Leaving Mackay, we headed for our lunch stop at Bowen. Of course, you can’t visit Bowen without a stop at the famous Big Mango. We also enjoyed some mango sorbet in cones and Mel had some scones with mango jam- yum!

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Driving into Bowen, we picked up some lunch and headed down to the marina area for a picnic. There was a lovely park by the water and the kids enjoyed a play. We then headed out of Bowen, across the longest bridge in Qld. Crossing it for 1km, we all had a good look out for crocs in the river below. Arriving at Townsville, we checked into Magnetic Gateway Caravan Park, a spacious and simple park.

We really liked the atmosphere of Townsville city- small enough not to be too busy, yet big enough to have all the modern conveniences. Mel was in awe of the landscape; the city was totally flat apart from a couple of massive mountains rising right next to the city. Castle Hill rises right in the middle of the city, with some houses even built on its’ rising slopes. We opted for the drive up to the various lookouts, although there were many super-fit people doing the climb! The views from the top were stunning, especially as the hill is located right in the middle of the city. From the north-east angle, we even had a great view of Magnetic Island.

We then headed into The Strand and went to the Townsville Water Park. As most North Queensland beaches are closed due to crocs, a number of local councils build free water parks for the locals (and non-locals!) to cool down. The kids had a wonderful time here and we also enjoyed a BBQ lunch and a play in the adjoining park.