The Best Daytrips to Take From Townsville

As the gateway to exploring some of North Queensland’s most beautiful and diverse landscapes, Townsville combines urban buzz – complete with an underwater sculpture museum and streets packed with colourful murals and exciting eateries – with the allure of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforests. From adrenaline-pumping jet-ski tours across the Townsville bay to meeting the native wildlife at Billabong Sanctuary and winding down with cocktails at the sophisticated Osk Bar, just off the Strand, or the newly opened Ardo Rooftop – there are plenty of incredible things to do in and around this coastal haven.

Once you’ve soaked up the city’s lively charm, it’s time to venture further afield. With a rental car – you’ll find plenty of options at Townsville Airport – the region’s rich and varied experiences are within easy reach. Here we share six of the best daytrips to take from Townsville, so all you have to do is grab the keys, choose a playlist and discover the unexpected.

For underwater enthusiasts: Dive into Ayr’s sunken treasures

 Let the soothing rhythm of swaying sugarcane fields ease you into a slower pace on the one-hour drive south of Townsville to the old mill town of Ayr, the historic heart of the Burdekin region. Begin with a wander through Plantation Park – the imaginative, state-of-the-art playground, Plantation Nature Play, is a popular spot for families – before following the Juru Walk, a 1.5-kilometre-long bush tucker loop trail that showcases the area’s First Nations history. 

Then it’s time to get your flippers ready: just 12 nautical miles offshore lies the SS Yongala shipwreck, a world-class dive site where giant groupers, turtles and swirling schools of fish drift through the ruins of the passenger and freight steamer that sank in 1911. At 110 metres long, SS Yongala is one of the largest and most intact shipwrecks in the world, which you can explore on a two-dive tour with Yongala Dive (from Ayr), or from Townsville with Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive, as long as you have deep diving experience and Open Water certification. Tip: artefacts from the ship, including the ship’s bell, are also on display in Townsville city centre at the Maritime Museum of Townsville. 

Once you’ve wrapped up the day’s excitement, wind down with a dose of nostalgia at Stardust Drive-In open-air cinema to enjoy a movie under the stars with a choc top in hand.

For a cool change: Explore Paluma’s vibrant rainforests

Swap coastal views for fresh mountain climates on the hour-and-a-half drive into the misty heights of Paluma Range National Park. As you ascend the winding road, you’ll feel the air cool and marvel as thick rainforest engulfs the mountain. Pause at the heritage-listed stone arch bridge that stretches over Little Crystal Creek for a paddle and picnic, or plunge into the cold clear water of nearby Big Crystal Creek. Climb higher still and you’ll reach Paluma Dam, where the rainforest parts to reveal a glassy expanse of water, ideal for stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. 

On the way back into Townsville, make a small detour to sample the fruity delights at Frosty Mango in Mutarnee – famed for its iconic mango sorbet and tropical fruit gelatos.

For wildlife watchers: Find koalas, coral gardens and craft beer on Magnetic Island

Just 20-minutes by SeaLink passenger ferry from the mainland, Magnetic Island is a nature-enthusiast’s paradise. Set out early – the local wildlife is most active in the cooler hours of the morning. Spot rock wallabies on the pebbly shores of Geoffrey Bay, then head out on the four-kilometre Forts Walk to catch a glimpse of koalas (Magnetic Island is home to Australia’s largest wild colony) snoozing in the gum trees. 

There’s even more magic to be found below the surface: join Aquascene Magnetic Island for small-group snorkelling tours to explore expansive coral gardens and moody shipwrecks (more than 20 lie scattered around the island). Afterwards, toast the day with a frosty schooner of Holiday XPA at Maggie Island Brewery at Seasalt Arcade in Picnic Bay.

Care to explore more of the underwater world? Townsville and Magnetic Island are also the launchpad to the Great Barrier Reef and home to Australia’s only Museum of Underwater Art. Join snorkel and dive tours to marvel at underwater sculptures and magnificent coral gardens.

For intrepid types: Discover Hinchinbrook Island’s wild wonders  

Rising from the Coral Sea like a sleeping giant, Hinchinbrook Island is one of Queensland’s last true wilderness frontiers. There are no shops or hotels – just 399 square kilometres of mangrove forests, eucalypt woodlands and misty mountaintops. Visitors can explore the iconic Zoe Bay Falls and natural infinity pools on a day tour with EPIC North, leaving from Lucinda in the Hinchinbrook region. 

For fishing enthusiasts, the island’s meandering creeks and coral-fringed shallows are ideal for casting a line. Join a charter with Crackajack Sportfishing to bag barras, mangrove jacks and grunters against a dramatic backdrop of misty peaks and cascading falls. If you’d rather stretch your legs instead, trek a portion of the legendary 32-kilometre Thorsborne Trail to watch mighty Mulligan Falls pour into dappled pools and clouds of brilliant blue Ulysses butterflies flutter through lush rainforest.

For a taste of Townsville: Explore Little Italy

Seventy kilometres north of Townsville on the Bruce Highway, you’ll spot an enormous mango sculpture, complete with a bowtie. It signals your arrival at an essential Queensland road trip stop: Frosty Mango. This roadside institution has been harvesting mangoes from the orchard out the back and turning them into mango pancakes, smoothies, sorbet and ice-cream since 1989. 

Another half-hour on the road north is Ingham, a small town with a rich Italian heritage. During the 20th century, many Italians made their way to Ingham to work the cane fields, going on to own a significant share of the region’s sugar cane farms. Their legacy lives on: a large portion of the town’s population is of Italian descent, shaping Ingham’s community, culture and cuisine. At JK’s Deli the scent of freshly ground coffee mingles with the sound of nonnas chatting over ricotta-filled cannoli and the shelves are stocked with Italian flours, pastas and olive oils. Order a panini to go, in anticipation of a relaxed picnic by Girringun National Park’s Wallaman Falls, Australia’s highest permanent single-drop waterfall, an hour’s drive southwest. As you tuck into your lunch, you’ll witness the water crashing 268 metres into a rainforest-cloaked gorge. Back in Ingham, make your way to Wild Local, a seafood-centric joint where the day’s catch could include wild-caught coral trout, mudcrabs and marinated baby octopus. 

For frontier charm: Visit North Queensland’s Wild West

Step back in time in Charters Towers, a gold rush town steeped in frontier history. The 90-minute drive west of Townsville, along the Flinders Highway, takes you from coastal rainforest through to sun-baked eucalypt plains. Begin your visit with a stroll along the Miners’ Memorial Walk, an elevated boardwalk that honours the town’s rich heritage and leads to a glass viewing platform overlooking the disused Wyndham No.3 mineshaft. For an artistic view, marvel at Australia’s largest handmade mosaic mural with the Wall of History located at Goldtower.

Next, saddle up for a slice of the Wild West with Texas Longhorn Tours run by Leahton Park cattle station owners Mick and Lynda Bethel. Choose from a horse-drawn wagon ride or a safari-style tour aboard an all-terrain Polaris Ranger. Both bring you within touching distance of the longest-horned cattle in Australia, as well as other bovine breeds including bison and shaggy Scottish Highland cattle. A traditional bush break of freshly brewed tea and home-baked Anzac biscuits and pecan slice is also included, served from an authentic 1866 chuck wagon (a mobile kitchen, considered crucial to the success of long distance cattle drives). 

When your appetite calls, the Beast & Barrel, located inside the historic Rix Hotel, is widely considered to have the best steak in town. Each item on the menu includes a detailed overview of its provenance – for example, the 300 gram John Dee rib fillet comes from southeast Queensland and is grain-fed for 100 days.

SEE ALSO: 21 Incredible Reasons to Visit Townsville