A shopper’s guide to the best Townsville markets

Megan Arkinstall Megan Arkinstall
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Whether you’re after some fresh fruit and veg for your holiday home, a souvenir to remember your travels or a tasty bite from a local food vendor, try your luck at these best Townsville markets.

Shopping at Townsville markets is a win-win: it’s practical and fun at the same time. Find one-of-a-kind North Queensland souvenirs to take home, meet local creatives and farmers and listen to their stories, sample produce and delicacies grown and made in the region, enjoy live music and performances by local artists, all while supporting small businesses.

1. Cotters Market, Flinders Street

baked goods at Cotters Market Townsville
Stock up on freshly baked goods.

When: Every Sunday, 8am – 1pm

No matter what you’re looking for – a handwoven basket? A fresh bunch of blooms? Local honey in bulk? – you’ll likely find it at North Queensland’s largest market. Held in Flinders Street, in the heart of Townsville’s CBD, Cotters Market is a fun-filled morning out, with a diverse collection of more than 150 vendors, live entertainment, fresh produce, food trucks to feed rumbling tummies and a host of free events such as yoga and fitness classes, wildlife presentations, Q&As and more.

2. Willows Sunday Markets, Willows Shopping Centre Carpark

Willows Rotary Markets townsville
Find fresh produce and handcrafted goodies.

When: Every Sunday, 7:30am – 11:30am

This bustling farmers’ market is a short drive from the CBD, with its stallholders touting locally grown fruit and veggies, as well as handmade preserves and food, for 20 years. Handmade arts and crafts, clothing, homewares, plants and an assortment of other treasures make up the 100-plus stalls. It’s a great place to stock up on fresh produce if you’re staying in a holiday rental, then grab a coffee, browse the goods and enjoy some live entertainment.

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3. Strand Night Markets, Strand Park

strand night markets
Enjoy live music and food trucks as you wander these night markets.

When: First Friday of each month, 5pm – 9:30pm

Townsville’s balmy evenings are best spent on The Strand, the city’s waterfront promenade dotted with cafes, bars, and kids’ playgrounds. On the first Friday of every month, The Strand Park (pictured above) becomes a shopping and entertainment hub too, with lively night markets. Shop for locally made souvenirs and gifts, grab a bite to eat at one of the food trucks and relax under a darkening sky as you listen to live music from local acts.

4. Magnetic Island Markets, Horseshoe Bay Foreshore

Magnetic Island Markets, Horseshoe Bay Foreshore
Wander the beachfront at Magnetic Island Markets.

When: Every Sunday, 9am – 2pm

A visit to beautiful Magnetic Island isn’t complete without a jaunt to Horseshoe Bay. If you’re here on a Sunday – or staying a few days over a weekend – you’ll find this leafy foreshore bustling with stallholders and shoppers for its weekly market. Under the shade of palms and she-oak trees, just steps from the tranquil waters of this favourite beach, Magnetic Island Markets comprises locally made arts and craft, jewellery, fashion, homewares and food vendors, and live music by local musicians.

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5. Blak Art Markets, various locations

Blak Markets
Find authentic Indigenous arts, crafts and cultures.

When: Check the Facebook event page for upcoming dates and locations

Held by Big Eye Theatre – a small community-based performing arts organisation, which promotes First Nations stories and artists – Blak Art Markets is a unique market showcasing authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and crafts. Held at different locations every weekend, market-goers have the opportunity to buy genuine Aboriginal art, meet the artists themselves and listen to their stories first-hand, as well as enjoy cultural performances, dance and workshops, all while supporting the local Indigenous community.

6. Renegade Handmade, Currajong School Hall

Rengade Handmade Markets townsville
Peruse handmade products by local creatives.

When: Second Sunday of each month, 8am – 1pm

Forget mass-made trinkets: this boutique market is filled with authentic North Queensland souvenirs to remember your Townsville travels. Held on the second Sunday of each month, just 10 minutes from the city, Renegade Handmade is made up of just 60 stalls run by local creatives selling handmade products. Think clothing in bright, poppy fabrics, pottery, hand-painted accessories, original artworks and more.

Heading to Townsville soon? Check out our ultimate guide to the best things to do and places to eat and drink in Townsville.

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Megan Arkinstall
Megan Arkinstall is a freelance travel writer who you’ll often find at the beach, bushwalking or boating with her young family. She loves reliving travel memories through writing, whether that be sipping limoncello in a sun-drenched courtyard of Monterosso or swimming with green turtles in the aquamarine waters of Tropical North Queensland.
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7 wellness experiences on Hamilton Island for complete rejuvenation

(Credit: Riley Williams)

    Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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    Conjuring calm and active adventure in equal measure, Hamilton Island is a tropical tonic for body and mind.

    Hamilton Island knows a thing or two about indulgence. There are long lunches to linger over, seafood towers to savour and poolside loungers designed for guilt-free idling. But for health-minded travellers wanting to feel energised inside and out, this sliver of the Whitsundays takes wellbeing just as seriously. Think yoga mats rolling out at dawn, kayaks skimming turquoise water, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and spa therapists working tropical magic. These Hamilton Island wellness experiences promise to restore, rebalance and leave you feeling brand new.

    1. E-Mountain biking

    mountain bikers on Hamilton Island wellness
    Follow Hamilton Island’s mountian biking trails. (Credit: Harry Gruttner)

    For travellers with an appetite for adrenaline, Hamilton Island’s new self-guided e-mountain biking experience is worth carving out a morning for. Start at HI Trails HQ, where you’ll be fitted with a full-suspension, pedal-assisted e-mountain bike and given a run-through of a nine-kilometre section of the island’s 25-kilometre trail network. The electric boost makes the ride more accessible (and the climbs more manageable), though an intermediate level of fitness is still recommended.

    As a first-time mountain biker, I start off wobbly – taking my time to get used to switching gears and electric modes – and wonder if I’ve overestimated my coordination. But soon something clicks. Suddenly we’re zooming through pockets of eucalyptus and out onto ridgelines with sweeping views of electric blue waters, catching our breath at hidden bays with barely another soul in sight. More than 70 per cent of the island remains untouched, so witnessing these lesser-explored pockets feels like a blessing. It’s the kind of adventure that leaves you buzzing, accomplished and blissfully tired out.

    2. HI Fitness Club

    HI Fitness Club reformer pilates
    Stretch out with reformer pilates.

    If mountain biking isn’t quite your speed, there are plenty of other ways to stay active on the island. One of the newest Hamilton Island wellness experiences, HI Fitness Club now has 24-hour access, offering a fully equipped modern gym, group classes spanning HIIT to yoga, plus two bubbling spas and a sauna waiting to loosen sore muscles.

    I drop in for a Reformer Pilates class. Each of the four machines has its own mini screen with a wide selection of high-quality virtual classes, meaning I can select one that suits my level and mood that day. Beyond Pilates, the virtual library is like a choose-your-own adventure for fitness enthusiasts: dance, Body Pump, Body Combat and GRIT Cardio are among the options. Or perhaps challenge a family member or friend to a hit of tennis at one of the three courts.

    3. Walking trails

    runners on hamilton island
    Get the blood pumping on a morning run.

    We set out early. By 6:45am, we’re halfway up Passage Peak, the highest point on Hamilton Island and widely considered its most impressive vantage point. From the Scenic Trail Entrance, the viewing platform takes around an hour to reach by foot, with moderate inclines that will get your heart pumping without feeling too punishing. The payoff at the top is immediate. Bush-clad Whitsundays islands scatter across the horizon in every direction, the sunrise brushing the scene with soft melon and gold tones. I take my time soaking up the 360° panorama, remembering how powerful an active start in nature can be for clearing the mind and energising the day ahead.

    While Passage Peak is one of the most popular hikes on Hamilton Island, Flat Top Hill Lookout and the longer Southeast Head Trail are also excellent choices.

    4. Spa wumurdaylin

    Spa Wumurdaylin on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Feel your worries melt away at Spa wumurdaylin.

    In a tranquil treatment room at Spa wumurdaylin, the world disappears. The space is all brown stone tiles, bamboo racks and lush garden views, setting the tone for my Soul Temple treatment. My therapist, Kass, begins with a full-body, exfoliating orange buff sugar scrub that feels divine. Next comes the vertical Vichy shower and underwater massage to knead out muscle knots. The sound of cascading water is reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm, and stress becomes a distant memory.

    It’s a prime example of the transportive power of the island’s spa, where guests can come to reset the mind and loosen tension in the body. The menu spans radiance facials to deep release rituals and mud wraps, all using products from pH-balanced skincare brand LaGaia Unedited. Concluding with herbal tea, I leave in a blissful daze.

    5. Sunrise yoga

    sunrise yoga session at the sundays on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Start your day on the right foot.

    Morning movement doesn’t get more surreal than sunrise yoga on The Sundays’ seaside terrace. As we roll out our mats, morning light spills across Catseye Beach below, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold. But the setting only does half the healing. I match my breath to the rhythm of the waves and feel my body gradually lengthen and wake as instructor Tyla Rae guides us through a slow, mindful flow.

    Available exclusively to guests of The Sundays, this session captures the spirit of wellness on Hamilton Island – immersion in nature, slowing down by the sea, recalibrating both body and mind. To round out the experience, the perfect ocean cool-off awaits just steps away.

    6. Getting out on the water

    people on sup boards at the sundays hamilton island
    Try your hand at a host of watersports.

    Speaking of ocean delights, Catseye Beach’s host of watersports delivers spades of fun and rejuvenation. Glide over the crystalline water in a kayak, test your sailing skills in a mini catamaran, spot schools of fish (and a turtle if you’re lucky) from a stand-up paddleboard, or slip into an underwater wonderland when you snorkel off the beach.

    Out here, the water is so clear it feels like floating in glass, and the green silhouettes of the Whitsunday Islands rise on the horizon. Half an hour on the water here is all you need to reset your entire mood.

    Guests staying at qualia, Beach Club, The Sundays, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows and Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have complimentary access to all these water activities, making it easy to dive right in.

    7. Take a swing

    Dent Island Golf course
    Enjoy incredible views with a swing of golf.

    For others, mindfulness comes from calm concentration – and golf fits the bill to a tee. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Club is perched along the scenic ridges of Dent Island. It’s Australia’s only golf course on its own island, making it one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. The experience is suitable for golfers of all skill levels, with spectator bookings also available for those simply wishing to take in the views. Follow the game with a well-earned lunch at the Clubhouse restaurant.

    Find out more ways to unwind in the Whitsundays at hamiltonisland.com.au.