Queensland · Coastal

Bowen

Mango capital of Australia with quiet beaches overlooking the Whitsunday islands

location_on Whitsundays

A quiet coastal town at the northern end of the Whitsunday coast, known as the mango and tomato capital of Australia. Bowen has pristine beaches without the tourist crowds, a colourful mural trail through town and was the filming location for Baz Luhrmann's 2008 film Australia.

Bowen is a town of around 11,000 people on the northern Whitsunday coast, about 200 kilometres south of Townsville and 60 kilometres north of Airlie Beach. It sits on a headland facing the Coral Sea, with views across to the Whitsunday islands on clear days. The town was founded in 1861 and was the first settlement on the north Queensland coast, predating Townsville by three years.

Bowen is the horticultural powerhouse of north Queensland. The surrounding Burdekin-Bowen basin produces around half of Australia's tomatoes and a significant share of the national mango crop. The Big Mango, a 10 metre fibreglass mango sculpture on the Bruce Highway at the entrance to town, is a landmark of the big-things genre and a reliable photo stop. The mango season runs from November to February, with local farm gate sales and the annual Bowen Harvest Festival celebrating the region's produce.

The beaches around Bowen are among the best-kept secrets on the Queensland coast. Horseshoe Bay, just east of the town centre, is a wide arc of white sand with calm, clear water and excellent snorkelling on the rocky headlands at either end. Rose Bay and Murray Bay, further around the headland, are quieter still. The Bowen foreshore walking track connects the main beaches via a clifftop path with lookouts over the Coral Sea.

The town features an extensive outdoor mural trail, with large painted murals on buildings throughout the CBD depicting scenes from Bowen's history, including its role as a pearling port, its railway heritage and its agricultural character. In 2007, the town was chosen as the primary filming location for Baz Luhrmann's epic film Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, and several locations from the film are signposted around town.

Bowen has a hot tropical climate with dry winters and wet summers. The best months for visiting are April to October, when the heat is manageable and the water is warm and clear. The town is on the Bruce Highway and is an easy stop between Townsville and Airlie Beach. It offers a genuine, un-touristy north Queensland coastal experience at a fraction of the cost of the Whitsunday resort towns further south.