Top Things to do in Charters Towers
Top Restaurants in Charters Towers
The 6 Best Things to do Good for Kids in Charters Towers, Queensland
Discover the best top things to do in Charters Towers, Australia including Leahton Park, Texas Longhorn Tours, Tors Drive-in Cinema, The Miner's Cottage, Charters Towers Visitor Information Centre, Towers Hill Lookout.
Restaurants in Charters Towers
1. Leahton Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 32 reviews
Leahton Park is a beautifully presented 1100 acre property situated 10km by sealed road from Charters Towers. It is home to the following: Leahton Park Country Cabins - comfortable bed and breakfast accommodation. Texas Longhorn Wagon Tours & Safaris - horse drawn wagon rides viewing the largest herd of purebred Texas Longhorn cattle in Australia and also JR, the Guinness World Record horned steer. Bethel Saddlery - hand crafted saddles and tack.
Reviewed By johnsS512AF - Koondrook, Australia
If you only have time to see one attraction in Charters Towers, do this tour. We just fluked it that we were to visit them on a Wednesday when they do their wagon tour. The owner is an Aussie but he seems to know more about the history of these cattle than the Texans do. The cattle here are direct descendants of the millions of Texas Longhorns that walked the great trail herds from Texas in the late 1800’s, and this is the home of the largest herd of these cattle in Australia. The tour of the farm was magnificent with Mick telling many a story along the way, some may have been true and others were definitely not. We started with smoko served from their authentic Chuck Wagon, consisting of billy tea and damper, backed up with Anzac biscuits and homemade Chocolate Texas Brownies. As there are no unrelated Texas Longhorn bulls in Australia, Mick’s wife Lynda went to vet school to learn how to artificially inseminate their cows. She showed us through their “Love Shack” and gave us a detailed description on how the process is done. They produce about 30 calves a year. The farm also has Asian Water Buffalo, American Bison, Scottish Highlanders and African Watusi. The highlight of the tour is the ride on their covered wagon, drawn by 2 Percheron draft horses which takes you down amongst the cattle. The pride of their herd is a steer called JR who made it into the 2013 Guiness Book of World Records for having the longest horns measured tip to tip of all cattle in the world. His horns are still growing and now measure more than 3 metres from tip to tip.
2. Texas Longhorn Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 83 reviews
Texas Longhorn Wagon Tour & Safaris situated at Leahton Park, is just 10km from the famous gold city of Charters Towers or 140km south west of Townsville,Queensland, Australia. Leahton Park is home to Horseshoe B Longhorns - the largest herd of purebred Texas Longhorn cattle in Australia and JR - the Guinness World Record horned steer whose horns measure more than 9 feet three inches or 2.82 metres from tip to tip!Take a horse drawn wagon ride and a trip back in time - back to the old west, to the era of the legendary Texas Longhorns! These historical cattle are direct descendants of the millions of Texas Longhorns that walked in the great trail herds from Texas in the late 1800's. Enjoy camp oven cooked damper and billy tea served from the genuine cowboy chuck wagon before taking an informative tour of the Bethel Saddlery custom saddle shop. Learn some of the history of this iconic and magnificent breed of cattle whilst enjoying the yarns with your hosts and fellow travelers.
3. Tors Drive-in Cinema
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By jennytalbot - Charters Towers, Australia
If you haven't already been to the Tors Drive-in, you best put it on the bucket list without further ado! Charters Towers is just 1 hour and a bit drive from the city of Townsville, and is home to the fabulous Tors Drive-in Cinema. The cinema has kept the old time feel, and one would be forgiven for thinking they have stepped back in time once you pass through the ticket box! A fantastic evening out for the family, where you can see 2 movies for under $10 per head (cheaper for kids), and feed the family with burger and snack prices that have seen very little price rise in decades. Take a chair, take a mattress, sit in the car or at the kiosk, it is a wonderful, carefree atmosphere at the Tors where you can watch a movie, or gaze at the stars. You can even take you fur kids (if they can behave themselves). If you choose to make a weekend of it, Charters Towers has a wide range of accommodation to cater to all budgets and needs. I would rate the Tors #1 thing to do in Charters Towers!
4. The Miner's Cottage
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 128 reviews
The old Miner's Cottage in Charters Towers is not your usual museum! Owned and operated by a retired prospector, Alan Silverwood, the little timber workers cottage houses Alan's extensive collection of Australiana, Antiques, Collectables, Curios and a whole lot more.... Visitors can browse the collection or try their hand at gold panning in the "tailings". Full tuition is available and this activity is very popular. Every year, hundreds of school-age children visit the cottage to learn about the golden history of the town. Located near the centre of Charters Towers, the cottage is within walking of the Post Office. The Miner's Cottage is open for bookings and personalised guided tours 7 days a week. Just call the owner to make a booking. School groups and bus tour groups are specially catered for, over 1000 schoolchildren visit the cottage to learn about the fascinating history of Charters Towers. The gold panning is very popular! Real GOLD can be found in the tailings...
Reviewed By mickb1958 - Charters Towers, Australia
A great little shack of Victorian era memorabilia and demonstrations of gold panning from a colourful local character. Alan is full of entertaining stories of both the past and present. Should be coupled with a visit to the Zara Clark Museum and another must see is the Venus Battery.
5. Charters Towers Visitor Information Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 180 reviews
The Charters Towers Visitor Information Centre provides a 7 day information and tour bookings service to visitors and locals alike. Explore the Orientation Room, speak with one of our wonderful volunteers and purchase some goodies from the Gift Shop merchandise in the Centre. Open 7 days a week 9am - 5pm from May to September and 9:30am - 4:30pm September to May (specific dates in those months may vary) except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day morning.
Reviewed By kevinp422 - Cooroy, Australia
Really helpful staff. They listened to our preferences, length of stay etc. they then recommended things for us to do. We enjoyed the self drive tour, a CD for playing in the car had info about the points of interest and buildings. Also got a map. Loads of brochures here, not just for Charters Towers, but all over NQ. So glad we dropped in. Keep it up guys, you doing a great job
6. Towers Hill Lookout
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 40 reviews
Reviewed By ready_travellers
Wow! Charters Towers is an incredibly amazing town. Starting life when gold was discovered in 1872, and become a critical location in World War II. The local There are 27 bunkers preserved on the hill - some with interactive displays. The look-out is well-signed and identifies local places of interest. This is a stunning location to observe the sunset. Kids will love playing geocaching available as an app. Nature lovers will delight in seeing the local wallabies early or late in the day. Congratulations to the local council for making this an exceptional attraction for all. We recommend visiting a couple of times to experience everything on offer, and to wear your walking shoes, and bring a hat.
