A regional government and transportation hub, Townsville offers a lot more than you might expect from a city of 130,000. Professional sports teams, theaters, museums, street markets, and music venues are all popular activities for the city's multicultural population.
Of course, Townsville is probably best known for the regions around the city which have many of the natural wonders that make Australia so famous. Whether you want to spend a day snorkeling along the Australian coast, exploring a gold rush town in the Outback like Charter Towers or take a twenty-minute ferry ride to Magnetic Island with its coastal reefs, beaches and walking tracks, plenty of uniquely Australian activities are within easy reach.
Of course, visiting natural wonders isn't the only way to enjoy Townsville's tropical climate. There are restaurants with sidewalk tables or decks overlooking the water. You'll also find musical groups performing on the campus of James Cook University, as well as in town.
If you want to explore a bit more of Australia, Townsville's international airport offers regular service throughout Australia and beyond. Regular flights to Brisbane and Sydney make accessing the rest of Australia simple and relatively inexpensive.