Townsville, which is bathed in sunshine for more than 320 days each year, is the location of a variety of natural landscapes and spectacular tourist destinations with a number of national parks included in the list of World Heritage and its green tropical gardens.

Townsville is a major gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics and the Queensland outback. It’s a vibrant and bustling city sitting under the watchful gaze of Castle Hill. Enjoy al fresco dining, Federation-style architecture and boutique shopping, as well as the cooling ocean breeze and coastal vibe. It’s also Australia’s largest garrison town with Australian Defense Force bases and fascinating military history to explore.

Townsville is located about 350 kilometers (218 miles) south of Cairns and 1350 kilometers (839 miles) north of Brisbane. Townsville Airport is connected with major cities on the east coast, as well as Darwin, Bali, and a number of regional Queensland mainland cities. It takes 10 minutes to drive from the airport to get to the city center.

CLIMATE

Townsville has a tropical climate. The summers have much more rainfall compared to winter. The average annual temperature in Townsville is 24.1 °C | 75.4 °F.

June, July and August are most likely good weather with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and 25 degrees Celsius (77°F). Townsville has dry periods in July, August and September with September is the driest month.

If you are not a fan of rain, you probably have to avoid January as the wettest month in Townsville.

TRANSPORTATION

Townsville Airport in Garbutt is 5km northwest of the city centre. A taxi to the centre costs $24, and Townsville Shuttle Services runs between the airport, Townsville hotels and the Magnetic Island Ferry Terminal. Bookings can be made online. It is cheaper with more people.

There is local bus services with single/daily tickets cost $1.80/3.60. You can also go to suburbs with buses.

THINGS TO DO

The Bindal and Wulgurukaba Aboriginal tribes are native and guardians of the Townsville area. Learn stories and see original art from the Bindal and Wulgurukaba tribes at the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Center.

While in this city, visit Reef HQ, which is next to a cultural center. Inside, you’ll find the world’s largest live coral reef aquarium and an education center for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. It is home to thousands of fish and coral reefs and the first specialty turtle hospital in North Queensland.

Castle Hill is the red granite monolith dominating Townsville’s city center. You can climb to the top for views of the city and surrounding islands and then enjoy a leisurely walk along The Strand, Townsville’s waterfront promenade, which has magnificent views over the Coral Sea. The Riverway complex offers recreational facilities for all ages, including a swimming lagoon with a toddler pool, arts center and boardwalk. At the Museum of Tropical Queensland you can see relics from the sunken British warship HMS Pandora, which sank in 1791. Head to the Billabong Sanctuary to cuddle a koala, hold a wombat and walk among the kangaroos and wallabies.

Townsville is not far from a number of spectacular islands. Magnetic Island can be reached by a 20-minute ferry ride, or you can choose a short helicopter trip to Orpheus Island, a stunning national park. Hinchinbrook Island is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and the island’s largest national park in Australia. Here is the Thorsborne Trail, a 32-kilometer (20-mile) natural trail that passes through the spectacular wilderness.

Scuba divers certainly don’t want to miss SS Yongala, one of the biggest shipwrecks in the world. Fishing enthusiasts must visit Burdekin, an hour’s drive south of Townsville to fish for barramundi and mud crabs in rivers and estuaries. Burdekin is also famous as a sugar center in Australia. The Ross River, which flows through the city, is often used by local residents for water skiing, fishing and kayaking.

About 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of Townsville lies the Paluma Range National Park. This park, which is surrounded by rainforest, offers beautiful places to relax, camp, walk, and enjoy bird watching, butterflies and other native wildlife. The traditional name for the Paluma Range is Munan Gumburu, which means “misty mountain”. The stunning Jourama Falls are framed by rainforest and if you bring a tent or caravan, you can spend the night here at the campsite.

COST OF LIVING

Studytownsville estimated the cost of accommodation in Townsville as below:

  • Hostels and Guesthouses – $90 to $150 per week
  • Shared Rental – $85 to $215 per week
  • University on-campus – $233 (self-catering) to $324 per week
  • Homestay – $235 to $325 per week
  • Rental – $165 to $440 per week
  • Boarding schools – $11,000 to $22,000 a year

According to James Cook University, the estimated cost of share accommodation in Townsville is between AUD $260 and $480 per week or AUD $13,520 and $24,960 per year.

On campus:

  • Full-board $296 – $435
  • Self-catering $218 – $238

Off Campus

  • 1 bedroom flat/unit $230 – $275
  • 2 bedroom flat/unit $295 – $350
  • 3 bedroom flat/unit $320 – $350
  • 4 bedroom house $430 – $465
  • 2 bedroom townhouse $280
Expense Approximate cost (A$)
Rent (share only) $120 – $150
Electricity $10 – $30
Internet, Mobile $20 – $55
Transport/Travel $10 – $50
Homestay $180-$230

UNIVERSITIES

Central Queensland University

Central Queensland University (CQUniversity) is one of the largest universities in Australia. The main campuses are in Norman Park in Rockhampton, however, it also has campuses in Adelaide (Wayville), Brisbane, Bundaberg (Branyan), Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone (South Gladstone and Callemondah), Mackay (central business district and Ooralea), Melbourne, Noosa, Perth, City of Rockhampton, Sydney and Townsville., Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

CQUniversity Australia is one of the first dual sector universities in Queensland, which offers more than 300 study programs, including training, undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

CQU has more than 30,000 students from more than 70 countries, more than 13,000 students studying through distance education, more than 16,000 students studying on campus, more than 5,000 international students, more than 100,000 registered alumni based worldwide, and more than 2,500 staff full time.

Why CQU?

  • 5 stars in graduate & educational experience, The Good Universities Guide 2020
  • 5 QS Stars
  • 94% of students are satisfied or very satisfied with the experience of arrival, 2018 International Student Barometer (ISB)
  • 92% of students are satisfied or very satisfied with the support services received, 2018 International Student Barometer (ISB)
  • 91% of students satisfied or very satisfied with the learning experience, 2018 International Student Barometer (ISB)
  • 90% of students satisfied or very satisfied with life experiences, 2018 International Student Barometer (ISB)
  • Top 800 world universities, Times Higher Education World Rankings
  • Top 650 world universities, QS World University Rankings
  • One of the best universities in the world under 50 years by Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings
  • World’s top 400 for Engineering and Technology, 2020 Times Higher Education (THE)
  • The world’s top 500 for Education, 2020 Times Higher Education (THE)
  • The world’s top 500 for Business and Economics, 2020 Times Higher Education (THE)
  • Top 600 of the world for Social Sciences, 2020 Times Higher Education (THE)

James Cook University

JCU has three campuses in Queensland, with two locations in Cairns and Townsville, JCU has 21,000 students from more than 108 countries. Students can choose from various fields of study and programs such as environmental management, health sciences, medicine, law and social sciences, and many more. JCU is a modern and dynamic university that was founded in 1961 and makes it the second oldest university in Queensland.

JCU enjoys a superior reputation among companies and students because the university is highly valued in various industries. This is evidenced by JCU receiving a five star rating from the Good Universities Guide for seven consecutive years for the success of Graduates in employment.

As a university that specializes in research, JCU has a JCU Orpheus Island Research Station which is certainly not owned by any other university. Revenue from the study reached $ 47.7 million with connections to 124 countries in the world.

Why JCU?

  • 5 stars for full time employment
  • 5 stars for student support
  • 5 stars for ability development
  • 5 stars for graduate work success, 2018 The Good Universities Guide
  • Top 50 modern universities, Times Higher Education 50 under 50 2016
  • Top 2% in the world, ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
  • # 1 in Australia for employer satisfaction, the QILT Employer Satisfaction Survey National Report
  • Future investment of up to $ 1.9 billion

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