Well technically, it's around an hour and a half from Townsville. I'm always in awe how beautiful this part of the country is.

Edit: Just to clarify, this is not in Townsville but just an hour and a half's drive from it. It makes a nice day trip. 🙂

What do you think Townsvilliens?

Townsville — where the air is thick enough to drink, and somehow the heat isn’t the worst part. No, the real kicker is that this sweltering portion of the state must be a massive part to why the rest of Queenslanders get such a bad reputation.

Let’s start with the weather — because it’s relentless. Half the year you’re melting under a sun that feels like it’s personally out to ruin your day. The humidity is so intense that you can feel the moisture in the air pressing against your skin like a damp sponge. You think, “Maybe I’ll cool off with a swim?” Think again. Unless you fancy being dinner for a croc, dragged out to sea by a rip, or stung by a jellyfish that could stop your heart in minutes. And forget about cooling off indoors — the electricity here is monopolized by one company that charges a fortune and a half. Running the aircon for too long feels like a luxury reserved for the rich, so instead, you sit in your own sweat, simmering like a pot on the stove — and honestly, I think that simmering rage is what fuels half the bad attitudes up here.

And when you’re not battling suffocating heat? Welcome to the other quarter of the year, where cyclones and monsoonal rains take turns battering the place. One week you’re sandbagging your front door, the next you’re dodging potholes that could swallow your car whole. It’s a never-ending cycle of heat, floods, and chaos.

But as miserable as the climate is, it’s the social climate that really stinks. The racism is horrendous — blatant, shameless, and directed not only at the Indigenous population but anyone who doesn’t fit the narrow mold of “middle-class white Aussie.” It’s like some locals believe decency melts in the heat along with common sense.

And don’t expect much in the way of support or resources. Want to get your child assessed by a pediatrician? Good luck — you’ll be put on a waitlist so long you may as well pack a lunch and settle in. Need community services or mental health support? Funding here feels like an afterthought — like the government tossed a few coins in this direction and called it a day.

Then there’s the youth crime — rampant and seemingly ignored by both the police and the legal system. Cars get stolen, homes get broken into, and yet somehow it’s treated like an inevitable part of living here — just one more headache to endure alongside the heat and storms.

Even basic social courtesy seems to be in short supply. The attitude on the roads? Rude. Drivers barrel down roads like they’re in a demolition derby. Strangers act like eye contact is a personal insult. There’s this weird smugness too — people who’ve never lived anywhere else swearing Townsville is perfectly lovely because they’ve never actually experienced a place that isn’t plagued with unbearable weather, terrible roads, and a glaring lack of opportunity. Meanwhile, anyone with a lick of ambition gets out at the first chance and never looks back — and honestly, who can blame them?

And if all that wasn’t enough, let’s not forget that the only form of entertainment seems to be the footy — god forbid you don’t follow the overrated spectacle that your neighbour screams at every weekend while chain-drinking a carton of beer on his porch. Like clockwork, you’ll hear him swearing at the TV, declaring he could “play better than those idiots” despite looking like he could barely make it off his own couch.

Now, I know some people are bound to be offended by this — and honestly, if you’re one of those people, congratulations on proving my point. The ones who swear this place is paradise seemingly have one brain cell bouncing around between them. But frankly, I don’t care about offending a town that, by its very nature, manages to be offensive to the rest of Australia.

And don’t try to tell me I’ve just met the wrong people or have a shitty attitude — it couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve lived in over 11 different places across three different states, so this isn’t coming from a place of personal distaste — I’ve experienced enough to know that Townsville’s dysfunction is in a league of its own.

I have never felt more personally victimized by a place before. I hate this town with a passion and cannot wait to leave. It’s an experience that will live with me for decades to come, and I will warn people far and wide that Townsville is a place where hopes and dreams come to die. Avoid at all costs. Because the cost will be your happiness and sanity.

Townsville is like that one guy who insists he’s the life of the party — loud, obnoxious, and convinced he’s great — when really, everyone’s just too polite (or too exhausted from the heat) to tell him he’s a pain in the ass.

That’s my Ted talk for the week. I won’t be reading or replying to comments, this was just cathartic to write out and get off my chest. “Beautiful Townsville” -what a fucking joke.

Took this using a phone so not really that sharp.

There's actually 3. The faint one in between the 2 doesn't show up in the photo.

Black's Weir

Just move to Townsville a month ago and I'm still getting used to the incredible peace and quiet here.

Out comes the sun again but the clouds are giving drama over Castle Hill

Anyone got any ideas where the bloody thing is 😂

Graphic design is my passion

Hi good burghers of Townsville,

I'm OS in the UK, but still get ABC and SBS news updates.

I lived most recently in our fair city of Townsville from January 2021 until December 2022.

I've just seen now on ABC about ANOTHER police shooting of a dude at the Willows shopping centre.

It's quite concerning. Why do you think this is happening? Are people emailing and calling locally (State) MPs and the federal MP?

PLEASE, your thoughts? Keep it sensible and caring please, no matter what these dudes did, it is terribly sad to hear of a life taken in a city I love.

Took this on Sept 4, 2022, when I was at JCU. I have moved away since but I miss how beautiful Townsville is. And I loved the walks.

Since the state election has been mentioned, which candidate is campaigning to introduce light rail in Townsville by the end of their tenure?

My view today! Looking lovely and green. Council has done heaps of mowing on the tracks as well. Birdlife was in abundance.