Burdekin
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The Burdekin district is nestled in the delta of the mighty Burdekin River, with its two main townships–Ayr and Home Hill–linked by the iconically historic Burdekin Bridge. Well known as the sugar cane capital of Australia, the Burdekin offers fantastic fishing, wetlands rich in biodiversity and birdlife and miles of unspoilt beaches to explore, including Australia’s longest sand spit.
Passing fields of cane could have you thinking of greener things on the other side, you don’t have to go far in the Burdekin to truly immerse yourself in natural history. Departing daily from the beachside community of Alva, and boats launched–often–by tractor, you can dive one of the world’s best dive sites in the SS Yongala shipwreck.
Over 100 years ago (one year before the Titanic) the Steam Ship Yongala sank in a cyclone in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. One of the most tragic maritime disasters in Australia, the Yongala is now covered in coral and home to hundreds of species, living on in harmony with the surrounding marine environment. The SS Yongala is the largest, most intact historic shipwreck in Australian waters –109 metres long and home to mega marine life.
Things to do in the Burdekin
Whether you find yourself in search of adventure through ancient rainforests, or are looking for a relaxing day on the water, there is something for everyone in Townsville North Queensland.
Townsville Enterprise Convention Bureau
Have you recently attended a business event you'd like to see hosted in Townsville? The Townsville Enterprise Convention Bureau is the first point of contact for event managers interested in hosting business events in Townsville North Queensland.
Economic Diversity
The Townsville North Queensland region contributes over $17.1 billion annually to the Queensland economy. The region boasts agriculture strengths, high value mining and minerals hubs for renewable energy and the country’s third largest breeding ground for cattle.
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Townsville Enterprise and Townsville North Queensland acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout our region and Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
Townsville Enterprise a not-for-profit organisation and is the official Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) and economic development body of the Townsville North Queensland region, extending from the Burdekin to the Hinchinbrook, west to Charters Towers, and including the central section of the Great Barrier Reef and its island communities of Magnetic Island and the Palm Island group.
