Sydney to Townsville inland road trip: Best stops & distance
Sydney to Townsville inland road trip: Charters Towers and Townsville
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.
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.
There are great snorkelling spots here, at Arthur Bay, Florence Bay and Radical Bay.
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.
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.
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.
More Queensland travel
Is there anywhere worth seeing on the Noosa to Bundaberg drive?
Why visit Greenmount Beach in Coolangatta?
How long is the drive from St George to Cunnamulla.
What to see on the drive from Toowoomba to Moree.
Where to stop on a Charters Towers to Cairns road trip.