mountain bikers. When planning your day, both the specific path length to the bird hide and the shared use of the trails are useful points of reference.

Maritime history and heritage

At the Maritime Museum of Townsville, the permanent exhibition “Rise of our City Port” explores the connection between Townsville and its port since 1864. Another exhibition focuses on Townsville’s connection to both world wars at sea. There is also a World War II observation bunker on Castle Hill. These places offer different ways to explore the city’s maritime and military history.

Jezzine Barracks is a 15-hectare heritage precinct dedicated to the military and Indigenous heritage of the Kissing Point headland. A coastal path connects Rowes Bay with The Strand. Brochures for self-guided heritage and cemetery walks are also available in Townsville. Depending on your interests, you can explore different aspects of the city’s history.

Reef trips and getting there

Regular trips to the Great Barrier Reef depart from Townsville or Magnetic Island on most days. The Great Barrier Reef Aquarium, formerly known as Reef HQ, is Australia’s national education centre for the Great Barrier Reef; it is currently closed for renovation work. Take this closure into account when planning your activities. Townsville Airport is about a 10-minute drive from the city centre. This approximate travel time gives you an initial indication for your arrival.

More destinations

Southern Downs Regional, Sunshine Coast Regional, Tablelands Regional, Moreton Bay Regional, Bundaberg Regional, Livingstone Shire, South Burnett Regional, Western Downs Regional.

Go to the main travel overview: Queensland.