Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

THE NORTH COAST 305
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.
Worth a Splurge
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’s 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.
TOWNSVILLE AFTER DARK
Not much happens until Friday and Saturday night in Townsville. The Bank
Niteclub, 169 Flinders St. East (& 07/4721 1916), gets a young crowd who
party, dance, and pick each other up. Less frenetic social animals prefer the city’s
lovely historical pubs edged with wrought-iron lace verandas. The most popular
is the Exchange , 151 Flinders St. East (& 07/4771 3335)—choose your poison
from the hip wine bar downstairs or the Western bourbon and cigar saloon
upstairs; ask the bar staff to tell you about the resident ghost. Errol Flynn used
to like staying at The Australian Hotel, 11 Palmer St. (& 07/4722 6999);
no doubt he knocked back a beer or two on the wide upstairs veranda, and you
can, too.
The Quarterdeck (& 07/4722 2333), by the water, belongs to the Jupiters
Hotel & Casino at the Breakwater marina on Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, and has
dinner music Thursday evening, live bands Friday and Saturday night from
9pm, and live jazz on Sunday winter afternoons and summer evenings. A grill is
open for steaks, seafood, and light meals from 11:30am to 9pm daily. You may
want to combine a meal here with a visit to the casino off the hotel lobby.
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 minutes
from Townsville by ferry. Only 2,500 locals live here, but it’s also popular
with mainlanders who love its holiday atmosphere. If you want an island interlude
during your Aussie vacation but don’t want to pay through the nose at the
ritzy island resorts, Maggie is an ideal alternative. It is a busy little place as visitors
and locals zip about between the small settlements dotted around its coast,
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 birdwatchers
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 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 is off the international tourist trail by and large,
and it’s definitely a casual kind of place, so leave your Prada stilettos in your
suitcase.