Clermont to Townsville road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best stop on a Clermont to Townsville road trip is Charters Towers. The distance from Clermont to Townsville is 509km, with a driving time of around 5h24m.

Planning a Clermont to Townsville road trip itinerary

The drive from Clermont to Townsville will, for most, be a leg on a longer road trip through Queensland. The drives from Newcastle to Cairns and Sydney to Port Douglas pass through this way.

To stay overnight in Clermont, check out the best accommodation options.

Townsville is where you can take the ferry to gorgeous Magnetic Island, enjoy sunset cruises and visit the Museum of Underwater Art. For more Townsville experiences, explore here. To ferret out the best Townsville accommodation deals, look here.

Use this guide to help you plan the perfect stops on a Clermont to Townsville road trip itinerary.

Clermont to Townsville distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Clermont to Townsville is 509km. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 24 minutes.

In Clermont, the Clermont Historical Centre delves into gold prospecting heritage and the catastrophic 1916 flood that killed 65 people.

Top Clermont accommodation options

The best places to stay in Clermont are:

For a cheap, decent motel for a one night stay: Clermont Hotel Motel.
For a bit of character, plus a pool, restaurant and gardens: Clermont Country Motor Inn.
For overall quality: Smart Stayzzz Inns.

Clermont to Townsville drive: Clermont to Charters Towers

On the Clermont to Charters Towers section of the Clermont to Townsville road trip, the Gregory Highway becomes the Gregory Developmental Road.

Blackwood National Park, shortly after the Belyando Crossing roadhouse, is worth a short break. The 1km Brigalow Circuit gives a good overview of the wetlands.

The drive then continues alongside the Campapse River, and meets the Flinders Highway just outside Charters Towers.

Top Charters Towers experiences

Delve in to the gold-mining past – on a tour of the Venus Gold Battery. You’ll be wowed by the sheer size of it.
Hear entertaining stories from the golden era – on a Charters Towers walking tour.
Listen to spooky stories – on a Charters Towers ghost tour.

Things to do in Charters Towers include the ghost tours offered by Ghost Tours Australia and the farm experiences run by Texas Longhorn Tours.

Best Charters Towers accommodation

The best accommodation options in Charters Towers are:

For families: Big4 Outback Aussie Oasis Holiday Park.
For high quality adults-only apartments: Kernow Charters Towers.
For a good value motel with a pool: Charters Towers Motel.

Clermont to Townsville road trip: Charters Towers to Townsville

The Charters Towers to Townsville leg of the drive isn’t exactly riveting. The Macrossan Park camping area in Dotswood is a fairly popular fishing and kayaking stop.

You can also stop for a dip at the Majors Creek swimming hole in Woodstock.

6 Townsville experiences to book in advance

Magnetic Island ferry tickets – head over to one of the most beautiful islands in Australia.
SS Yongala wreck dive – sea how coral and marine life have made the shipwreck home.
Great Barrier Reef and Museum of Underwater Art cruise – witness the extraordinary underwater art project up close.
Helicopter ride along the coast – get amazing views from above.
Sunset sailing cruise – watch the colours over the water, with alcoholic drinks included.
Jetski tour to Cape Pallarenda – whizz past beaches and giant boulders.

Things to do in Townsville include small group sunset cruises, spectacular helicopter flights over the city and Cleveland Bay and diving tours on the SS Yongala. You can also take the ferry to Magnetic Island.

There are great snorkelling spots here, at Arthur Bay, Florence Bay and Radical Bay.

7 Magnetic Island experiences to book in advance

Sort out your return ferry ticket from Townsville.
Get the best of the coastline on a five hour boat tour with snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding.
See the sky change – on a sunset and shipwrecks cruise.
See all the island highlights – on an afternoon island tour combining heritage, culture and nature.
Cram it all in on a five hour comprehensive island tour.
Take to the water on a lunchtime sailing cruise.
See subaquatic creativity – on a Museum of Underwater Art and Great Barrier Reef day trip.