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Townsville to Mission Beach
Why Go?In between the tourist magnets of Cairns and Airlie Beach, Townsville is a ‘real’ city with a pulse. Although North Queensland’s largest urban centre is often bypassed by visi-tors, it has a surprising number of attractions: a palm-lined beachfront promenade, gracious 19th-century architecture and a host of cultural and sporting venues and events. Mag-netic Island’s national park, beaches, walking trails and wildlife are a quick ferry ride away.
North of Townsville, the Great Green Way wends past small sugar towns including Ingham, Cardwell, Tully and Innisfail; a stop offers the chance to experience true far northern country hospitality. Mission Beach, about half an hour east of Tully, is a laid-back village that ironically at-tracts thrillseekers by the busload, all keen on the region’s skydiving, white-water rafting and water sports. Forested Hinchinbrook Island and the lovely Dunk Island are top choices for the less adrenaline-addled.
Best Places to Eat¨¨ Wayne & Adele’s Garden of
Eating (p424)
¨¨ Sweatshop (p422)
¨¨ Monsoon Cruising (p440)
¨¨ Benny’s Hot Wok (p423)
¨¨ Fish Bar (p438)
Best Places to Stay¨¨ Shambhala Retreat (p428)
¨¨ Noorla Heritage Resort (p431)
¨¨ Jackaroo Hostel (p437)
¨¨ Bungalow Bay Koala Village (p428)
¨¨ Coral Lodge (p422)
When to Go
May Celebrate all things wet and wonderful at Tully’s Golden Gumboot Fes-tival.
Aug Townsville shows off its cultural side dur-ing the Austral-ian Festival of Chamber Music.
Oct Let your dreads down at Mission Beach’s Mission Evolve Music Fest.
F DNOSAJJMAMJ
Townsville°C/°F Temp
0/32
10/50
20/68
30/86
40/104
Rainfall inches/mm
0
4/100
8/200
12/300
16/400
20/500
Townsville .................. 419Magnetic Island .........426Hinchinbrook Island .. 432Tully ...........................433Mission Beach ...........434Dunk Island ...............439Innisfail & Around ......439
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S E AC O R A L
Dungeness
Village
Beach
Thuringowa
BayNelly
Mourilyan
Mutarnee
BeachForest
Nome
HeadsTully
Giru
Flying Fish Point
Ravenshoe
El Arish
Ravenswood
Mingela
Home Hill
Ayr
Alva
Horseshoe BayPaluma
Ingham
Lucinda
Halifax
Cardwell
Tully
South Mission Beach
Wongaling Beach
Bingil BayKurrimine Beach
InnisfailCanopy Walk
Mamu Rainforest
of Marine ScienceAustralian Institute
National ParkTully Gorge
National ParkPaluma Range
Wooroonooran Eubenangee Swamp National Park
Edmund Kennedy Section
ParkNationalMt Elliot
National Park
National ParkBowling Green Bay
National ParkGirringun
Girringun National Park -
(811m)Mt Fox
(1000m)Mt Spec
PalumaLake
Bedarra Island
Magnetic Island
IslandRattlesnake
Herald IslandAcheron Island
Havannah IslandIslandFantome
Great Palm Island
Cura-coa IslandOrpheus Island
Pelorus Island
Goold Island
Family Islands
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Cape Cleveland
BeachSaunders
FallsJourama
FallsMurray
River
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Townsville
Charters Towers
IslandHinchinbrook
FallsWallaman
Dunk Island
Mission Beach
Park
Etty BayParonella
25 miles050 km0
1 Hearing the story behind the ruined castles of Paronella Park (p439) on a day or night tour.
2 Cheering on the Cowboys, north Queensland’s national Rugby League team, or national Basketball League team, the Crocodiles, in Townsville (p419).
3 Tackling the 32km-long Thorsborne Trail on pristine Hinchinbrook Island (p432).
4 skydiving onto a sandy landing at Mission Beach (p435).
5 Having a secluded beach to yourself on Dunk Island (p439).
6 Watching a Ghosts After Dark outdoor film screening
in the gold-rush town of Charters Towers (p426).
7 slipping, sliding and schlepping down to Australia’s highest single-drop waterfall, Wallaman Falls (p431).
8 Watching wild cassowaries wander along the beach at picturesque Etty Bay (p439).
Townsville to Mission Beach Highlights