If you are looking for information on things to do in Bowen, you are in the right place! With beautiful beaches, cultural spots, and some quirky attractions, there’s so much to see and do in Bowen. In fact, we were very surprised with this little coastal Queensland town when we visited. We stayed for six nights and explored the town each day.
The town of Bowen is in northern Queensland, in the Whitsunday region. It’s located right on the McCanes Bay waterfront, just a few minutes from Horseshoe Bay. This incredible little town is known for its agriculture, fishing, and thriving tourism industry.
Location – Where Is Bowen?
Bowen sits on the coast of the Whitsunday region in tropical north Queensland. It is 80km from Airlie Beach to Bowen. And 1163 km from Brisbane to Bowen.
Bowen At A Glance
| Population | 10,377 (2016 Census) |
|---|---|
| Location | Brisbane to Bowen 1163 km Townsville to Bowen 201 km Mackay to Bowen 192 km |
| Main economy | Diverse economies of agriculture, fishing, tourism and mining |
| Climate | Tropical Savannah |
| Summer temperatures | 31.5℃ |
| Winter temperatures | 24.5℃ |
| Average rainy days | 56 days |
Things To Do In Bowen Queensland
When I lived in Mackay, tropical north Queensland, I passed through Bowen several times and had never stopped to look around.
The little coastal town of Bowen in the Whitsunday region surprised us. Initially, we thought it was just another sleepy little Queensland town. However, we left Bowen a big fan, promising to return the next time we are in the region.
1. Visit Bowen Information Centre
We will always encourage you to visit the information centre in any new towns you are exploring. Especially for the Bowen info centre, we found Leanne and the team very helpful and knowledgeable.
Try the mango sorbet when you visit, it’s delicious and made from the famous Bowen mango.
The centre also stocks a range of artisan products from local businesses.
You’ll find the Big Mango Bowen and Information Centre in the same place, so you can strike two places off your list of things to do in Bowen.
| Address | 236 Bruce Hwy, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| Website | https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/ |
| info@tourismbowen.com.au | |
| Phone | (07) 4786 4222 |
| Opening hours | Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm Saturday and Sunday 10.00am – 3.00pm Public Holidays 10:30am – 3:00pm |
2. Visit The Big Mango
A trip to Bowen isn’t complete without seeing The Big Mango. This tourist attraction is exactly what it sounds like a giant, 10-tonne fibreglass mango stretching 10 metres high! It’s located approximately 5 km south of the town, outside the Bowen Information Centre. You can’t miss it if you’re heading to Bowen on the A1.
3. The Bowen Summergarden Cinema
The Bowen Summergarden Cinema is another must-visit attraction, and watching a film there is one of our favourite things to do in Bowen. It’s one of the quaintest movie theatres we’ve come across in Australia, and we’ve found that the Bowen cinema is a hotspot for tourists and locals alike.
This cinema has been owned by Ben and Phyl De Luca since 1962, and if you visit, you’ll still find Ben working there today. In fact, we spoke with Ben (that’s Ben standing at the counter in the photo below), and he took us on a tour, telling us stories about the memorabilia that adorn the walls. One of the stories he told was about Nicole Kidman when she was shooting Australia with Baz Lurman. It was Nicole’s 40th Birthday so Ben held a party in her honour in the cinemas.
The Bowen cinema is located in an Art Deco-style building. You can watch a range of movies here, including the latest blockbusters. They don’t screen every day, though, so check out their timetable on Facebook before you go.
| Address | 40 Murroona St, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| Website | https://bowencinemas.com/movie-times/ |
| Phone | (07) 4785 1241 |
| Opening Times | Friday – Sunday |
4. Murals in Bowen
The Big Mango isn’t the only interesting piece of art in Bowen, in fact, there’s a lot more art in Bowen. This little town has earned the “Mural Capital of Australia ” title, with 28 incredible murals scattered around the streets.
When you arrive in Bowen, you can’t miss the town’s biggest mural, the Water Tank Mural. This Mural brings together iconic Bowen scenes, including the local lighthouse, waterfront, and of course, mango. The other murals in Bowen depict different historical periods and show how Bowen has changed over the decades. They’re dotted all around town, so we recommend planning a walking tour and seeing if you can spot them all.
5. Lookouts in Bowen
Bowen is situated right on the beautiful Queensland coast, and one of the best ways to soak up all of this incredible scenery is by heading to one of the town’s lookouts. Luckily there are several fantastic lookouts to visit in Bowen, each giving you a different 360-degree view of the land and water.
One of the best spots to visit is Flagstaff Hill, which is known for its lighthouse and incredible views of the Whitsunday Islands. You can easily drive to Flagstaff Hill, and plenty of car parks are available there.
Another fantastic lookout is the Rotary Lookout at Horseshoe Bay. This lookout is a little harder to get to, as there’s a steep path and stairs to get to the top, but once you’re there, the views of the bay are wonderful.
You can start from the Grays Bay Picnic Spot and then follow the coastal path up to the lookout. Or, for another great lookout in Bowen, take a drive up to the Reservoir Hill Lookout, also called the Watertank Lookout. From here, you can also get up close with the Water Tank Murals, and enjoy a view of the town and the artwork.
6. The Bowen Library
The Bowen Public Library opened in 1965 and has been open ever since. When you’re in town, visiting the library to see the famous quilt is one of our recommendations for things to do in Bowen.
The Bowen Quilters and Needlecraft Group crafted a masterpiece stitch-by-stitch depicting the attractions and history of the Whitsundays Region. The quilt took a combined effort of 1426 hours to stitch.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the quilt. We planned to see it on the last day we were in Bowen, Monday, but as it was a long weekend, we missed out.
| Address | 67 Herbert St, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| Website | https://libraries.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au/ |
| Phone | (07) 4761 3670 |
7. Seafood in Bowen
Queensland is known for incredible seafood, and our dinner or lunch options regularly feature fresh fish fillets, prawns, and delicious shellfish. The town of Bowen is located right on the Queensland coast, and its sheltered bays, coral reefs, and offshore islands make it the perfect place to get some good fresh seafood.
We talk about fishing options below, but when you’re planning to get some seafood or fish and chips, you have some great choices in Bowen.
Arabon Seafoods is one of our favourites. This seafood store is located in the Bowen Boat Harbour. It’s one of the best places in town to go for a wide range of seafood, including Salmon, Trout, Prawns, and Barramundi. You can buy it fresh or frozen and take it home to cook yourself.
Rynn’s Seafood is another excellent spot, too. They’re particularly known for their muddies, fresh scallops, oysters, and prawns. We bought the mud crabs in the image above from Rynn’s.
You can’t miss a dinner at Birds Fish Bar for Bowen’s best fish and chips. Birds also sells locally caught and very fresh fish, but here you can buy the real Australian classic takeaway dinner: battered or crumbed fish, served with some hot chips. We bought some banana prawns from Birds, and they were lovely, fresh, and delicious.
8. The Bowen Jetty
Another place to visit while you’re in Bowen is the Bowen Jetty, also known as the “Port Denison Memorial Jetty”. The Bowen Jetty was first constructed in 1967, not long after the Bowen Township was established.
Because Bowen was an important trade centre at the time, the jetty was essential for helping the port to function. It has undergone significant renovations since then, and while parts of the 1800s wooden jetty remain submerged in the bay, the jetty you’ll see today is quite different.
It’s made primarily of concrete, is approximately 750m long, and stretches out into the ocean with an extra arm coming off the main jetty.
When you are visiting the Jetty take a stroll along the Bowen foreshore or Front Beach as the locals call it. There you’ll see some pics and information about the shooting of Baz Luhrmen’s film Australia starring Nicole Kidman.
There is also a smaller information centre at Front Beach.
9. Fishing in Bowen
We’ve already covered some of the best places in Bowen to buy fish, but if you’ve got the time, we recommend going out to catch some fish while you’re in Bowen. In our opinion, one of the best things to do in the little seaside town of Bowen is to go fishing.
If you like fish like Bream or Mangrove Jack, then inland fishing is a good choice. You can visit one of the creeks near Bowen and cast your line out. If you head south of Bowen, you can fish at Adelaide Creek or Duck Creek.
There are also some creeks north of Bowen that are good for fishing, including Boat Creek and Meatwork Creek. All of these creeks feed directly into the ocean, and you’ll need to check the tide times when you access them.
If you want to fish in the ocean but don’t have a boat, there are still plenty of places where you can go fishing right off the shoreline. The Bowen Jetty is a good place to start, and every year, the Bowen Family Fishing Classic competition is held here in September, with participants bringing in some great fish.
The local bays provide good fishing spots, too, and you can easily cast your line out of Horseshoe Bay or Grays Bay. In all of these ocean spots, you’re most likely to catch fish like Mackerel and Trevally, or even some squid.
If you do have access to a boat, though, you can still access the freshwater creeks at high tide and the bays, and you can also take your pick of great fishing spots located off the coast of Bowen.
There are numerous boat ramps around Bowen, although the most popular spots to launch from are the Bowen Harbour Ramp by the Bowen Marina or the Grays Bay Boat Ramp on the other side of town.
From any of the ramps near Bowen, it’s easy to head out for a morning of fishing near some of the local islands. Lighthouse Island is one of the best spots to visit, along with Gloucester Island and Holbourne Island. There are lots of reefs near these islands, and they’re home to large populations of fish.
10. Visit Bowen Beaches
For a more relaxing day out on the water in Bowen, one of the best things you can do is spend time at the local beaches. From the centre of town, you’re just a short walk away from many different bays, all with golden white sand and clear blue water, making them perfect places for swimming and snorkelling in Bowen. Horseshoe Bay is the most popular beach in Bowen, and while you still need to be careful, you’ll usually find very calm and flat waters here.
Another favourite beach around Bowen is Grays Bay, just a few minutes along the coast from Horseshoe Bay. This bay is one of the best places to visit in the evening, as its location on Cape Edgecumbe means that you can catch a beautiful sunset over the water from here. It’s also a good spot for swimming and snorkelling, as it’s pretty sheltered.
While it’s hard to pick a favourite from all the beautiful beaches near Bowen, we can’t forget about Murray’s Bay. This little spot is also just a few minutes’ walk from Horseshoe Bay, but you can only access it by following a short bush trail, which means it’s always quieter than some of the main spots. Murray’s Bay, like many of the others around here, is sheltered and calm and a brilliant spot for snorkelling and swimming.
11. Play A Round Of Golf
Established in 1928, Bowen Golf Club is a hidden gem for golf lovers and has one of the most picturesque golf course settings. The 9-hole golf course runs parallel to
Bowen Golf Course boasts a stunning 9-hole, 18-tee, links-style layout nestled by the sea, offering both gratification and tests to golfers across skill levels. While the sheer beauty of the course is a reward in itself, Mother Nature ups the ante with the gusty winds she graces the region with, adding an extra layer of challenge.
We had dinner at the Clubhouse on Friday night (the only night they open for dinner), when we camped in Bowen. They also hold a Joker’s raffle with a chance to win a cash prize. It was up to $4800 the night we ate dinner there. Sadly, we didn’t win.
The Clubhouse is also very close to where we camped at the Wangaratta
Camping in Bowen
Visiting Bowen doesn’t have to be expensive, and one of the best ways to make this a cheap holiday is to camp while you’re there. There are several great campgrounds in Bowen, so whether you’re looking to stay in your tent, towing a
You’ll also find a range of accommodation in Bowen, so whether you’re looking for a campsite, motel, hotel, or Airbnb, there’ll be something for you.
If you are travelling around Australia as we are, then we highly recommend you add Bowen to your list.
Wangaratta Caravan Park
We stayed at Wangaratta
The road that runs through some of the sites is extremely tight to get into at this park. If you are a newbie reversing a
The park itself was quiet and faced onto the Bowen Golf Course. A short walk across the course takes you onto the beach.
At the end of the
| Address | 66 Golf Links Rd, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| wangaratta.caravanpark@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au | |
| Phone | (07) 4785 1152 |
Horseshoe Bay Resort and Caravan Park
The Horseshoe Bay Resort and
| Address | 1 Horseshoe Bay Rd, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| info@horseshoebayresortbowen.com.au | |
| Phone | (07) 4786 2564 |
Bowen Palms Caravan Park
The Bowen Palms
| Address | 18477 Bruce Hwy, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| info@bowenpalms.com.au | |
| Phone | (07) 4786 2994 |
NRMA Beachfront Holiday Park
BIG4 Holiday Parks also has a
| Address | The Soldiers Rd, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| bowen@nrmaparksandresorts.com.au | |
| Phone | 1800 602 469 |
Tropical Beach Caravan Park
The Tropical Beach
| Address | 25 Argyle St, Bowen QLD 4805 |
|---|---|
| info@tropicalbeachcaravanparkbowen.com.au | |
| Phone | (07) 4785 1490 |
Final Thoughts
Make sure Bowen makes your list when you are exploring far north Queensland. There are so many things to do in Bowen, I’m sure this little coastal Queensland town will surprise and delight you.
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With years of experience travelling Australia in a caravan, I’m passionate about helping others embark on their own unforgettable adventures. From off-grid camping tips to expert advice on planning the ultimate big lap of Australia, I share stories, practical hacks, and inspiration to make your journey stress-free and exciting. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or just starting out, join me as I explore the beauty of Australia, one road at a time!
