Townsville is a laid-back coastal city of over 173,724 people (2021) in North Central Queensland. 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, especially to Magnetic Island which is only 25 minutes by passenger or car ferry. A great spot for visitors wanting a taste of rural 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. Townsville enjoys a Dry Tropical climate, with dry winters and wet, humid summers. Despite the average summer high and low peaking at 31 °C (88 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F), respectively, the humidity can make those average temperatures feel like 35 °C (95 °F) and 26.5 °C (79.7 °F), respectively.
Kinetic operates bus services 7 days a week with 16 bus routes in Townsville plus one on Magnetic Island.
1 1300 Smiles Stadium, Golf Links Drive, Kirwan (15 kilometers north west of Townsville), ☏ +61 7-4760-7590, fax: +61 7-4760-7594. If you have the chance to see a football (rugby league) match while you're in the area and are into sports, it's recommended that you do so. The atmosphere in the Stadium, the home of the North Queensland Cowboys, is abuzz at all home matches. The stadium used to be known as Stockland Stadium, Malanda Stadium and Dairy Farmer's Stadium. 2 Castle Hill. Castle Hill at the centre of the city has amazing views both east to Magnetic Island and west to the suburbs and hills.
The Strand Beach. The Strand Beach is a sandy beach right in front of the main waterfront area of Townsville. It is generally a calm swimming spot thanks to the shelter of Magnetic Island; don't bother trying to surf. An artificial swimming lagoon called The Rockpool is located at one end. Water Playground. This playground is at the southern end of the Strand, free and more fun than the kids can handle on a hot day. Great Barrier Reef Trips Day Trips to Outback or Rainforest. Village Boulevard is the name of the Road into Pioneer Park and forms the city/park integration.
Townsville has two primary restaurant districts. Palmer Street in the city and Cannon Park in the southwest suburbs. It also hosts a nice collection of grills and cafes along the Strand in addition to a wide selection of restaurants scattered throughout the city and its suburbs. It also hosts the normal selection of fast food restaurant chains including McDonalds, Eagle Boys Pizza, Dominos, Brodies, Hungry Jacks, Red Rooster and Subway. 1 Palmer Street, Palmer Street. Pedestrian access from Flinders Street via Victoria Bridge. Townsville's upscale dining district with moderate priced dining inbetween. 2 Cannon Park, Start of Hervey's Range Rd, ☏ +61 7-4799 9100.
In line with Queensland state laws, Townsville observes a lockout time of 3AM. This means that alcohol serving establishments have to refuse entry to patrons from 3AM onwards. Most pubs and bars on the Flinders Street nightclub strip will close between 1AM-2AM on the weekends but the nightclubs will stay open til 5AM-6AM. Patrons in clubs open until these early hours are welcome to stay past 3AM until they leave. When visiting the Flinders Street Nightclub Strip, males are advised to wear long trousers/jeans and closed-in shoes as most venues on this strip disallow entry to those wearing thongs/flip-flops, singlets and shorts.
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. Saltwater crocodiles ARE present in Townsville and ALL swimming locations (including the beach) should be approached with extreme caution.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Townsville typically sees ~25°C daytime highs and 2 rainy days.
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