Emerald to Townsville road trip: Distance, time & best stops

Things to do between Emerald and Townsville: Charters Towers

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

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.

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.

Emerald to Townsville road trip: The last leg

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.

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.

Townsville accommodation recommendations

The best bets for Townsville accommodation are…

For beachside location: Water’s Edge The Strand.
For a good value, well located motel: Yongala Lodge By The Strand.
For a sassy, chic resort: Rambutan Resort.
For families: Discovery Parks Townsville.
For business-friendly apartments: Quest Townsville on Eyre.

Exploring Townsville, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Destination and Events Queensland.

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.