One Day in Townsville

Many people advise that there isn't a lot to do in Townsville. Friends who have been, friends who haven't. Others, blog writers determined to find a new ‘take’, say that it's worth spending a day (or two). We had one day, when we left Magnetic Island and had hours until our evening flight out, and we managed to see why people say both.

Our ferry across to Townsville was a choppy crossing. I was part-way through a regrettable coffee when we boarded, which I proceeded to nurse for the following twenty-minutes (and then some) unable to enjoy it. Delighted to be reunited with stiller waters, and the calm earth of Townsville we found next, I was keen to forget about my somersaulting stomach and embark on whatever adventures we would find.

And one such adventure was on our minds. As we'd arrived into the dock, I'd seen a billboard for 'Ephemera' and saw that the dates it was on included today's. I had no idea what it was, but a quick Google solved that, and we were heading the right direction already. One of our 'to dos' was to walk the Strand, a stretch of land along the coast. For Ephemera (22nd July–6th August), the Strand was adorned with a variety of statues and art installations. From a fountain that started pouring as you walked past to a ginormous sculpture carved out of sand, spooky faces in trees to underwater scenes made of plastic, there was huge variety in the artworks. A common theme among them was the earth's changing climate. Such artworks are becoming increasingly common and recognised. Art seems to be our way of expressing our greatest threats and fears.

We got talking to a couple by several huge butterflies. The sky had become overcast and we only parted after a lengthy conversation about Magnetic Island, and travel more widely, when we feared the rain could start, and we continued on in our separate groups.

By the end of the Strand, we were hungry. So we walked almost all the way back to the other end to a cafe we'd seen on route. At Happy Place, we drank fresh juices and ate tasty food.

After lunch, we headed to the Museum of Tropical Queensland, where we learnt about HMS Pandora, a ship that crashed into the Great Barrier Reef(!), some creepy deep sea creatures, lots of bugs that dominate North Queensland, and Mangroves, and how important they are.

After a while, we decided to pick up the luggage we'd stored in the lockers at the ferry terminal, and head to the airport. It was far too many hours in advance of our flight for my liking, especially as the terminal was one large room with one store and one open bar, but of course, it was better than being late! We chilled out and snacked until it was time to board.

We had an amazing few days on Magnetic Island, celebrating Mum's birthday, seeing incredible wildlife, driving around in the Barbie car, and commemorating it all. Leaving was sad, especially knowing that this half of the trip with my parents was leading up to their departure. But we had a few more adventures on the agenda first...