Things to do in  Townsville

The Strand is Townsville’s 1.3-mile (2.2-kilometer beach, stretching from Kissing Point Fortification in the north to Breakwater Marina in the south. As well as clean golden sands and the warm sea, visitors can enjoy fishing, kids’ playgrounds, open-air pools, a waterpark, dining with a view, walking along the promenade, and more.

Castle Hill is a 938-foot (286-meter), pink granite, heritage-listed hill that stands behind central Townsville. It’s a popular lookout point with sweeping views of Townsville, the ocean, and Magnetic Island. The hill also offers 15 different hiking trails of various levels of difficulty.

Widely considered one of the world's top diving sites, the SS Yongala provides a fascinating and colorful array of sea life alongside an interesting history. In March 1911, the SS Yongala sank off Cape Bowling Green, near Townsville, in a cyclone. All 122 people on board died, and the ship settled at a depth of 49–82 feet (15–29 meters).

In the language of the local Nywaigi Aboriginal people, the Paluma Range is known as Munan Gumburu, or “misty mountains”—a fitting name for a place largely made up of dense rain forest with frequent atmospheric fog, especially in the morning. Travelers head to the park to hike, swim, and see the waterfalls.

Orpheus Island, or Goolboddi in the local Aboriginal language, is a private island in the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of tropical Northern Queensland. Most of the island is part of the Orpheus Island National Park. There are beautiful coral reefs in the shallow waters offshore from white-sand beaches. There is one luxury resort and three campgrounds to stay at.

Northern Queensland’s Billabong Sanctuary replicates a natural Australian billabong, or watering hole, where a range of native Australian animals live. Visitors see koalas, wombats, crocodiles, snakes, parrots, and more on a tour of the park and also enjoy wildlife talks and animal feedings.

Possibly the next best thing to the Great Barrier Reef, the enormous tank at Townsville’s Reef HQ houses the world’s largest living coral reef within an aquarium. Enjoy close-up views of sharks, more than 150 species of fish, and around 120 species of coral—without having to get wet.

Learn about the history, culture, and environment of Northern Queensland at the Queensland Museum Tropics. A branch of the Queensland Museum Network, this government-run museum educates locals and visitors about this unique part of the country through permanent exhibits, temporary exhibits, talks, and tours.

With more than 300 varieties of palms on display over 42 acres (17 hectares, Townsville’s The Palmetum represents almost every species of palm that exists throughout the world. Visitors can meander along walking paths through the trees and admire the tropical birds that thrive in this lush tropical environment.

Set on a rocky headland looking out across the ocean, Kissing Point Fortification was built in 1870. For more than 100 years, the fort defended colonial Queensland from such perceived threats as Russian and French forces. Today, it offers sweeping views.

Townsville’s Jezzine Barracks (also called the Kissing Point Fortification was in continuous use by the military from 1870, the year it was built, until 2006. Now, the former barracks area is administered by a community trust, and offers a range of outdoor, cultural, and historic attractions within landscaped park land.

The sea has always been vital to the life and commerce of coastal Townsville. Learn more about the city’s maritime and naval history at the Maritime Museum of Townsville. Located in the heritage-listed Port Building and with various annexes and gardens, the museum’s galleries present a detailed history of everything from local pearl diving and shipwrecks to the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II.

The Army Museum North Queensland—also known as the Jezzine Barracks Military Museum—presents the history of the Australian military in the region through exhibits, artifacts, and interactive displays. This Townsville museum includes information from the establishment of the Australian Army in North Queensland in the late 19th century through more recent conflicts.