Another location that is not often on a locum’s radar, but definitely should be! Townsville has an awesome mix of adventure options, with reef, rainforest, outback and urban activities all on its doorstep.
Tell me about Townsville itself
Known as the capital of North Queensland, it has a population of over 180 000 and is a whopping 1350 kms from Brissy. It’s a coastal town that sits adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef with the picturesque Magnetic Island just 20 minute ferry ride away. Townsville has a big industrial centre with zinc and nickel refineries, a port that handles more than 30 different commodities and let’s not forget one of the largest military bases in Australia with a solid air force presence.
So what can I do locally?
Well, there’s The Strand – two and a half kilometres of beach foreshore with a great walking/running track, picnic facilities, ocean and rock pool and even a beach volleyball setup. Get in and use it like the locals do! Castle Hill (metres short of being a mountain ? ) is a giant pink granite monolith in the middle of town. There are various walking tracks (and a road if you prefer your wheels) that take you up to 360 degree views of the area. If you’re there in footy season, apparently experiencing the Cowboys play in their home stadium is something pretty special. Getting a bit random here, but we’ve also heard good things about the street art up and down the alleys and laneways – the Info centre has a free trail map to take you through the highlights!
And Magnetic Island?
An absolute MUST. It’s a short ferry trip away so can be either a day trip or weekend adventure. It’s got beautiful palm-fringed beaches with large granite boulders, some lovely hiking trails and just generally a great vibe. Hire a scooter or mini-moke and get out and explore!
How about further afield…
There is a really big range of things to explore outside of Townsville, but you need to remember it’s on an Australian scale. There’s always a road trip involved! Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands are 3 hrs south (sailing, snorkelling and island adventures galore) while Cardwell and Hinchinbrook Island are 2hrs north (hello incredible Thorsborne Trail – an incredible multi-day hike). Both these spots are GREAT weekend adventures or, if you want to spend longer in each location, a great way to sandwich a locum stint. Slightly closer is Paluma Range National Park that has some beautiful hiking and secret swimming spots (hit up the team where you locum – we’ve heard the locals hold a lot of fun secrets like this, perfect for weekend adventures!).
Thoughts from sonos prior
Townsville has a little bit of everything – a good pub/cafe scene, surrounding national parks, a hike up to a lookout of the whole town and surrounding ocean. Magnetic Island was really cool to check out and easy to get to. Crystal Creek – Amazing National Park, with natural water slides that you can go down. Lots of swimming holes as well. Best coffee would have to be Queens Road Coffee Cart in Hermit Park- it is in the parking lot of the local park every morning. The locals that go there everyday are really friendly. Commonwealth was my favourite pub, the beer garden is class and they have live music all the time. Magnetic Island is a must – so many great hikes and beaches. If hiking is your thing- there’s a staff member in the department who is a big hiker and knows a lot of the great local trails so worth an ask. AK locum sono – 2023
The best things have been the team of workmates here. They are all very supportive and welcoming. The more complex pathology at a larger hospital has also been a good challenge. SM locum sono – 2023
