Things to do in North Coast
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Tropicana Tours
Offers 4WD tours taking in wildlife, lunch at a local cafe and a sunset cocktail (all included in the price).
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Townsville Ghost Tours
Five spooky options, from city haunts aboard the 'ghost bus' (from $65) to an overnight trip to Ravenswood ($295 including meals and accommodation).
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Terrace
Overlooking the pool of the dated All Seasons Hotel, the Terrace is a fine spot for dining on pan-roasted duck or oven-baked spring lamb on kumara mash.
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Spirit of the Rainforest
Local Aboriginal guides offer a unique insight into the ancient rainforest around Mission Beach. Prices include pick-ups from Mission Beach.
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Spicy Thai Hut
Mission Beach's best Thai is served up to eat in or takeaway from this hip newcomer.
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Souvlaki Bar
Grab a big Greek breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, souvlaki, grilled tomatoes, haloumi and pita bread.
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Seaview Hotel
The sea views, fig-tree locale and occasionally loud live music win over pub-loving locals in this sprawling drinking hub.
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Salt Dive
Yongala and reef-diving day trips (from $199) aboard a fast boat; dive courses available.
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Reef Safari
At Base Backpackers in Nelly Bay. Runs four-day open-water courses from $299 and offers certified dives.
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Reef Lodge
Townsville's best hostel has Buddhist sculptures and hammocks strewn through the garden, an outdoor 'cinema' with swinging lounges and a games room with a minigym and retro arcade games.
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Reef HQ Aquarium
Townsville's excellent aquarium is a living reef on dry land. A staggering 2.5 million litres of water flow through the coral-reef tank, which is home to sharks, rays and over 100 fish species, plus brilliantly hued coral. Kids will love seeing, feeding and touching turtles at the turtle hospital. Talks and tours throughout the day focus on different aspects of the reef and the aquarium.
Adjacent to the aquarium, you can continue to experience life underwater at the IMAX cinema.
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Radical Bay
Radical Bay once housed a resort, and a replacement is in the pipeline. In the meantime it's a peaceful spot. You can walk across the headland to Horseshoe Bay, taking a detour down to the unofficial nudist beach of Balding Bay (3.4km return).
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Providence V
Six-hour sailing trips aboard a 62ft schooner for $129 (including snorkelling gear); also 2½-hour champagne sunset cruises.
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Picnic Bay Hotel
Settle in for a drink with Townsville's city lights sparkling across the bay. Its R&R Cafe Bar has an all-day grazing menu and huge salads, including Cajun prawn.
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Picnic Bay
Since the ferry terminal was relocated to Nelly Bay, Picnic Bay has resembled a ghost town. Shopfronts were abandoned as businesses suffered from the decreased tourist traffic. But that curious, elegant bird, the curlew, has made it its own, and the twinkling night views of Townsville are magical.
Activities in the area include swimming in the beach's stinger enclosure (November to May) or hitting balls around the nine-hole golf course at the Magnetic Island Country Club. West is Cockle Bay, site of the HMS City of Adelaide wreck, followed by West Point with its sunsets and secluded beach. East round the coast is Rocky Bay, where a short, steep walk leads down to a…
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New Deli
Tuck into blueberry pancakes or smoked salmon and brie bagels for breakfast, or zucchini and feta tart for lunch. Or stock up on goodies for a gourmet picnic.
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Nelly Bay
This bustling harbour is where the island experience begins and ends if you come by passenger or car ferry. Nelly Bay has a wide range of eating and sleeping options and a decent beach. There's a children's playground towards the northern end of the beach and good snorkelling on the fringing coral reef.
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Mr Mudcrab
If mud crab's on offer here, you know it's fresh – Mr Mudcrab refuses to get it in frozen. This excellent seafood shop sells fresh catches to cook yourself, as well as fish and chips and seafood pies.
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Mission Beach Adventure Centre
The 'hut on the beach' offers kayak hire (singles/doubles $15/30 per hour), three-hour kayak tours ($60), stand-up board hire ($15 per hour), and, when the wind's up, blokarting ($30/50 per half-hour/hour). Its cafe is famed for its hot dogs.
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Magnetic Island Sea Kayaks
Eco- certified morning and sunset tours departing from Horseshoe Bay. Also offers kayak rental (per day from $75).
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Magnetic Island Hire Boats
Rents boats ($220 per day plus fuel) that can carry up to eight people – great for fishing, snorkelling or just finding your own private cove.
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Kookaburra Tours
Highly recommended day trips include 'Heritage and Highlights' city tours (adult/child $40/18), Wallaman Falls (adult/child $125/55) rainforest tours in Mount Spec National Park (adult/child $125/55) and Aboriginal cultural tours (adult/child $140/65).
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Jamaica Joe's
The best time to head to this funky Caribbean diner-bar is on Sunday afternoon, when entertainment includes live music and DJs spinning old-school reggae vinyl. But it's a worthy dining option any time for dishes like Jamaican goat curry.
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Horseshoe Bay
The crescent-shaped, golden-sand beach is easily the best of the island's accessible beaches. It has a stinger enclosure , water-sports equipment for hire, a row of cafes and a good pub. Bungalow Bay Koala Village has a wildlife park where you can cuddle koalas ($14 including photos), or tuck into a bush tucker gourmet breakfast. A monthly craft market sets up along the beachfront.
Walking tracks abound on Magnetic, and DERM produces a leaflet for the island's excellent bushwalking tracks. Walks are mainly along the east coast and vary in length from half an hour to half a day.
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Harold's Seafood
This takeaway joint has bug burgers of the Moreton Bay variety.
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