Day Trips from Townsville: Islands, Gorges and the Outback

Townsville's position in North Queensland makes it a good base for a varied range of day trips. Magnetic Island is the most accessible, reached in 25 minutes by ferry from South Townsville. Charters Towers, a well-preserved gold rush city about 135 kilometres inland via the Flinders Highway, takes around 90 minutes by road and offers a strong heritage streetscape, including the remarkable Zara Clark Museum and an intact Stock Exchange Arcade. Paluma Range National Park, 60 kilometres north, has cool rainforest, Hidden Valley and waterfalls at a noticeably lower temperature than the coast. The Bowling Green Bay National Park and Billabong Sanctuary (a wildlife park south of Townsville) round out the accessible options for a full day.