Tropical treats in Townsville

It’s not often a secluded tropical island holiday is easy on the hip pocket, but as Jessica Reid found you just need to know where to look.

Ditching my customary laptop and high heels, I decided to take a well deserved break to the unspoilt regions of Townsville in northern Queensland and relax on beautiful Hinchinbrook Island.

After flying into Townsville the first stop on our journey was to the top of Castle Hill. This huge monolith was a fantastic way to get our bearings and discover the region from a birds’ eye perspective. You can see the Townsville marina, the heart of the city and the nearby islands surrounded by beautiful azure waters.

We then drove 1.5 hours north of Townsville and stumbled across a hidden oasis known as Port Hinchinbrook.  Already the air seemed cleaner and the water clearer and I hadn’t even stepped off the mainland.

After spending the night in a luxurious private villa hut we boarded the Hinchinbrook Explorer, which departs daily at 9am. The full-day tour costs $90 per adult and $45 per child, includes lunch, and offers a variety of activities to personalise each passengers’ experiences.

As we glided across the perfectly calm waters of Rockingham Bay towards the jungle-clad Hinchinbrook Island I thought our destination looked as uninhabited as its surrounding islands. The only clues to the contrary were the tiny jetty and two hammocks set up on the beach – a spot I decided I would become much accustomed to later.

After exploring the expansive mangrove pathways on board and an isolated beach on foot, I was dropped at Macushla beach with a picnic lunch for a 5.5 kilometre walk through beautiful rainforests and beaches to Hinchinbrook Island Resort. Others chose to stay onboard and were dropped directly at the resort for a chef-prepared lunch.

To fully appreciate the Island’s beauty and seclusion, visitors can stay in the resorts unique ‘tree house’ style accommodation. The one and two bedroom tree houses at Hinchinbrook Resort offer an affordable option to experience an island getaway. For example, a family or group of five people can stay at Hinchinbrook Resort for four nights for just $1, 260. With no televisions, playstations or computers in the rooms, it offers the ultimate hideaway from reality with the opportunity to appreciate the simple things in life.

Days on Hinchinbrook Island can be spent on foot discovering a myriad of bush walking tracks, or exploring the surrounding waterway in kayaks and canoes available for free from the resort.

The region also boasts some of the best fishing in Australia, and the resort also provides free fishing equipment for guests. Head down to the jetty in the afternoon and don’t be surprised if you reel in a huge tropical fish or run into the giant Groper dwelling beneath the pier.

Guests can also take a short trip to nearby coral reefs and islands to snorkel, dive or swim at a small additional fee.

My time on Hinchinbrook was largely spent lazing in a  hammock with my nose buried in a good book, in-between spotting turtles and dugongs as they popped their heads above the water’s surface.

After just a few days on the island, I stepped aboard the Black Magic fishing boat for our charter back to the mainland feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

On our drive back to Townsville we stumbled across the Tyto Wetlands, an incredible site integrating extensive lagoons and walking tracks, housing two crocodiles, close to 1000 wallabies and some 205 native birds.

John Young, our animated and experienced tour guide, is the brains and brawn behind the wetlands, situated just 500 metres out of Ingham and less than one kilometre from the Bruce Highway. It was incredible to see such a rich and dense variety of wildlife so close to a city centre.

The city of Townsville is also a surprisingly vibrant beachside haven. With Magnetic Island at its doorstep, the world’s largest coral marine park Reef HQ, and a fantastic outdoor and dining strip running parallel to the ocean known as ‘The Strand’, it offered the perfect way to end my tropical treats getaway.

Getting there

Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar offer direct daily flights from Brisbane to Townsville with connections from all major Australian cities.

Take the Tilt Train from Brisbane to Townsville or Cardwell (for Port Hinchinbrook) enjoying the journey in complete comfort or catch a Greyhound-Australia coach.

Visit

www.qantas.com.au

www.jetstar.com.au

www.virginblue.com.au

www.traveltrain.com.au

www.greyhound.com.au

Staying and playing there

www.townsvilleholidays.com.au

www.queenslandholidays.com.au

www.driveqld.com.au