Townsville accomodation and what to do.

We are thinking about all going to Townsville for a family holiday and attend a friends wedding next year.

Wedding is at Home hill, so we are probably staying 2 night in Ayr followed by 5 nights in Townsville.

Ayr looking at Travellers motel. ( lots of places allready booked out as some big thing also on)

Townsville I like the look off Seagulls resort, Mariners north holiday apartments.

So what I want to know is are these places nice and family friendly?? (will be nearly 3 and 18 months)

Would we need a car the whole time?

What is there to do???

Thanks

:bump::bump::bump:

Seagulls is very expensive, i went there for an 18th once and got out of there paying $110 for a steak and kids chips :-o I nearly cried lol I dont know about the accom. there. Most likely, you will need a car, unless you want to catch a bus everywhere, the bus company here is calles sunbus. Dont stay in the accomodation along flinders street east or flinders street west, both have nightclubs and pre-drink bars and get quite rouwdy on the weekends and tuesday nights. There is a casino called jupiters, its quite nice and they usually have off season deals for pretty cheap. The aquarius is nice for accomodation, alot of diff priced rooms and its also right along the strand (google towsnville strand). I would suggest going to magnetic island, its beautiful there, or if your renting a car, about an hour out of towsnville, theres paluma rainforest (also beautiful). Shopping, i would suggest either willows shopping centre or castletown shopping centre both have just been renovated and are very nice, stay away from stocklands lol I will add more if i think of it

I would definitely recommend getting a rental car - public transport in Townsville is useless, expensive and doesn't run after about 7pm. Taxi is also not a very ideal way to get around.

Don't know much about accommodation in Ayr or Townsville for that matter (I haven't ever needed accommodation here). I have been to a wedding at Seagulls and had b'fast there a few times and it seems nice but I couldn't tell you what it was really like to stay there. It is a couple of blocks away from the Strand. I guess it depends what sort of accommodation you want - whether you want it to be flash, if you want to cook for yourselves, what you want to do here and what time of year you are coming.

Have you thought about Magnetic Island if you are coming for a holiday? If you are wanting to stay to visit with people it is better to be on the mainland, but if you want a break, Maggie Island has some lovely family accommodation, you wouldn't need a hire car over there (or you could just hire a moke). The ferry is about $30 per adult return if you did want to visit the mainland. Just another thought anyway ...

Sorry that probably wasn't much help.

Hey Feeb,

We're going to Townsville for a mini holiday (family live up there) in Sept for 4 days and looking forward to it as I've never been! It's a small place, smaller than cairns. We're getting car hire so it will be easy to get around, with car seat etc.... and looking at visiting Magnetic Island one day and another day we are going to go shopping and visit the aquarium centre (Reef HQ Townsville) they have there..... not really much else to do in Townsville apparently!! It's pretty small place. :D Should be relaxing though!!!

Good luck planning it all!!

Emma, thanks for your info!! That's been helpful! I'm glad i've avoided booking accomm along Flinders!

I grew up in T'ville and have lived all round the place since. I'm back here now and love it. Townsville is actually growing so much and is bigger than Cairns, at lease in terms of population.

In terms of things to do,

- Magnetic Island
- Paluma (about an hours drive)
- a drive up Castle Hill which has great views of the region
- a drive out to the Hervey's Range Tea Rooms. Which has the oldest building in QLD
- Reef HQ which also has the omnimax (sp) which is an amazing cinema where the screen is from horizion to horizion.
- the museum. Has fantastic section for kids which is interactive. My 3 yr old loves it.
- The Strand. I could spend endless days there, swimmig enclosures and the rock pool mean it's safe to swim year round.
- Palmer Street. Has fantastic restaurants. Try Cactus Jacks, it's an instiution around here.
- The Billabong Century which is a local zoo.
- There are some great markets around for eg the Strand Markets, Cotters markets.
- Riverway. It has great play areas for kids and. Free swimming lagoon.

That's but to name a few.

In terms of accomodation I had friends come recently who stayed in a self contained unit just back from the strand And loved it. I'd suggest getting a car, public transport is pretty hopeless around here.

HTH

Spring xx

Thanks girls!

Magnetic island sounds nice!! Have just looked up accom on island wide range of places!!

Thanks for advice re car hire.

We probably would want to be able to cook as dinner out all the time with 2 kids who will be tired and cranky would not be fun!!

Drive to Cairns and visit me!!!! :lol:

We were on a really really tight budget, so we did the free or cheap things..

The strand is great for cheap entertainment.. Plenty of playgrounds, like every 200 metres, and a waterpark that I couldn't get my kids out of (even DS who was only 7 months).. And there is a cold rock ice creamery too ;)

Also we went to the museum.. That had a cost, but not too expensive.. We drove up Mt Stuart to have a look.. Will have a think and come back cause I have to get the kids ready for daycare..

YAY !! cool so glad i found this thread !! i am going on a "girls weekend " away to townsville ( seeing out mates who are in the RAAF they got posted there) . we are going on friday !!
we are staying at OAKS on palmer we got the flights and accom of virgin holidays ,..... im def going to take that list with me Spring !!!!
ive heard magnetic island is a place that people just get drunk and get laid on ..... so maybe its worth a look *lol* !!!!!

I've recently been to Townsville and yes, it is much smaller and not heaps to do, but magnetic island is a must - we snorkled off one of the beaches there and saw quite a lot of fish, a stingray and turtles. We did Reef HQ, the strand, go up Castle Hill, there are beautiful gardens outside of Townsville that we didn't get to, can remember the name of them though...