Fergusbrandon

A great place for a holiday is Townsville, out of the largest tropical cities in Australia. It lies on the North-Eastern Coast of Queensland and is adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. The first recorded land sales deed took place in 1865 in Bowen with the place being named after Captain Robert Towns who was its benefactor.

There are some great places to visit in Townville and it is popular with tourists and visitors who come in during the holidays and on weekends. With some great hotels like the four stars Rydges Southbank Townsville to stay at, with friendly staff, excellent amenities and a luxurious ambience, Townsville is just the place to enjoy a relaxing holiday.   There are some rather interesting attractions to visit like:

Townsville Museum:  For those who are nostalgic about the past Townville Museum is just the place to visit. With a vast and interesting collection of relics and artefacts, it showcases the development of the area from its early days, when settlers first arrived. It is managed by the Townsville Museum and Historical Society and supported by the City Council.  There are building schematics, old photographs, chronicles and as assortment of items from the area. The Museum offers 2 main display venues with Hall one exhibiting life in Townsville over the century, local people and prominent personalities from the area. Hall no 2 displays the history of printing in the area and also items and articles belonging to the first European settlers. There is no admission fee charged.

SS Yongala Site:  Just off Cape Bowling Green close to Townsville you will find one of the most well preserved shipwrecks in the world the ‘SS Yongala’. The ship is a colossal 110 metres in length, one of the largest ship wrecks that sank in 1911 with no survivors. It remained undiscovered for over 50 years and makes for an exciting dive site. The ship’s structure has been encrusted with coral which houses a wide array of marine life including turtles, barracuda, eagle rays, giant Queensland Gropers and other sea fauna. 

Zaro Cultural Gallery: If you want to learn more about Aboriginal Art visit the Zaro Cultural Gallery, which also exhibits a wide variety of Torres Strait Islander artwork. You will find the gallery tucked away close to the Bruce Highway, going through the small town of Home Hill in North Queensland. It is a privately owned gallery which has interesting exhibits like hand carvings, hand painted ceramics, silk paintings and a variety of other arts and crafts. It offers an eclectic and intriguing display of artwork and makes for an interesting trip.

Towers Hill Lookout and Amphitheatre: As per a local legend Jupiter an aboriginal kid was the first to find gold at the bottom of Towers Hill in 1871.  Since then the area has been mined extensively for gold. You will find a monument at the base of the hill and will learn about the stories of the people and events that transpired here through storyboards, in those early days of the gold rush.