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Townsville

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The beach at the Strand
The beach at the Strand

Townsville [1] is a laid-back coastal city of around 163,000 people in Far North Queensland, Australia. Thuringowa was Townsville's 'twin city' but as of March 15 2008 Thuringowa has merged into Townsville.

Contents

[edit] Understand

Townsville is on the coast and enjoys an average of 320 days of sunshine a year. It is an appealing place for locals and a great jumping off point for visitors. A great spot for visitors wanting a taste of outback Australia while not venturing far from the coast. It offers a quiet cosmopolitan feel with its good choice of restaurants & bars but also has a relaxing siesta style during the hottest parts of the day in high summer. Townsville takes great pride in being the unofficial Capital of North Queensland.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By Air

Townsville airport is 12 kilometres west of the city. [http://www.townsvilleairport.com.au/.

[edit] By Car

Townsville is easily accessible via the A1 (Bruce Highway) either from Cairns to the north, Mackay and Brisbane to the south. The city is also served by the A6 (Flinders Highway) to Charters Towers and Mt Isa to the West.

[edit] By Train

<see name="Queensland Rail, Traveltrain" url="http://www.traveltrain.com.au/" directions="4 kilometers south of Townsville City" phone="1300-131-722"> operate Tilt Train services to both Cairns and Brisbane three times a week each direction, The Sunlander also serves Cairns and Brisbane twice a week. The Inlander to Mt Isa is operated twice a week.</see>

[edit] Get around

The Sunbus bus route operates 7 days a week with 7 main lines going around the town

[edit] See

East Townsville and Magnetic Island as seen from Castle Hill
East Townsville and Magnetic Island as seen from Castle Hill
  • <see name="Dairy Farmer's Stadium" url="http://www.dairyfarmersstadium.org.au/" address="Golf Links Drive, Kirwan" directions="15 kilometers north west of Townsville" phone="+61-7-4760-7590" fax="+61-7-4760-7594" email="info@dairyfarmersstadium.org.au">If you have the chance to see a football (rugby league) match while your in the area, I would advise do so. The atmosphere in Dairy Farmers' Stadium, the home of the North Queensland Cowboys, is abuzz at all home matches.</see>
  • <see name="Castle Hill">Castle Hill at the center of the city has amazing views both east to Magnetic Island and west to the suburbs and hills. There is a road to the top, but the steep uphill walk is also popular, particularly in the evening when it is cooler.</see>
  • <see name="Reef HQ Aquarium" address="2-68 Flinders Street" url="http://www.reefhq.com.au/" phone="+61-7-4750-0800" fax="+61-7-4772-5281" email="info@reefhq.com.au" price="$21.50 adults, $16.50 concession and $10.50 children. Family and group discounts are available." hours="9:30am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day">Reef HQ is an aquarium focusing on Great Barrier Reef fish life. It is built around two large tanks each several metres high, and some twenty meters in length. The larger of the two tanks contain smaller non-predatory reef fish, and the smaller tank contains reef fish and predators including several species of shark.</see>
  • <see name="Museum of Tropical Queensland" url="http://www.mtq.qm.qld.gov.au/" address="70-102 Flinders Street" phone="+61-7-4726-0600" fax="+61-7-4721-2093" email="info@mtq.qld.gov.au">The Museum of Tropical Queensland's main drawcard is the display of artefacts from the HMS Pandora, the ship that the British sent in pursuit of the 'HMS Bounty. Other exhibits include the wildlife of the tropical areas of Queensland.</see>

[edit] Do

Townsville Water Playground
Townsville Water Playground

[edit] Diving

Fish life swarming over the wreck of the Yongala
Fish life swarming over the wreck of the Yongala

Townsville is further from the reef than the Cairns region to the north and does not have as strong a scuba diving industry, but is the closest big center to the well known Yongala Wreck. The Yongala was a luxury passenger ship sunk in a cyclone on 23rd March 1911. The wreck was found in 1958. The wreck is primarily interesting for the marine life that it attracts and is one of Australia's top dive sites.

[edit] Buy

Flinders St Mall is a sleepy pedestrian shopping mall. Markets are held here on weekends, a good place to pick up some souvenirs.

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

  • <drink name="Jupiters Townsville" address="Sir Leslie Thiess Drive" phone="+61-7-4722-2333" fax="+61-7-4772-4741" email="JTV-info@jupiterstownsville.com.au" url="http://www.jupiterstownsville.com.au/">Jupiters is a waterfront casino and hotel, featuring blackjack, routlette and poker among others. It contains five bars, including three in the casino.</drink>

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Contact

[edit] Internet

  • <buy name="Internet on the Mall" address="Shop 1, 313-335 Flinders Street" email="info@internetonthemall.com.au" price="$5 for 45 minutes, laptop access $7 for 45 minutes" hours="7am until late evening">Internet on the Mall is a fully automatic internet cafe with a 1.5Mbit connection. PC access is available via pre-paid cards, and wired and wireless laptops are available via credit card purchase. It is located in the CBD (in the mall!).</buy>

[edit] Stay Safe

Box jellyfish and other stingers can be in the ocean during the summer months. Read the warning signs, and don't swim at the beach outside of the stinger enclosures. A sting from the box jellyfish can be fatal. There are two stinger enclosures along the Townsville beaches.

[edit] Get out

Excellent access to the Outback, the rainforest of the Paluma Range, the Great Barrier Reef and Magnetic Island.




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