Townsville, Australia

Charters Towers

Gold-Mining Past of North Queensland Mine the history of North Queensland’s gold rush during an excursion to a former 19th-century boom town. Travel by motor coach inland over the mountains and into the famed Australian Outback toward Charters Towers. Founded in 1871 after prospectors discovered gold deposits in nearby Towers Hill, the town’s mines extracted more than 218 tons of gold during their bustling heyday. Upon your arrival, enjoy morning tea at the historic Stock Exchange Café, Australia’s first regional stock exchange and one of the town’s many refurbished boom-era buildings. After a scenic coach tour of the town and lunch, visit the Venus Gold Battery, one of the area’s diminishing number of operating mills. Tour the facility while your knowledgeable local guide regales you with colorful tales about Charters Towers’s illustrious past. Afterward, board your coach and return to Townsville and your ship. * Moderate - Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours.