You can stay in good, old-style rooms at the Imperial Hotel, an Edwardian marvel filled with gold-mining memorabilia and classic country characters nursing XXXX Gold, revelling in their lack of political correctness and rolling their eyes at ghost jokes. The steak sandwiches and chicken parmigianas ($17) are worth the detour alone. Lone female travellers might feel a little uncomfortable.
Imperial Hotel
Townsville & Mission Beach