Mike Yardley: Mission Beach to Townsville, Queensland

For a drive to remember, richly wreathed with roadside enticements, the Pacific Coast Way is Queensland’s sprawling holiday highway. Hop-scotch you way down the coast, which is best savoured in bite-sized chunks. Two hours south of Cairns, Mission Beach was my first destination, a spectacular less-trafficked patch of paradise. Enroute, pop into Innisfail, Australia’s art deco capital. A century ago, a massive cyclone flattened the town and its predominantly wooden buildings. It prompted the town to rebuild using strong, cyclone-proof reinforced concrete in the Art Deco architectural style that was surging in popularity at the time. That legacy lives on today with its brightly coloured and stylised buildings – not dissimilar to Napier’s back-story. 

Lying at the heart of the Cassowary Coast region, Mission Beach actually spreads itself out along a 14km stretch of golden beaches, fringed in palms, pandanus and paperbarks. Right on cue, as I rocked into Mission Beach, a striking cassowary nonchalantly stepped out of the bush onto the roadside, flaunting its radiantly coloured head dress, like an emu in drag. Cassowaries certainly enjoy right of way in these parts. Keep your distance from these prodigious forest seed spreaders – they have a nasty kick with a dagger-like claw and can chase you down if you annoy them by getting too close, running as fast at 50km!  

Cliff-top views over Mission Beach. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Year-round, an ocean dip is going to be warm. But stick to the designated surf lifeguard-patrolled swimming areas, protected by stringer nets, and also to avoid any salties, who do lurk in adjoining creeks and rivers. What is particularly special about Mission Beach is that the coastal enclave has retained a dreamy, blissed-out, laid-back vibe and the welcoming locals are never outnumbered by tourists. The beachside forest trails on the Kennedy Track are delightful.   

Sweet-tooths unite: make a date with Charley’s Chocolate Factory, as you witness the entire process from humble bean to delectable block. You’ll notice the spelling of Charley avoids any copyright issues with a certain children’s story. Cacao production is a growing industry in North Queensland and Charley’s has its own cacao plantation, powering its tree-to-bar, farm-to-table experience. It’s very impressive, with plenty of free tastings. Charley’s product range celebrates local tropical produce with some rather inventive flavours. I tried their Pina Colada chocolate, which includes locally distilled rum and locally grown pineapple and organic coconut. Delish! I also recommend their Tropical Crunch, with locally produced milk chocolate and tropical granola. 

Just north of Mission Beach, check out the little-known Bingil Bay, a gloriously picturesque rainforest-fringed inlet with a distinctly boho vibe, as if a slice of Byron Bay splintered north. The Bingil Bay Café is a cracker, with its swirling psychedelic 1970s’ colour scheme, straight out of Austin Powers – groovy baby! The expansive menu caters to all bellies, but don’t overlook their lip-smacking fish tacos, consisting of local crumbed mackerel, sweet corn salsa, avocado, sour cream, sweet chilli sauce, coriander and lime.  If you’re into your craft spirits, check out the Bingil Bay Distillery for some superb libations.  

Bingil Bay Cafe. Photo / Mission Beach

I stayed the night at The Elandra Resort Mission Beach, casting me under its spell with its elemental gorgeousness and supreme sense of pampered comfort, calm and indulgence. The moment you arrive, you know you are somewhere special. Turning 3 later this year, it’s very boutiquey and has firmly elevated itself onto my hit-list of Australia’s greatest places to stay. It is low-key tropical luxury in excelsis. This clifftop resort is nestled within 6 hectares of private rainforest, with salivating views across the Coral Sea to the nearby islands of Dunk and Bedarra. Comprising just 20 designer rooms and suites, the sense of indulgent seclusion is unmistakable and the accommodations are loaded with comforts, from Tempur-Pedic beds and 55-inch Smart TVs, to the minibars and espresso makers.   

The creamy pool deck is soothingly seraphic, with the most blissful year-round swimming pool flanked in sun loungers and supreme coastal vistas. The convivial poolside bar shakes up some seriously good mixology. Jonny whipped me up my latest favourite cocktail, a Coral Sea Crush (Bacardi, blue curacao, pineapple, lemon and coconut juice). On-site dining is a delight at the Open-Terrace restaurant. Don’t go past the seafood – particularly the garlic prawns, calamari and crab spaghetti. For breakfast, I fuelled up on a massive ham and cheese croissant with mustard butter, ingeniously topped with a fried egg. Why not?  

Pool deck at The Elandra Resort. Photo / Mike Yardley 

About an hour from Mission Beach I ventured to the remarkable, historic Paronella Park. It’s a pleasure park of flora and architectural folly reaching back ninety years. Draped across five hectares beside the beautiful Mena Creek Falls, it was first formed by Spanish immigrant Jose Paronella, who dreamed of building a castle, inspired by his Catalonian childhood. And he did, along with picnic grounds beneath the falls, pavilions, tunnels, bridges, grand outdoor staircases… and a staggering garden of over 7000 tropical plants and trees. That included an absolutely sublime avenue of Kauris that tower like the columns and spires of a cathedral in this sacred forest. The stately stone castle in the heart of the park boasted a movie theatre and ballroom – super popular with American soldiers during WWII. Determined to make the park self-sufficient, José installed Queensland's first private hydroelectric system, harnessing energy from the falls.  

Mena Creek Falls at Paronella Park. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Buffeted by natural disasters over the decades, a fire sadly swept through the castle in 1979. Since 1993, Mark and Judy Evans have owned the park, reviving Jose’s dream and accentuating this heritage-listed park. They are the most passionate, charismatic owners, greeting visitors at the main entrance every day. It’s a truly beautiful place to relax and unwind, discovering the plethora of unexpected gems in this storied retreat. The café fare is fresh and fabulous. Don’t miss the turtle nesting area! If you’re travelling by motorhome, your first night is free in the adjoining Paddock Van Park. Come nightfall, the waterfalls and various landmarks like the castle remains are beautifully flood-lit. It’s all deliciously escapist.  

Heading south, I passed through Ingham before taking a side-trip inland to Wallaman Falls, Australia's highest permanent single drop waterfall. Located in the verdant splendour of World Heritage rainforest-wreathed Girringun National Park, Stony Creek becomes Wallaman Falls, plunging 268 metres in a clear single curtain, frequently accented with a rainbow-fringed cloud of mist. It’s a whopper of a waterfall with enormous views across the Herbet River Valley.  

Wallaman Falls. Photo / Mike Yardley 

En-route to Townsville, a welcome stop beckoned at the Frosty Mango in Mutarnee. Just look out for the big Mango Man on the roadside. They love their Big Things in Queensland. The store boasts a plethora of sweet treats, not just showcasing the local mango, but a vast orchard of tropical fruits. An unexpected highlight were the Brazilian Cherries, which are certainly tartier than our local ones. The real-fruit ice cream is a hit, but I also sampled a mango trifle which was decadently good. 

Before long, the urban sprawl of Townsville shuffled into view, crowned by the city’s towering landmark of Castle Hill. This hulking behemoth of rock leers over the city like Cape Town’s admittedly more majestic Table Mountain. This dramatic pink granite monolith positively glows at twilight and is illuminated after dark. But for supreme views, conquer Castle Hill on-foot, on a gut-busting hike to start your day, before the mercury rises. Goat Track is a thigh-burner, taking roughly 30 minutes each way. 

The Strand is Townsville’s drop-dead-gorgeous 2km-long beachy promenade, liberally loaded with inviting restaurants and cafes, shaded in palm trees and studded with recreational treats like the stinger-net-protected seawater rockpool, the fabulous maritime-themed kids’ water park, free barbeque facilities and cranking swimming pavilion. Take a stroll through the town centre and you’ll notice that Townsville prides itself on safeguarding its heritage architecture, with a head-turning collection of stately commercial buildings, like the circular Customs House, time-honoured villas from the 19th century, plus some old-school classic Aussie pubs with sweeping wooden verandas.   

Classic architecture in Townsville. Photo / Mike Yardley 

A much-loved new city icon is home base for the North Queensland Cowboys -  Queensland Country Bank Stadum. It’s an unusual design – enclosed on three sides, but super close to the heart of town, not unlike One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. The exposed northern end was purposefully designed so that the city skyline is in full view as you catch a game. 

There’s a variety of interesting museums in town but for something really distinctive, check out the Museum of Underwater Art. The Museum of Underwater Art is a collection of underwater sculptures and artworks by Jason deCaires Taylor. Not dissimilar to the famed underwater museum in Cancun, it’s the first such museum in Australia – in fact the Southern Hemisphere. By sharing the stories of the Great Barrier Reef and the local Aboriginal people through art, the museum aims to inspire reef conservation. There’s now 29 sculptures scattered across the water including the original sculpture, Ocean Siren, a 4metre-tall statue of a young female Aboriginal, which stands in the shallow foreshore waters, just off the Strand. She changes colour with the shift in ocean temperatures. 

Where to stay? The Ville Resort-Casino is ideally located in walking distance of The Strand and on the harbour’s edge if you fancy an easy foray with the Great barrier Reef. The swim-up pool bar, Splash Bar, at The Ville embodies all those tropical holiday feels,  surrounded by pearly white architecture, blazes of bougainvillaea and dreamy Coral Sea views. Frolic in the pool or just laze away in a luxurious poolside cabana, coupled with a cracker food and drinks service. Life is good. 

Splash Bar at The Ville Resort-Casino. Photo / The Ville Resort-Casino. 

Escape the everyday on the Pacific Coast Way, flanked by the rainforest and the reef - a one million year old garden and the world’s largest pool.  

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s resident traveller and can be heard every week on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.