A couple of years ago , we spent the Christmas and New Year break in Townsville and we had the best time . Townsville is 1340km north of Brisbane so you may need to allow a few days ’ drive to get there . I assure you : the drive will be worth it .
Townsville offers a blend of a modern , cosmopolitan , regional city tucked away in the remote Queensland outback . There ’ s plenty of shopping and places to eat . You can meander along the Strand beach , go fishing off the pier and take in the sights of the city and the surrounding hills from the top of Castle Hill .
There are no shortages of places to stay , including several caravan parks , all of which offer fantastic amenities and facilities .
When in Townsville , you have to treat yourselves to a ferry trip to nearby Magnetic Island . You can either take your own car across on the ferry or hire a buggy when you get there .
Magnetic Island has its own mix of secluded beaches , walking tracks , lookouts and a smattering of bars and cafés . You could spend a whole day exploring the island and still not see everything it has to offer .
If you time your visit to low tide , you can walk along the mudflats of Cockle Bay out to the shipwreck of the SS City of Adelaide . She was a grand old steamship from the 1800s that was converted to a cargo vessel before being gutted by fire and run aground in 1912 . Today she is an oasis of wildlife and a popular photographic subject for drone pilots and Instagrammers from around the world .
If you ’ re in Townsville for New Year ’ s Eve , be sure to secure an early position on Castle Hill where you can watch the city ’ s famous fireworks display .
Its pretty relaxed fishing off the Townsville pier
The kids will love the water park at Ingenia Holidays Tourist Park in Townsville
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