6 Amazing Things To Do In Bowen, Queensland

Bowen is a surprising hidden gem in Queensland that many seem to skip by on their trip further north or south. To show you just why you need to visit, here’s my guide to the best things to do in Bowen.

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Just an hour’s drive north of Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands, is the coastal town of Bowen; Queensland’s best kept secret. Many travellers on the east coast of Australia might give Bowen a miss, opting instead to push ahead onto Airlie Beach or Townsville dependent on the end point of their road trip. However, those that miss Bowen miss without doubt one of the most surprising places in Australia.

My wife and I headed to Bowen as part of our attempted lap of Australia, on our east coast section from Sydney to Cape Tribulation, with little expectations of what to discover. We found a place that blew us away, perhaps not in terms of the town itself, but the beaches have consistently been voted some of the best in Australia, there are bushwalks with incredible views, street art murals, a heritage 600m long jetty and, I promise, the best sunsets on the east coast.

I’d recommend spending at least a day here and, to help plan your visit, I’ve pulled together this guide to the most amazing things to do in Bowen.

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THINGS TO DO IN BOWEN

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THE BIG MANGO

Bowen is widely known as the mango capital of Australia and the town celebrates that with one of Australia’s classic ‘big things’; the Big Mango! This mango is big for sure, 10 metres high and has wowed visitors since 2002. This is definitely worthy of a stop not only for a photo to add to your collection but also to try mango sorbet at the Visitor Information Centre. If you’re a mango lover, you’re going to love this though for me it was more of a way to cool down in the heat!

STUNNING BEACHES

I was surprised to find such beautiful beaches here in Bowen; one of which has consistently been voted one of the top beaches in whole of Australia. Given that Australia has almost 12,000 recorded beaches, that’s no mean feat…

There are eight beaches each worthy of your time and there are all apparently within 10 minutes of one another. Horseshoe Bay is the beach that wins the plaudits and its not hard to see why. The bright white sands are protected by two granite outcrops meaning it’s also perfect for a calm swim in the sea. Murrays Bay is a secluded bay sheltered from the winds and Rose Bay at the end of the Cape Edgecumbe walking track is ideal for kayakers and paddle boarders. We’ll move onto Grays Bay Beach shortly…

CAPE EDGECUMBE WALKING TRACK

One of the most popular things to do in Bowen is to walk along the Cape Edgecumbe track from Horseshoe Bay to Rose Bay. This is a 5.2km return walk and features stunning views over the bays across towards Gloucester Island and the Whitsundays beyond as well as ginormous granite boulders. Mother Beddock is one of the largest rocks balancing precariously on the cliffs overlooking Rose Bay. We made the typical mistake of starting the walk when it was far too hot so we only made it as far the Rotary Lookout though that still allowed for a view of Horseshoe Bay that cannot be missed.

BOWEN JETTY

The heritage Bowen Jetty is found on the foreshore and is one of Bowen’s icons. It’s over 150 years old, over 600m long and makes for a perfect spot for an afternoon wander watching the locals fish and to try and spot turtles! It was far far too windy when we visited so disappointingly couldn’t see any turtles.

Not far away is a little water park for those travelling with little ones and Bird’s Fish Bar comes highly recommended for lunch!

MURAL TRAIL

When wandering around the quiet streets of Bowen, we stumbled upon many different murals painted on walls that depict the history of this coastal town. There are 28 murals in total with the first having been painted on the library wall back in 1988. There are also two giant water tanks on a hill in the middle of Bowen (Tynwald Avenue) painted with marine life showcasing the beauty of this region.

SUNSET AT GRAYS BAY BEACH

Hand on heart, the sunset we experienced at Grays Bay Beach was the most insane we saw during our entire time in Australia. What makes this so unique is that the bay faces west despite being on the east coast and that lends itself to incredible sunsets filled with the softest of purples, pinks and oranges. You’ll also find plenty of palm trees that just beg to be photographed. We were in awe of our evening spent chilling on Grays Bay Beach before moving on to find a free camp spot for the night.

That wraps my guide to the best things to do in Bowen which hopefully inspires you to visit in the future and to plan your trip so you can be sure of seeing everything you need to see here! If you’ve got any comments or recommendations, please let me know below!

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WHERE NEXT?

Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!

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