Townsville

City Arcade, Townsville's major shopping hub, offers a range of boutiques and specialty stores including retail chains, local businesses, cafes, restaurants and bars. Asian food eateries are particularly good.

Cotters Markets are a popular Sunday shopping event among locals and a good starting point for your tour around the town. Browse through this flea market packed with all sorts of items, like clothing, craft goods, fresh local fruit and vegetables and much more. Stop by and find your very own treasure.

If you happen to be in town on the first Friday of the month, make sure to stop by the Strand Night Markets and have fun browsing through the eclectic items on sale. You will be pleasantly surprised by the wide range of stalls and the variety of products which are offered. The food stalls are a strong reason to visit. What makes it even more attractive is the fact that it is located right on the beach.

Mary Who? Bookshop is a self-proclaimed "literary oasis in the tropics". They carry a fantastic range of wonderful books and other miscellany for book lovers. Every visitor remarks on how knowledgeable and amiable the staff are. There's a good chance this will become your favourite indie bookstore in the country.