Destination Profile - Townsville, Queensland
Located on the north-eastern coast of Australia, Townsville is the unofficial capital of North Queensland and one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. Situated on Ross Creek and overlooked by the 290m-high Castle Hill, Townsville is a thriving metropolis.
1359 km north of the state's capital of Brisbane, it is the largest tropical city in Northern Australia with a growing population over 140 000.
Townsville was established in 1864 and was named after the Sydney businessman Robert Towns, who financed the first settlement. Originally the city was a port for shipping tallow, and today the city remains a major shipping port for minerals, sugar and meat.
The Townsville Strand beachfront promenade frames the city centre, and is regarded as one of the best inner city beachfronts in Australia. The Strand is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars, recreational facilities, barbeque and picnic areas, swimming enclosures and pools, a waterpark and playgrounds for children, beautiful gardens and sweeping views of Cleveland Bay and Magnetic Island.
Adjacent to the museum is Reef HQ, a living coral reef ecosystem. With over 100 varieties of coral and 200 species of reef fish, Reef HQ is home to the world's largest living coral reef aquarium. The education centre offers dive shows, discovery tours, marine feeding and audiovisual exhibits for close encounters with the creatures of the Great Barrier Reef - all of which can be experienced without leaving dry land. Reef HQ is the Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef and is committed to promoting marine conservation.
The Town Common, a remnant of the once extensive Bohle River Basin, covers 3245 hectares of Burdekin-Townsville wetlands. When flooded, the Common is home to a diversity of native flora and fauna, encompassing a variety of natural habitats from tidal estuaries to mangrove swamps, grasslands, woodlands and vine thickets. The park features aboriginal plant trails, wildlife viewing hides, a forest walk and various walking tracks.
This destination is part of the Cape York Outback Paradise Australian Adventure.
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