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.

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Townsville .................. 419Magnetic Island .........426Hinchinbrook Island .. 432Tully ...........................433Mission Beach ...........434Dunk Island ...............439Innisfail & Around ......439

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Mourilyan

Mutarnee

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Nome

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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

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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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Dunk Island

Mission Beach

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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