Townsville is a regional city in North Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Dry Tropics and is the gateway to the Far North and Outback. It is a popular jumping off point for the Great Barrier Reef - diving, snorkelling and fishing are major sports here – and the reef is only an hour away by fast Cat. It is also the gateway to the Outback - one hour to historic gold mining town of Charters Towers; two hours to Mission Beach – “where the rainforest meets the reef”; and four hours to Cairns and Palm Cove – the Wet Tropics. Townsville has about 300 days of sunshine a year, and only two real seasons - Wet and Dry. Daily temps in the Dry (aka Winter - March to September) are between 10 and 25 usually. The Wet (Summer - October to February) is very hot and humid, very tropical and not for the faint hearted. Great for those who really enjoy the heat though.
Townsville is quite spread out and I am happy to swap my car. There is a Sunday market nearby, hotel, neighbourhood shops and parks. It’s about 10 minutes to the Strand beach – a glorious esplanade which everyone runs/walks/roller skates and walks their dogs before retiring to a beachside café for a cold drink or a gelato at Juliette’s. Great walking track from the Stand over Kissing Point and up to Pallarenda – all on a beachside boardwalk (to protect the fore-shore).
A large shopping centre - Castletown - is a few minutes away by car. The Museum of Tropical North Queensland, Reef HQ (get up close to the reef without having to go to sea) and galleries within 10 minutes by car. Restaurant strip (Palmer St), also about 10 minutes by car.
https://www.townsvillenorthqueensland.com.au/
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Tourism-g255073-Townsville_Queensland-Vacations.html
http://www.divethereef.com/DiveResults.asp?CategoryTypes=13&Departs=Townsville&TripLength=DC&TripStandard=DC&B2=%A0%A0%A0Find+Trips%21%A0%A0%A0?mm_campaign=C3390689E4DEF72D169B34168A6C66DF&mm_replace=true&_vsrefdom=googleppc&gclid=Cj0KEQjw2NvLBRCjsq-Qq6TjwecBEiQAF98GMQ5Kn8JEKCcldD-awjp-Kw1yzaseyHd5Ul8Q7hwTsyMaAioX8P8HAQ
https://www.queenslandislands.com
www.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au