Nowhere else in the world will you find the fascinating diversity of North Queensland.
In just hours you can move from lush rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef, or from a luxurious resort on a tropical island to a cattle ranch in the golden Outback.
Townsville, Australia's largest tropical city, is the focal point to this region which is bounded by Mission Beach to the north, Charters Towers to the west, and Bowen in the south. The five resort islands - Dunk, Magnetic, Orpheus, Hinchinbrook and Bedarra - are all different in character and all offer a unique experience for the holidaymaker.
Townsville's many attractions include the world's largest living coral reef aquarium, a wildlife sanctuary, casino, beaches, museums, theatres, galleries and restaurants.
Beautiful Magnetic Island is just 20 minutes from the city centre by Fast cat ferry. Day cruises and diving expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef, and white water rafting excursions also depart regularly from the city.
Heading west the rugged outback unfolds with the historic gold rush mining towns of Charters Towers and Ravenswood - time capsules of turn-of-the-century architecture. National Parks and World Heritage listed areas lie to the north of Townsville, with the seaside towns of Ingham, Cardwell and Mission Beach boasting rainforests, waterfalls, spectacular beaches and the sheltered waterways of the Hinchinbrook Channel.
Travelling south through the agricultural basin are the twin towns of Ayr and Home Hill. Bowen completes the southern boundary of this region which also features superb reefs, beaches and excellent fishing spots.
You can also explore the Great Green Way
The Great Green Way is the area that stretches in between Townsville and Cairns. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty with two World Heritage listings in the Wet Tropics Rainforests and The Great Barrier Reef.
It is also gaining an increasing reputation for some trailblazing tropical and exotic fruit wineries.
Paradise Estates Wines at Mission Beach and the intriguingly-named Murdering Point Winery, 15 minutes north, both offer an amazing variety of wines made from a dazzling array of fruit.
Mango, passionfruit, pineapple and Australian native fruit (Davidson Plum and Lemon Aspen), lychee, banana, coconut, mangosteen, red mango, dragon fruit, bush limes, persimmon, wild strawberries, blueberries… the list goes on.
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