Townsville tourist attractions 

To chat face-to-face to a local about all the best things to see and do in Townsville, step into a Visitor Information Centre. 

With no shortage of attractions and things to see, Townsville and surrounding areas of North Queensland provide seemingly endless options when it comes to activities and things to do – fill your days exploring by land or sea, or stick to the town’s treasure trove of activities. Naturally, amazing Great Barrier Reef experiences are at the top of many holidaymakers’ lists, with nearby Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) tempting visitors daily courtesy of a short 20-minute ferry ride to its coral-fringed sands where a seductively serene, laid-back lifestyle awaits. 

When you’re ready to experience the Great Barrier Reef up close, grab yourself a snorkel and explore its kaleidoscopic colours courtesy of its incredible marine life, alongside the bounty of national park reserves, hidden beaches, and palm trees that call the island home. Famed for its natural unspoilt beauty and golden bays and beaches, Magnetic Island makes for an incredible day trip from Townsville, but is best experienced on a longer stay. 

The reef also brings the Museum of Underwater Art’s (MOUA) inaugural sculpture “Ocean Siren” to life, which can be seen from The Strand Jetty as it changes colour by monitoring the temperature of the water. The best time to visit is from dusk onwards, when Ocean Siren really comes into her own and in real-time highlights the need for reef and ocean conservation action. 

As MOUA is predominantly a series of installations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, to experience uniquely beautiful spectacles like the Coral Greenhouse and Ocean Sentinels, take a day trip to John Brewer Reef and snorkel around the sculptures. Scuba diving is an option at the MOUA sites and as the SS Yongala – one of the world's top dive sites – also lies just off the Townsville coast, there’s the opportunity to dive the wrecked remains of one of Australia’s worst peacetime maritime disasters. 

Things to see in Townsville

While the reef and islands are inherently alluring reasons to holiday up north, visitors to Townsville will find plenty of reasons to linger on the mainland. What’s more, despite Townsville’s prime coastal location, getting to know the natural wonders of the region and reef without getting your feet wet is a breeze – the town is home to the much lauded Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. The world's largest living coral reef aquarium, this educational centre boasts a 2.5 million litre exhibition and a rehabilitation centre for sea turtles. 

Back in town itself, there’s more than enough offerings in Townsville to keep visitors entertained, with beachside promenade The Strand, a firm family favourite thanks to its free water adventure playground and the main drag’s increasing collection of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and galleries providing ample ways to spend a leisurely day. 

It’s no walk in the park, but the trek up to the top of Castle Hill is well worth the adventurous schlep up the 268-metre-tall iconic centrepoint (just metres short of mountain status) where you’re rewarded with 360-degree views and particularly memorable sunsets. 

Townsville also offers a range of amazing options for beach and river swimming, with sheltered, family-friendly beaches at Pallarenda and national parks like Paluma Range National Park – the southern gateway for the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area – providing enticing options for a refreshing afternoon creek swim. A fun fact about this stunningly beautiful national park is that the temperature is on average 10 degrees cooler than the city, but you’ll still appreciate cooling off in popular swimming spots like Little Crystal Creek and Jourama Falls. 

For those looking for adventurous ways to escape the summer heat, get out of town and experience the amazing natural setting of Wallaman Falls, the highest permanent single-drop waterfall in Australia. Located just two hours from Townsville near Ingham, this incredible waterfall is 268 metres high, with swimming possible in Stoney Creek above the falls and in the twenty-metre deep pool at the bottom. 

How to visit Townsville

Visiting Townsville is easy, with the North Queensland regional hub located 350 kilometres away from the northern epicentre of Cairns and 1,300 kilometres north of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. There are a variety of different ways to make your way to town — the most convenient being a direct flight to the domestic airport.

There’s also a reliable train system, which is a comfortable way to make your way to either of the above cities — Cairns is a six-hour journey, while Brisbane is 18 hours away. Or cruise your way by car from the state capital on the 1300-kilometre trip that takes about 15 hours. Not only will you want to spend a night or two along the way to break up the drive, but as there’s so much to see and do, you’ll get so much more from your trip by taking a few days to experience the many splendours of the Queensland coastline from Brisbane to Townsville.