Townsville QLD ?

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

What is the Townsville QLD area like ? Weather, Jobs, People and good riding roads ?

 

[peter k]

You definatly won't get snow there It is always warm .there are a few scenic rides. As a tourist destination I wouldn't rate it real high.There is magnetic island just of the coast.Cowboys rugby league foot ball team.What else ,what else not much .work wise don't now.The people up there are like anywhere else friendly and helpfull .i ah ah I will tell you I filled the rocket with diesel on my trip up through Townsville to cairns last year .The people in Townsville were helpfull and I was on my way within an hour.Just north of Townsville and up to cairns and even a bit further north to port Douglas and the surrounding hinterland is magnificent

 

[TOMCAT]

Large rural city .. big Defence Force base .. Barrier Reef tourist attractions and home of the regions main university. Nice enough sort of place , tropical climate and the riding isn't too bad. Pretty sure it has a Triumph Dealership , know that Cairns does.

 

[CanberraR3]

Peter and TC way better placed to comment than me.

I had some great holidays there when I was a kid, mostly on Magnetic Island with my grandparents. They lived near Melbourne but spent winter up on the island. We'd fly up (took it in turns with my 2 brothers) in the schools hols and stay with them then drive with them to Brisbane (1400km) and fly home. Did the Whitsundays as part of the trip and camped or stayed in caravan parks on the way. Got to see so much of Queensland.

I was about 10 the first time. Met this local girl and played on the beach. Went back at 13 and met up with her again. Learnt a lot about female anatomy (and a bit about my own....). Third time there at 16 was a 2 week shag fest. Ah the memories.

 

[Mittzy]

Been to Townsville many times for work.. Its the second biggest city in queensland. Pretty country with a healthy industry. Dont know about the riding tho, population about 200,000

 

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

Great replies guys. How far south on the east coast does it stay warm year round ? What about over in WA ?

 

[Pete]

I've spent plenty of time in Townsville over the years and was there in July last year for a kids sporting carnival.
The people are friendly and the town is neat and tidy. The military plays a big role in the towns economy but its not really noticeable when your out and about. The weather can misbehave if there is a cyclone about but mostly its hot and dry, I remember seeing it brown more often than green. The main highway running north and south from Townsville can be a killer if you take on any of the trucks that deliver the majority of the goods in this area. The highway running south of Townsville used to be known as the crystal highway because of the number of shattered windscreens on the side of the road, but this has changed in recent times. Also good fishing and diving off shore but the boat needs to be able to handle rough water. Not as touristy as Cairns which is about 3-4 hrs drive north.

 

[CanberraR3]

You'll have to define warm. Canberra's one of the coldest places in winter but still pretty warm by Minnesota standards. If you're talking mild weather pretty much anywhere near the coast doesn't get the extremes of the inland. North of Sydney be my suggestion. Much the same in WA. Perth's on the same latitude (almost) as Sydney, by the way.

 

[peter k]

Great replies guys. How far south on the east coast does it stay warm year round ? W

Pretty perfect weather from cairns all the way to Byron bay about 1.5 hours south of the queensland border, The only problem with living from cairns south to Mackay would be these areas are prone to cyclones .most of us guys on this forum that live within 100kms of brisbane usually only need air conditioners and may be a jacket on a cold winters day but only for an hour or two in the early morning.After traveling up and down the east coast I settled on the gold coast 35 years ago and have never really had much to complain about
That meant to be north and south of Brisbane along the coast .If you go out west it gets bitterly cold in the winter months.

 

[TOMCAT]

As far as W.A goes .. stay south of Perth .. weather is pleasant most of the year. South Coast where we are does cop rain and strong winds in winter. That being said I rode my bike all last winter.
North of Perth it becomes more and more desert-like as you head north. Coastal towns are small and tourist focused. Inland it's all about mining. Most miners fly-in/fly out due to the shortage and therefore costs of accommodation. It costa lot to live in the mining towns.