Alligator Creek

Bowling Green Bay National Park is home to Alligator Creek, which flows between Mount Elliot and Saddle Mountain. The lookout spot and bathing area are located about 5 kilometres along Alligator Creek Road. For a more active day and a more private bathing experience, hike into Alligator Creek falls. Be sure to bring plenty of snacks, water and sunscreen for this 17-kilometre trail.

• Web:

  parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/bowling-green-bay

• Address:

  Bowling Green Bay National Park, Alligator Creek QLD

Billabong Sanctuary

Crocodiles, snakes, wombats, and koalas call Billabong Sanctuary their home just 17 kilometres south of Townsville. The sanctuary offers a chance to experience reptile handling shows, wombat and koala petting and a dip in a resort-sized pool. Explore the diverse fauna and take a picture with these unique species.

• Web:

  www.billabongsanctuary.com.au

• E-mail:

  admin@billabongsanctuary.com.au

• Address:

  Muntalunga Drive, Nome QLD

• Phone:

  +61 7 4778 8344

• Opening hours:

  Daily 9am–4pm

• More info:

  Located next to Bruce Highway.

Cape Pallarenda

The Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park is a 44-hectare protected conservation park 10 kilometres northeast of Townsville. The park offers 15 walking and mountain biking trails of varying lengths and difficulty, fishing and boating, bird watching and shell collecting. Cape Pallarenda was a strategic defence location in World War II and structures from that era can be spotted along the walking trails. The former Cape Pallarenda Quarantine Station is now heritage-listed. It was built in 1915–1916 using the materials brought over from the original quarantine station on Magnetic Island.

• Web:

  parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/cape-pallarenda

• Address:

  Pallarenda QLD

Castle Hill

Castle Hill, with its lookout, is a popular tourist site which offers some of the best views over the city of Townsville. You can drive up there and park at the top. From there you can continue walking or cycling for an even more amazing view over the city and the surrounding area.

• Address:

  Castle Hill Road, Townsville QLD

• More info:

  The indigenous name of the mountain at the centre of the neighbourhood is Cootharinga.

Charters Towers

Just a 90-minute drive from Townsville lies a spot where in 1871 gold was discovered by an Aboriginal boy named Jupiter. Today, the town called Charters Towers has 10,000 inhabitants and has some beautifully preserved 19th and early 20th century buildings from its heyday. It is well worth a visit for architecture lovers.

• Web:

  www.visitcharterstowers.com.au

• Address:

  Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region QLD

Great Barrier Reef

Discover the magical colours of the tropical marine fish and coral of the Great Barrier Reef. Departing from Townsville, it takes only 2 hours to get there. A full day adventure takes you to the crystal clear waters and includes snorkelling, glass bottom boat tours, a marine biology presentation and a scrumptious buffet lunch. There are several companies offering various tour to the Reef. Here is just one of them:

• Web:

  https://greatbarrierreef.org