Ingham Tourist Park

Pick your island of choice… aside from Hinchinbrook Island and its just splendid Jurassic features, other accessible islands include Palm Islands (an hour and 45 minutes’ ferry ride from Townsville, an hour and 20 minutes’ drive away) and Orpheus Island (two hours’ ferry from Townsville). Both have splendid beaches and excellent snorkelling. If it’s just a relaxing beach stroll or some laidback fishing that you fancy, make Dungeness (25 minutes) your destination. Historic Halifax (20 minutes) is also great for those lazier days, and it has the Herbert River Museum (20 minutes) as a reminder of bygone days. Closer by is the largest sugar mill in the southern hemisphere, Victoria Mill (10 minutes), and a splendid ivy-coloured stone church nearby. Outdoorsy days are also full steam ahead: head to Mount Fox (an hour and 20 minutes) to see a volcanic crater up close, the TYTO Wetlands (half an hour’s walk) for a small walk with plenty of wildlife or Jourama Falls (25 minutes) for impressive waterfalls, swimming holes and a picnic area. In Paluma (an hour), the surrounding rainforest has more waterfalls and rainforest walks closer to the clouds - the village is high up.