Discovery Holiday Parks
Bowen, Whitsundays, QLD

2009 Tourism Awards Bowen, located in the northern region of the Whitsunday’s, is a short 40 minutes drive north of Airlie Beach. Amazingly, the town is almost completely surrounded by the magnificent azure of the mesmerising Whitsunday waterways.

In fact, one of Bowen’s major assets is the many golden beaches that surround the region. Horseshoe Bay and Grays Bay to name a couple have received numerous North Queensland awards over the years. Your stresses will all but disappear as you explore these magnificent palm fringed beaches, and immerse yourself in all the activities that abound this region, including snorkelling, fishing and sailing.

What better way to enjoy your stay in Bowen than from an absolute beachfront location. And Discovery Holiday Parks - Bowen is absolute beach front, and boasts magnificent views as well as the ease and freedom to explore Queens Bay and Bowen’s many attractions.

Go on…you know you want to!

4 for 3 - Superior Beach Front Villa

From now until the end of March 2010, enjoy a Superior Beach Front Villa at Discovery Holiday Parks -Bowen from $132* per night. Book 3 consecutive nights and receive your 4^th night for free.

For reservations or more information, please call our Discovery Holiday Parks Specialists on 1300 787 140 and quote PROMO CODE: 4F3134 to redeem the above offer.

*Terms and conditions apply. Offer subject to availability.

Kiosk & Reception
Large Lagoon Pool
BBQ's (free to use)
Room servicing
Bike hire
Internet access
Games, internet & coffee room
Photocopy & fax service
Walkway/jogging track
Modern amenities with handicapped facilities
Superb laundry facilities
Ice available
Tourist information
Cable gate security
Local bus route
Beachfront
Small ramp to beach
Good fishing from oceanfront retaining wall

Disability Access

The modern amenities blocks are disability access.

Floorplan

Park Map

Photos

Deluxe - Family Villas (sleeps 6)

Soak up the view and relax on the shady patio with your own BBQ. Bowen now has 11 new luxury 2 bedroom family villas! The new 4 Star family villas sleep up to 6 and include microwaves, full kitchens, air-conditioning.

Airconditioning in each bedroom and living area
2 Queen size beds which are split-able into 1 x queen and 2 x single
Lounge room with double sofa bed
Bathroom with shower
2 door fridge/freezer
Fully equipped kitchen
Patio with BBQ

Floorplan

Park Map

Photos

Superior - Beachfront Villas (sleeps 5)

We have 10 great beachfront villas which face the ocean along Queens Bay. The beachfront villas have a star rating of 3.5 and can sleep up to 5 people. All villas have amenities, microwaves, full kitchens and airconditioning, all have spas.

1 bedroom and living area
Airconditioning
Queen size bed and built-in mirrored robe
One set of bunks opposite toilet and shower
Bathroom with large two person spa and shower
2 door fridge/freezer
Fully equipped kitchen
Relax on the shady patio

Park Map

Photos

Powered Sites

Wake up and enjoy the smell of the sea. The park has 57 powered sites for caravans, campervans and tents.

8 Beachfront, please note, no tents or campertrailers are permitted on these sites
Non-beachfront, 5 sites available with permanent shade cloth awnings

Recommended Length of Stay: Stay a while!

1 Day – Cruises of the Whitsundays – Book at Reception for all your tour needs!

You may require additional days with us once you experience a taste of what the Great Barrier Reef has to offer. Located just 50 minutes south of Bowen is the gateway to the Whitsunday Island group. Here are some suggestions:

Great Barrier Reef Adventures

Discover the underwater wonderland and be held in awe by the magnificent corals and abundance of fish and other marine life. There's even a good chance you'll see our friendly mascot 'Dollar' the turtle! Cruise through the stunning Whitsunday Islands and on to the outer Great Barrier Reef onboard 'Seaflight', the Whitsundays' premier day cruise vessel. Experience Queensland's most innovative and spacious reef pontoon located at Knuckle Reef. Knuckle Reef Pontoon features Queensland's largest and most spectacular underwater viewing chamber and a giant waterslide. Explore pristine Knuckle Reef Lagoon, acclaimed as the region's most spectacular Great Barrier Reef site.
Getting there is half the fun and onboard Cruise Whitsunday’s ‘Seaflight', the 37-metre state of the art wavepiercer, ideally suited to outer reef cruising. With its superior sea handling,' Seaflight' is the largest and most comfortable vessel in the Whitsundays and the only one fitted with a motion control system. It has spacious air-conditioned lounges, large outer viewing decks and two bars serving refreshments.
To properly experience the wonders of the world's most celebrated underwater playground you need to spend a day here. Inside Hardy Reef on a channel referred to as "the river", ‘Reefworld’ is the best way to see everything the Great Barrier Reef has to offer. Come face to face with thousands of different species of marine life and stunning corals. Explore easy to follow snorkelling coral trails; SCUBA dive the most celebrated coral reef in the world; or just relax and enjoy the amazing view from the deck! The day trip even includes a scrumptious Barbeque Lunch.
If you think a visit to the Great Barrier Reef sounds special; try staying the night. Come and visit Fantasea's exclusive ‘Reefworld’ for two fun filled days. Experience the unique peace and tranquility of a night on the Reef. With time to explore once the day-trippers have departed, you have the reef all to yourself - apart from a few million fish! Relax. Sit back with a glass of champagne and watch the sun set - and the stars rise - from the top deck. Then check out the reef life from the comfort of the underwater viewing chamber - after dark the reef really comes alive. Your own personal Deck Steward ensures your stay is as comfortable as it is colourful. Drinks are served at dusk and dinner under the stars. And you get breakfast on the reef the following morning. The ‘Reefsleep’ package offers two choices of accommodation. For honeymoons and other special occasions or anniversaries, the "Room for Two", has a luxurious king size bed. The "Multi Share Room", suits groups of up to four people.
Whitehaven Beach Adventure
On the eastern side of the uninhabited Whitsunday Island see nature at its unspoiled, spectacular best. Relax and enjoy an unhurried visit to magical Whitehaven Beach. With 7 kilometres of natural silica sand, enjoy free beach activities, swim in the crystal clear water or simply lay back, relax and indulge yourself...you deserve it. The tour operators provide several different cruises, all featuring Whitehaven, island visits and the corals and fish life of the ‘inner reef’.

Island Escape Day Cruises

Escape and spend an unforgettable day exploring stunning Long Island or relax at gorgeous Daydream Island Resort & Spa. Laze the day away at Daydream Island Resort and Spa, one of the premier resorts in the Whitsunday Islands. Especially developed with day visitors in mind, Daydream Village at the southern end of the island has all the facilities of an island resort and then some! If pampering is what you're after, indulge in a most remarkable experience at the Daydream Rejuvenation Spa.
Long Island Resort is a superb destination for a day visit as you can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and great facilities of the resort, head off to explore the islands walking tracks or a mix of both. If you just can't decide, both the Twin Island Escape and Whitsunday Island Explorers let you visit both Daydream and Long Islands in one day.
Explore the Whitsundays at your leisure. If you would like to do your own thing then arm yourselves with an Island Hopper Pass, a timetable and a map then set out exploring the islands on your very own itinerary.

½ Day - Lookouts

Bowen's lookouts offer some of the best coastal views in Queensland with two of these easily accessible by car. For your first stop, head to the My Nutt Lookout at Queens Beach. Park your car at the base and take the short walk to the viewing platform at the top of the reservoir. You will be rewarded by scenic views of Queens Bay and the many small crop farms and mango plantations that dot Bowen's fertile Don River delta, with the offshore coal handling facilities of Abbot Point viewable in the distance.
Next stop is the Flagstaff Hill Lookout. The vista looking out to the Gloucester Island & Gloucester Passage, (gateway to the Whitsunday Islands), includes sweeping views along Kings Beach to Rose Bay and across the township. This can only be described as spectacular and will stay with you forever.

2 Hours - Collinsville Mining Heritage Centre

Take a drive west for approximately 45 mins to the historic mining town of Collinsville. At the Collinsville Mining Heritage Centrestep into the boots of an underground miner and relive the coalface experience. The museum shows what life was really like for coal miners above and below ground. It captures an extraordinary story of strife, struggle and mateship, using a range of interactive displays, audio-visual exhibits, 2 theatrettes and historical records. It is situated within the United Mine Workers Club which has a bistro open for lunch.
Return to Bowen via the Mt Coolon District, stopping off at the heritage listed Bowen River Hotel for a unique insight into the history of the Australian Bush. Built in the 1860's from local timber and originally roofed with bark, the hotel comprises two buildings connected by a covered walkway and is a great example of careful bush carpentry and skilled jointing with wooden pegs.

2 Hours - Fishing

Bowen has it all from casting your line from a beach, (the sea wall at the Park is a perfect spot for this), or rocky outcrops, at one of the many creeks or off the Jetty at Front Beach. Should deeper water fishing be what you are after, we can provide information on the tour operators at Airlie Beach.

1 hour - Mural Society Walking Tour

The history of Bowen is worth some exploration and there can be no better introduction than a viewing of the 24 murals displayed throughout its streets that depict the town's development from early settlement to present day. Whilst the murals are viewable unguided, at 8.30am each Thursday from April to September, you will find a member of the Mural Society waiting at the Bowen Library ready to take you on a walking tour expected to occupy most of the morning.

2 Hours - Bowen Museum

Bowen is acknowledged as North Queensland's oldest town with much of its long and colourful pioneer history preserved and on display at the Bowen Museum. The Museum is described as the best regional museum in the State. Nearby the museum is a fully restored slab cottage built in the district in 1872 and on display with period furniture and fittings.
A smaller museum located a Bowen Aerodrome honours the town's close association with Catalina Flying Boats when it functioned as a base for these aircraft during the battle of the Coral Sea in World War II.

1 Hour - Australia Prop Collection

Get up close a personal to many of the props used in Baz Luhrmann's production of the movie 'Australia' which revolves around the relationship between a respectable English aristocrat and a rough-and-ready cattle drover who get caught up in the World War II bombing of Darwin. Bowen was used as a stand-in location for Darwin with much of the filming being shot close to Front Beach at Port Denison. The crew was so impressed with a local farmers collection of machinery that when filming was finished, they filled two huge trucks with everything from a 1934 English Fordson tractor with this amazing collection open to the public by arrangement and only a 10 minute drive from Bowen.

2 Hours - Cape Edgecumbe Walking Trail

One of the best ways to see Bowen's coastal scenery is on foot with one of the more challenging walks being the 5km return Cape Edgecumbe walking trail. From the many elevations along the way you can marvel at beautiful views of Horseshoe Bay, Murray Bay and Rose Bay and discover the site of a World War II radar station and anti - aircraft battery.
Past Murray Bay you will also come across a large rock balanced precariously on a granite outcrop, a landmark known as Mother Beddock.

1 Hour - Mullers Lagoon

Less demanding is a stroll around Mullers Lagoon that is encased by 24 hectares of picturesque parkland and is a haven for native wildlife and home to a variety of flora & fauna. This is a great place for keen bird watchers and botanists to visit and where a fully equipped play area, free bbq's and toilets cater well for family picnics.

½ Day - Snorkelling / Scuba Diving / Swimming

At Front Beach you can walk the planks of the town jetty that was built in 1865 and observe the variety of marine life such as turtles that cruise the shallows when the tide is in.
To view one of the eight wonders of the world, simply walk into the water off Bowen's beaches. The hard and soft coral diversity with the abundant reef fish life are within 100 metres off the shore, making Bowen's magnificent crystal waters an outstanding area for snorkelling and scuba diving. (Remembering the stinger season is October to April).

Don't forget to leave enough time to relax by our lagoon pool, or for the more energetic, slip on a pair of comfortable walking shoes and follow the paved track in Hansen Park next door around beautiful Queens Bay to Horseshoe Bay (5.2kms return).

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