Sydney, Melbourne, well probably Cairns are the famous big cities to spend your holiday. Especially if you’re from overseas. But I think you might have to consider Townsville. It is a coastal city in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It’s not as big as the three cities I mentioned above. However, within 693.3 km² of the area, there are a lot of things that we can explore in Townsville.
Too bad I only got to spend a night there. I didn’t see the city in daylight. It was getting dark when I arrived at the hostel. I took a rest for a while and went out. I only got to explore an area with a bunch of restaurants and stuff. I tried Korean food in Zizigo Korean Cuisine at 373/401 Flinders Street. It was nice! Oh, I went to a mall as well before that. But a mall is a mall. Nothing so special about it.
After dinner, I went to Castle Hill Lookout. It offers beautiful view on a day but it’s mesmerizing at night! Oh, I didn’t expect the air would be cold that day. Well, the truth is Townsville’s air is way cooler than Cairns.
Anyway, Castle Hill is the giant pink granite monolith that stands proud in the center of Townsville. You can find popular walking tracks there. Trust me! I really wanted to walk through the track but Aldi, my husband, didn’t. He’s afraid of walking into an unknown place like that at night. It’s dark and dangerous, he said.
If I was brave, I’d walk alone but I wasn’t. I guess we have that in common. So, we just enjoyed the view from the upmost parking lot. It wasn’t bad. Some people came as well. I could see the city lights from above. If you want to have a better view, I suggest you come before sunset. I heard that you can capture beautiful sunset there.
Enough exploring the city. Let’s get to the nature! Ever heard of Jourama Falls? It’s located in Paluma Range National Park. I know, it’s not in Townsville but it’s on the way to Townsville from Cairns. It’s one of the places that I will never forget. Why? Simply for the peace it offers.
The parking lot is quite wide for a quiet place with just a few visitors. I began walking following the signpost. 100 meter away (I think) from the parking lot, on my right, there’s a path leading down to I didn’t know what. For the sake of my curiosity, I turned to the path. I was mesmerized by the view. A turtle welcomed me on a rock in the middle of his home. So adorable! There were some rainbow fish as well swimming so freely in the clear water.
It’s just the beginning! I wondered what I could find next. It’s not a far walk. Only 3km with grade 2 hike. The hike should take around 1.25 hours to complete. But honestly, I didn’t even mind the clock.
The track was quite challenging for me at the time. I hadn’t had any exercise for several months, so when I walked through the inclines, I was running out of breath. But it was fun! I walked to the end of the track and found a lookout where I could see the falls. It was quite similar to Barron Falls in Kuranda Village. I mean, we can’t be exactly under the falls. We can only see from afar.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate nature but it was a so-so view. But I’ll let you know the best thing of the place. From the lookout point, I walked down. There’s a fork when I was going up. I skipped it because I wanted to reach the top first. It turned out to be a beautiful place! There’s a stream surrounded by rocks. I don’t know if we can swim in the area but some websites say we can – that if you want to try.
One thing about this place: I love it! I love Townsville as well. If only I had more time to explore. Maybe someday!
