Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7 Palmer St. & 07/4724 1460. Reservations recommended. Main courses A$11-A$23 (US$7.10-US$15).
AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-Fri 11:30am-2pm; Tues-Sun 5:30-10pm.
Zouí Alto MODERN AUSTRALIAN This is not just one of the best
restaurants in Townsville, it's one of the best in the country. Chef Mark
Edwards, who has cooked for the king of Norway, turns out terrific food, while
his effusive wife Eleni runs the front of the house, which is idiosyncratically
decked out in primary splashes and Greek urns. Main courses include ravioli
with choice of filling—pumpkin and blue vein cheese, sweet potato and ginger,
or sun-dried tomato and goat's cheese. Arrive before sunset, to make the most of
the spectacular views of Castle Hill on one side and the bay on the other.
On 14th floor at Aquarius on the Beach, 75 The Strand. & 07/4721 4700. Reservations recommended. Main
courses A$18-A$22 (US$12-US$14). AE, MC, V. Tues-Sat 6:30-9:30pm. Bus: 1B.
A SIDE TRIP TO MAGNETIC ISLAND
8km (5 miles) E of Townsville
“Maggie” is a delightful 51-sq.-km (20-sq.-mile) national-park island 20 min-
utes from Townsville by ferry. About 2,500 people live here, but it's also popu-
lar with Aussies, who love its holiday atmosphere. It is a busy little place as
visitors and locals zip about between the small settlements dotted around its
coast; in fact, the island has a good range of restaurants, laid-back cafes, and
takeout joints. But peace-seeking visitors will find plenty of unspoiled nature to
restore their souls. Most people come for the 20 or so pristine (and amazingly
uncrowded) bays and white beaches that rim the island, but hikers, botanists,
and bird-watchers may want to explore the eucalyptus woods, patches of gully
rainforest, and granite tors. (The island got its name when Captain Cook
thought the “magnetic” rocks were interfering with his compass readings.) The
place is famous for wild koalas that are easily spotted up in the gum trees by the
side of the road; ask a local to point you to the nearest colony. Rock wallabies
are often spotted in the early morning. Maggie, off the tourist trail by and large,
is definitely a flip-flops kind of place.
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND Sunferries ( & 07/4771
3855 for Flinders St. terminal, or 07/4721 4798 for Breakwater terminal) runs
services from the 168-192 Flinders Street East terminal and the Breakwater ter-
minal on Sir Leslie Thiess Drive throughout the day. The company has a cour-
tesy coach that will pick you up from your hotel for the 10:30am ferry.
Round-trip tickets are A$22 (US$14) for adults, A$14 (US$9.10) for children
5 to 15, and A$38 (US$25) for a family. Combination tickets combining the
ferry with an all-day Magnetic Island bus pass or minimoke (similar to a golf
cart) rental can save you a bit.
You can take your car across on the ferry, but most people get around by rent-
ing an open-sided minimoke from the many moke-rental outfits on the island.
Minimokes are unlikely to send your speedometer much over 60kmph (36
mph). Moke Magnetic ( & 07/4778 5377 ) right near the jetty rents them for
around A$47 (US$31) a day. The Magnetic Island Bus Service ( & 07/4778
5130 ) runs a 3-hour guided tour of the island for A$30 (US$20) for adults,
A$15 (US$9.75) for kids, or A$75 (US$49) for a family.
OUT & ABOUT ON THE ISLAND
There is no end to the things you can do on Maggie—snorkeling, swimming in
one of a dozen or more bays, catamaran sailing, water-skiing, paraflying, horseback
riding on the beach, biking, tennis or golf, scuba diving, sea kayaking, sailing or
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