Features

National and Wildlife Parks Just 20 minutes drive south of Townsville, Billabong Sanctuary provides daily wildlife demonstrations, talks and tours given by the rangers. There are three distinctive habitats at Townsville's Billabong Sanctuary - rainforests, eucalypt forests and wetlands. The wetlands are full of water birds including magpie geese, black swans, water hens and ducks. The saltwater crocodiles are a star attraction, although the unusual cassowaries also command attention. About 60 km north of Townsville on the Bruce Highway is the turn-off to Paluma National Park. The road winds 10km up the range to Paluma Village nestled among dense rainforest, with cottages, shops, galleries and accommodation available for your enjoyment. Along the way you’ll find Little Crystal Creek, with its striking Roman arch stone bridge, the first of its kind built in Queensland. There are picnic, barbecue and toilet facilities here, alongside the cold, clear mountain stream that tumbles over huge granite boulders into deep pools. Through the rainforest, you can admire lovely orchids, however always be on the lookout for the large land birds - the cassowaries. McClellands Lookout further along offers a superb view of the rainforest canopy. Townsville’s Detour Coaches run day trips to this beautiful part of Queensland. To the south of Townsville is Mt Elliott, also a national park, with a great swimming hole known by locals as Alligator Creek, and has bushwalks, and barbecue facilities for use by all. A top place to relax as well as to step out and make the most of rugged walking trails. So whether you just want to take a walk to explore nature at its best, take a tour with a local company that’s able to fill you in on all the attractions big and small, or if you’re a little more adventurous there’s everything from skydiving, mountain biking to jet skis and boat trips.