Townsville Overview
Townsville, with a population of over 160.000 is the largest city and considered the capital of tropical Queensland. It is ideally placed as a base for exploring the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the idyllic Mission Beach (several hours north), the nearby Magnetic Island, Hinchinbrook Island National Park and the North East of Australia.
The Ross river flows through Townsville and the city is a popular stop for cruise ships as well as Australian and overseas naval vessels.
Townsville is also a great place for a stop over if you are driving to Cairns - the scenic stretch of road from Townsville to Cairns, known as the Great Green Way, passes beaches, waterfalls and rainforests. Townsville is also the location for one of the campuses of the James Cook University which is considered one of the leaders in the field of tropical research.
The Strand
The Strand is a 2km development along the Main Beach in Townsville which was officially opened in 1999. The Strand was developed in its present form following monsoons in 1997 and 1998 which caused major damage to the sea wall. The new development was not only to reinstate and protect the foreshore but also to add recreational features to make The Strand a Townsville landmark and centrepiece.The Strand includes restaurants, cafes, enclosed 'stinger free' areas of the beach, rock pools, a water park, basketball courts, a military museum, parklands and pleasant walking areas. There are also a number of challenging exercise points along the Strand.
Magnetic Island
Townsville is only a 20 minute ride, across Cleveland Bay, to Magnetic Island by high speed 'Jet Cat'. The island can also be reached by direct flights from Brisbane and by a car ferry. The island is predominantly covered in National Park (pine, eucalypt and rainforest trees) but it does have several tourist resorts, shops, cafes, restaurants and offers a wide range of activities including relaxing on some wonderful beaches, 4WD tours, SCUBA Diving in Coral Reefs, Sailing and Kayak tours.
Townsville is only a 20 minute ride, across Cleveland Bay, to Magnetic Island by high speed 'Jet Cat'. The island can also be reached by direct flights from Brisbane and by a car ferry. The island is predominantly covered in National Park (pine, eucalypt and rainforest trees) but it does have several tourist resorts, shops, cafes, restaurants and offers a wide range of activities including relaxing on some wonderful beaches, 4WD tours, SCUBA Diving in Coral Reefs, Sailing and Kayak tours.
