Why People Miss Out
Look, most people heading to North Queensland fly straight into Cairns and completely ignore Townsville. I get it, Cairns has the massive marketing budget. But honestly? Townsville is incredibly underrated. It gets about 300 days of sunshine a year. It's a proper, functioning working city, but with a massive backyard that includes the Great Barrier Reef, tropical islands, and the outback. If you're putting together a list of townsville attractions for an upcoming trip, you're going to need a few days to actually do it justice.
The Strand & Castle Hill
Let's start with the obvious stuff right in town. The Strand is basically a 2.2-kilometer waterfront promenade. It's where everyone hangs out. You'll see locals jogging at 6 AM (because it gets hot by 8 AM, seriously), kids playing at the water park, and people just eating fish and chips on the grass. You can grab a decent coffee for about $5 at one of the cafes there.
And right behind the city center is Castle Hill. It's a massive pink granite monolith sticking up 286 meters into the sky. You can drive up, but walking is a massive local obsession. The Goat Track is steep and will absolutely destroy your calves. But the 360-degree views at the top make it totally worth the sweat.
Magnetic Island
You can't talk about townsville tourist attractions without mentioning Magnetic Island. Locals just call it "Maggie." It's only a 20-minute ferry ride from the breakwater terminal. A return ticket will cost you around $35 to $40. Once you're over there, you can rent one of those ridiculous (but fun) topless Barbie cars for the day. Maggie is wild. You can do the Forts Walk, which takes maybe an hour and a half, and I guarantee you'll see wild koalas just chilling in the eucalyptus trees. There are 23 beaches on the island. Some of them you can only reach by boat or a serious hike.
Out on the Water
Because we're right on the coast, a lot of the things to see in townsville revolve around the ocean. The Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) is out on the John Brewer Reef. It's a literal underwater greenhouse with sculptures. You have to dive or snorkel to see it. It's a solid two-hour boat ride to get out there, but it's weirdly cool. There are a few operators running barrier reef tours townsville style, which means smaller boats and way fewer crowds than up north. You aren't fighting fifty other people with selfie sticks to look at a turtle.
Also, if you're here between July and September, you have to look into whale watching townsville. The humpback whales migrate right past the coast. Sometimes you can see them splashing around from the ferry to Magnetic Island, but booking an actual tour gets you properly close.
Wildlife & Nature
If you've got kids, or honestly even if you don't, the Billabong Sanctuary is about 20 minutes south of town. It's not a massive zoo, but it feels really interactive. You can hold a crocodile, pat a dingo, and feed kangaroos. Entry is around $45 for adults. It easily fills a morning.
For something completely different, drive up to Paluma Range National Park. It's about an hour north. This is the wet tropics. The temperature drops by like 5 degrees the minute you drive up the mountain. You'll find freshwater swimming holes at Little Crystal Creek. The water is freezing. Seriously, take a deep breath before you jump in.
Military Roots & Sunsets
And you can't really spend time here without noticing the military presence. Townsville is Australia's largest garrison city. Jets fly over pretty regularly. If you're into local stories, check out the Army Museum of North Queensland at Jezzine Barracks. It's actually situated right at the end of The Strand. The area itself is a beautiful coastal park with boardwalks and public art. Walking around Jezzine Barracks at sunset is fantastic. The sky turns completely purple and orange. Plus, the museum is free (though they love a gold coin donation). It's a great way to kill an hour or two when the midday sun gets too hot to handle.
Food & Getting Around
What about food? Palmer Street is where you want to be for dinner. It's packed with restaurants. You can get a huge pub steak, really good Italian, or fresh seafood. The vibe is super casual. Nobody really dresses up much here. Shorts and thongs (flip flops, if you aren't Aussie) are pretty much standard evening wear unless you're going somewhere really fancy. A main meal will normally run you between $25 and $40. There's also City Lane, which is this cool little laneway with street art, a tapas bar, and a pretty decent craft beer spot.
How do you get around? Honestly, you need a car. There is a public bus system, but it's slow and the routes can be confusing if you don't know the area. Renting a car gives you the freedom to check out the northern beaches like Bushland Beach, which is super quiet and great for an afternoon walk. A rental car might cost you $60 to $80 a day, but it's completely worth it for the convenience alone. The airport is only a ten-minute drive from the city center, so you can pick up a car as soon as you land.
Road Tripping
If you have that car, there are heaps of day trips from townsville. Drive out to Charters Towers. It's about 130 kilometers inland. Back in the 1800s, it was a massive gold rush town. They used to call it "The World" because it had everything. Now it's a quiet outback spot with gorgeous old colonial buildings. You can even watch a drive-in movie out there, which is a massive throwback.
Another option is heading north to Ingham. It's a huge sugar cane farming area with a massive Italian influence. Stop at a deli and get a real Italian sandwich. Just out of Ingham is Wallaman Falls. It's Australia's highest permanent single-drop waterfall. The road up there is a bit sketchy—lots of tight corners and cows just wandering across the tarmac. But the waterfall drops nearly 300 meters down into a gorge. The noise is deafening, and the spray covers you even when you're standing far away.
When to Show Up
Let's talk about the weather, because it dictates all the things to do around townsville. Do not come in January unless you really, really love sweating. Summer here is the wet season. It's humid, it rains heavily, and there are marine stingers (jellyfish) in the ocean, so you have to swim inside stinger nets. You want to visit between May and September. The days are usually around 25°C, the skies are ridiculously blue, and there's almost zero humidity. It's basically perfect.
Final Thoughts
Townsville isn't a polished resort town. It's a bit rough around the edges in places, but that's what makes it feel real. You get the reef, the rainforest, and the outback all within a two-hour drive. You won't spend your whole trip queuing behind other tourists. You can actually relax. So grab a rental car, pack a lot of sunscreen, and spend a few days looking around. You'll be surprised how quickly this place grows on you.
