townsville town common conservation park

This park is a real find. After driving some way on the trail we were able to see many wild birds on the wetlands. Permanent hides are provided and well marked walking trails.

We walked the freshwater trail and then out to Shelley Beach. The first part of the trail through the wetlands was marvellous, with thousands of birds to see all around. The second part, out to the beach, was dry and not so interesting but the beach was wild and beautiful, deserted. However, if the tide is out, don't expect a swim as it's a long way from the shore! Bird hides near the car park gave more access to bird viewing, with little clumps of tree-frogs sheltering in the corners of the hide. On the way out, we were treated to sightings of brolgas, which had arrived during the day. Towering above the other birds, they made a spectacular sight.

I could spend a week here and still want more. It was the dry season when we were there but the vast tracts of permanent water were still there. These water areas and the surrounding forest support an amazing amount of birdlife. Brolgas, Magpie Geese, Grebes, Ducks, Kingfishers, Pelicans, cormorants, finches, wrens etc etc etc. There are 2 large hides for viewing particular areas but there is birdlife and other animal life everywhere. Open daylight hours, free to enter but dirt road all the way inside the common. A must see!!

Loads of birds feeding but we did come across a couple of snakes, so be careful or stay in your car.

I returned to the Common on my recent trip to Townsville and it is still an excellent place for bird watching. I did notice (like the previous post) men wandering around that were not there for the wildlife. I have reported this to the police so hopefully they can disrupt their activities so the park can be enjoyed by all.

Look if you love bird watching this is not a bad place to visit. But none of the roads are sealed and they are a bit of a rough ride dusty ride. Be a little careful if you take your children to the bird watching tower, there were some fairly creepy guys hanging around and I don't think they were there for the bird watching, one in particular was in a state of undress in the bush, but he kept his distance. Otherwise probably worth a visit, if you have an hour or two to kill. My suggestion is to attend early morning at first light as you will maximise the amount of wildlife you will see. Take food and water as it will take awhile to explore. There is a bird watching tower and further along the road is a bird hide. One road in and out so no risk of getting lost. There are no toilets or other facilities in the common, but it's free and worth a look albeit a little creepy with the strange male folk walking in and around the tracks at the bird look out doing whatever they do when not bird watching. Each to their own though.

Easy access from town to a huge variety of bird life, wallabies and even a wild dog. There are finches, waterbirds, eagles and even owls all living very close to the city. Go early or late to see them.

Awesome walking tracks and wild life abundant. Make sure if walking you take plenty of water. Nice views and great photo opportunities

If you love walking, love the solitude and love be able to observe a range of wildlife......this is the place to go walking. I make this a once a week occurance and spend a good couple of hours walking the many lovely walking tracks available.

You never know what you'll see as you explore the bush and wetland areas of the common. The hides are very good and the photo opportunities are endless. You'll probably meet other birders who'll have suggestions and sightings to share. Any season is good, as the various birds come and go. It would be nice if there was a public toilet within the park.

Took my wife there on Friday 24th May 2013Nice place and good for the history of townsville first quarantine port The beach point had a few broken bottles around the rock's at low tide so please be careful when taking kid's on the beach at low tideBut apart from that awesome place!...

Wonderful for bird-watchers but for anyone wanting a bush experience while in Townsville, this is a must-do. You can just drive through (slowly please) turn around and back again if you only have half an hour or so to spare but really you just have to get out of your car and have a bit of a walk - or a long one if possible. Recently spent a whole morning walking the Freshwater lagoon circuit and collected a list of 50 bird species, including brolgas, jabiru, kingfishers and sea eagles, osprey etc. If you don't mind a climb, walk the track from Bald Rock to summit of Mt Marlow (about 5 km return) which has absolutely stunning views. A number of new tracks for walkers, joggers and cyclists have been established recently- check out the National Parks site for info and maps. Early morning or later afternoon are best for birding and photography.

A good road to the wetlands and very good bird hides to observe and to take photosWE saw a quite rare Bustard.

bird life, walks, viewing hides etc - all easy to walk and and plenty to see. Also interpretive signs. Good for photography.

If you love bird watching and have a spare morning up your sleeve and you want a peaceful spot to while away a couple of hours then the Townsville town common won't disappoint. I spent two mornings and a late afternoon enjoying the birdlife of the Townsville Common and was rewarded with a fantastic list of over 60 birds. The Brolgas, Black necked storks, Red backed fairy wrens and the crimson finches were definitely the highlights. Although nesting Ospreys and hundreds of magpie geese honking loudly were pretty good too.Previous reviews talk about mozzies and how bad they were which is amazing as I did not see any in the three visits I made in early September.