Ayr is a small town in Far North Queensland, 88 km from Townsville.

Understand

The town has a population of about 8000 and is a major centre for growing sugar cane, mangoes and vegetables. This is helped by the good water supply in the area. The town attracts people with working holiday visas between March and December to work on harvests.

Get in

Ayr is an hour's drive south of Townsville which has flights to Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Highway 1 then goes south to Mackay, Rockhampton, and Brisbane.

By train

• 1 Ayr railway station. Ayr is on the North Coast railway line, which links Brisbane with Townsville and Cairns. Ayr is 1,260km from Brisbane. Trains from Brisbane run 5 days per week leaving around 15:45 and arrive at 08:00 the following day. Trains from Cairns run 5 days per week, departing around 09:00 and arrive at 16:20 the same day. (updated Jul 2021)

See

• Alva Beach (Lynch’s Beach) (17km from Ayr). (updated Sep 2015)
• Historic buildings in the town centre. There are several buildings from the early twentieth century around Queen Street. (updated Sep 2015)
• 1 Ayr Nature Display, 119 Wilmington St, ☏ +61 7 4783 2189. 8AM-4PM (closed Monday). A zoology museum. (updated Jul 2021)

Do

Fish life swarming over the wreck of the Yongala

• Yongala Dive, 56 Narrah St, ☏ +61 7 4783 1519, toll-free: 1300 766 410 (bookings), fax: +61 7 4783 7277, info@yongaladive.com.au. Alva Beach. Yongala Dive offers 2 dive scuba diving day trips to the Yongala Wreck, which is only 45 minutes boat travel from Ayr. Trips cost $160 or $190 with gear hire included. Bus transfers from Airlie Beach are available for $40. Some speciality dive courses are available on request but introductory dive training is not. 

Buy

• 1 Woolworths, 64-70 Queen St. supermarket (updated Jul 2021)
• 2 Coles, 118 Edwards St. supermarket (updated Jul 2021)

Eat

• 1 Q Street Grill, 141 Queen St, ☏ +61 7 4783 2666. W-Sa 5:30-8PM. (updated Jul 2021)

Sleep

The town's backpackers offer weekly rates for temporary workers.

• Delta Backpackers, 139 Queen St. Beds from $25. (updated Sep 2015)
• Ayr Backpackers, 52-56 Wilmington St. From $30. (updated Sep 2015)

Go next

Routes via Ayr (Queensland)

Cairns ← Townsville ←

N A1 S

→ Bowen → Mackay