Townsville. Relax till you drop. (Townsville)

Member Name: Puddy Tat

Product:	Townsville
Date:	23/10/00 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice and relaxing

Disadvantages: Could be boring.

Townsville is a city in North Queensland that is not well known in the tourist market. Which is understandable as the city itself has does not have much to offer the traveller. That said, it is one of the many Australia cities that is attractive for people looking for somewhere to live.

However it does have a few redeeming features. The main one of these is that there is direct access to the Great Barrier Reef from Townsville. It also has an International Airport, although you might be a little pressed to find a carrier flying directly there. The only other place in Queensland with this combination of facilities is Cairns.

If you do find yourself travelling through Townsville and are looking for a place to rest over for a few days, then I can recommend Magnetic Island. Magnetic Island was named by Captain James Cook as he travelled up the east coast of Australia because of the effect it had upon the ships compass.

Magnetic Island has some good points, and some bad. If you want a party hotspot, then don’t go here. If you want a built up island with all the modern facilities then don’t go here. (That said there are some quite luxurious hotels on the island). However if you want a place to get away from the world and relax for a few days then Magnetic Island is the place. Public transport is not worth troubling with on the island, so it is best to take a car. However even if you don’t have a car, buggies can easily be hired on the island. Drive around, look at the beautiful white beaches and generally relax.

Another spot in Townsville that is worth visiting if you like views is Castle Hill. This gives you a panoramic view over all of Townsville and out to Magnetic Island. Unfortunately even if you walk around the whole top of the mountain this is unlikely to keep you entertained for more than an hour or two. This holds especially for people like my wife who don’t particularly like views. So dri
ve up there, look around, have an ice cream (especially in summer) and then move on.

Just south of town is the wildlife park named “Adventure World” if memory serves me well. The main attraction (of course) is the crocodiles. This is actually one of the few places you can genuine estuarine (salt) water crocodiles in Australia. Especially since you will never see them in the wild (unless you have a habit of swimming in the tidal stretches of rivers, and then you might get a view a little closer then you will like).

The local Tourist Information Centre (TIC), and the various hotels can put you in contact with companies travelling to the Great Barrier Reef.

There are several things to remember when visiting Townsville.

Townsville can be hot and wet in summer, November through till March. There is also the possibility of a cyclone during the same period (which, depending on your outlook, could be an attraction for you).

Swimming in the ocean is severely restricted over roughly the same time period. This is because of the box jellyfish.

In conclusion Townsville is a nice place to travel though, and perhaps even stop off in, but it does not have a lot to keep you interested for a long period of time.

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