Local Attractions
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Bowen is located approximately one hour’s drive north of the Whitsundays. It offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, overcrowded shopping centers and the routine of life itself. Come and enjoy the tranquility of our sandy beaches. Go snorkeling and diving just metres from the beach, view the spectacular coral and watch the reef fish swim by.
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Take a day or two (or more) driving around the region enjoying our beautiful coastline, including the tree-lined beaches and mangrove lined estuaries. Absorb the scenery from any one of a number of lookouts, surveying the blue waters, marina, township, farming areas and to the north, a developing Abbott Point coal loading terminal. Approximately one hour’s drive to the west of Bowen is the township of Collinsville. Spend a day there visiting the ‘Coalface Experience’ museum where you will learn about much of Collinsville’s heritage and take a drive through the town and out to where you can get a feel for the coal industry and its expanses.
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Back in Bowen, pick up your supplies from one of our air-conditioned shopping centres and take the time to walk through the main streets observing the famous murals that portray its history. Look down the main street right into Port Denison. Enjoy lunch one afternoon along the newly redeveloped front beach whilst looking out over the water. The kids will be entertained for hours at the new water park, playground and skate park. Walk it off by strolling out onto the jetty that dates back to the World War II era or cast out a fishing line for the catch of the day. Ask the locals about where scenes from the movie ‘Australia’ with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman were shot.
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Fishing is a popular sport in Bowen. Every year at our famous Family Fishing Classic, tourists and locals flock to the waters off Bowen to try and score the biggest weigh-in of the day and competition. Every other day that permits, novices are trying their luck at one of Bowen’s beautiful beaches, off rocks or at the end of the jetty at the front beach. More adventurous anglers can book a trip on a local charter boat.
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One of the best ways to see Bowen’s amazing coastal scenery is by slipping on a pair of shoes and striding out along any of the town’s designated walking tracks. Many of the tracks are paved making them suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Some are more adventurous and reward you with breathtaking views.
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Another of Bowen’s most beautiful attractions is Mullers Lagoon, 23.57 hectares of picturesque parkland in the centre of town. This area has been turned into a superb botanical gardens and wetlands habitat. It is a haven for native wildlife. A popular site for weddings and functions, it is also a great place to relax with family and friends and enjoy a picnic.
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Queens Beach itself is a northern seaside suburb, just 5km NE of the Bowen Post Office. It has long stretches of sandy shores, parkland, playgrounds, a 9-hole golf course and picnic areas along its esplanade. The area has featured more than once in North Queensland’s Tidy Towns Clean Beach Challenge and is where you will find Bowen’s only stinger net enclosure allowing swimming throughout the summer months when the jelly fish are most prevalent. The beach is also popular for boating and windsurfing.
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Queens Beach also has the Whitsunday region’s only movie theatres, The Bowen Cinemas, formerly known as the Summergarden Theatre.
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The gateway to the Whitsunday Islands, Airlie Beach, is just a 45-minute drive south of Bowen. Many like to tackle the day trips to the islands from here to avoid the hustle & bustle of Airlie Beach itself. Visitors can explore the Whitsundays at a leisurely pace on a yacht or travel on a ferry to the resort islands of their choice or further a field to the Great Barrier Reef. All bookings can be made from Bowen
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Other Attractions to See & Do in Bowen
Bowen Cultural and Seafood Festival
Bowen Orchid, Art, Craft & Leisure Expo
Bowen Family Fishing Classic Weekend
Bowen Lions Charity Festival
Coral Coast Community Markets
Bowen Lions Markets
Historical Museum
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When
October
July
September
November
1st,3rd,5th
Sunday
Sundays
April - Dec
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