©Lonely¨Planet¨Publications¨Pty¨Ltd Townsville to Mission Beach Why Go? Townsville ...................219 In between the tourist magnets of Cairns and Airlie Beach, Magnetic Island .........226 Townsville is a ‘real’ city with a pulse. Although North Queensland’s largest urban centre is often bypassed by visi- Hinchinbrook Island ..232 tors, it has a surprising number of attractions: a palm-lined Tully ...........................233 beachfront promenade, gracious 19th-century architecture Mission Beach ...........234 and a host of cultural and sporting venues and events. Mag- Dunk Island ...............239 netic Island’s national park, beaches, walking trails and Innisfail & Around ......239 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 Best Places to northern country hospitality. Mission Beach, about half an Eat hour east of Tully, is a laid-back village that ironically at- tracts thrillseekers by the busload, all keen on the region’s ¨¨Wayne & Adele’s Garden of skydiving, white-water rafting and water sports. Forested Eating (p224) Hinchinbrook Island and the lovely Dunk Island are top ¨¨Sweatshop (p222) choices for the less adrenaline-addled. ¨¨Monsoon Cruising (p240) ¨¨Benny’s Hot Wok (p223) ¨¨Fish Bar (p238) When to Go Townsville °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 20/500 Best Places to 16/400 30/86 Stay 12/300 ¨¨Shambhala Retreat (p228) 20/68 8/200 ¨¨Noorla Heritage Resort 10/50 4/100 (p231) ¨ 0/32 0 ¨Jackaroo Hostel (p237) J F DNOSAJJMAM ¨¨Bungalow Bay Koala Village (p228) May Celebrate Aug Townsville Oct Let your all things wet shows off its dreads down at ¨¨Coral Lodge (p222) and wonderful cultural side dur- Mission Beach’s at Tully’s Golden ing the Austral- Mission Evolve Gumboot Fes- ian Festival of Music Fest. tival. Chamber Music. 218 Wooroonooran National Park Eubenangee Swamp National Park 25 Flying Fish Point Mamu Rainforest 1 Innisfail Canopy Walk Etty Bay 1 Ravenshoe Paronella Mourilyan 0 50 km Park 0 25 miles Tully Gorge Canecutter Kurrimine Beach National Park Way El Arish Bingil Bay Mission Beach Tully Wongaling Beach Dunk Island Bedarra Island C O R A L Girringun National Park - A1 Tully Family Islands Heads S E A Edmund Kennedy Section South Mission Beach Townsville Murray Goold Island G Falls r Herbert River e a t Girringun Cardwell National Park Hinchinbrook Island B a rr River i Burdekin Dungeness e T r Lucinda o Pelorus Island Mission Beach R Halifax Orpheus Island ee Wallaman Ingham Cura-coa Island f Falls Forest Jourama Beach Great Palm Island Falls Fantome Lake Island Mt Fox Paluma Havannah Island (811m) Paluma Range National Park Mutarnee Mt Spec Rattlesnake Acheron Island (1000m) Island Herald Island T o Paluma A1 Saunders Horseshoe Bay M Village Beach Nelly Magnetic Island I s Bay Cape Cleveland s I Australian Institute o Townsville n B of Marine Science Thuringowa Nome Bowling Green Bay E National Park ACH Mt Elliot National Alva Park Beach H Giru A1 I Ayr GHLIGHT A7 A6 Home Hill Bu rde kin s R iver Mingela River Burdekin A6 Charters Towers Ravenswood Townsville to Mission Beach Highlights 1 Hearing the story behind the 3 Tackling the 32km-long Dark outdoor film screening ruined castles of Paronella Park Thorsborne Trail on pristine in the gold-rush town of (p239) on a day or night tour. Hinchinbrook Island (p232). Charters Towers (p226). 2 Cheering on the Cowboys, 4 skydiving onto a sandy 7 slipping, sliding and north Queensland’s national landing at Mission Beach schlepping down to Australia’s Rugby League team, or (p235). highest single-drop waterfall, national Basketball League 5 Having a secluded beach to Wallaman Falls (p231). team, the Crocodiles, in yourself on Dunk Island (p239). 8 Watching wild cassowaries Townsville (p219). 6 Watching a Ghosts After wander along the beach at picturesque Etty Bay (p239)..