Description

Its mix of sea and mountainside residential offerings has become the catalyst for accelerating and affluent development in the suburb. Many of the old Queenslander

Queenslander (architecture)

Queenslander architecture is a modern term for the vernacular type of architecture of Queensland, Australia. It is also found in the northern parts of the adjacent state of New South Wales and shares many traits with architecture in other states of Australia but is distinct and unique...

 houses have been replaced with apartments. Rowes Bay is also located adjacent to The Strand

The Strand, Townsville

The Strand is a seaside foreshore located in Townsville, Australia. It is located in the suburb of North Ward. The Strand has a view of the Port of Townsville and Magnetic Island, as well as to Cape Cleveland...

 and Castle Hill. The Townsville Cemetery and part of the main runway for Townsville International Airport

Townsville International Airport

Townsville Airport is a major Australian regional airport that services the city of Townsville. The airport is also known as Townsville International Airport, and Garbutt Airport, a reference to its location in the Townsville suburb of Garbutt...

 are also located in the suburb.

Attractions

It is dominated by a scenic 10 kilometre Cleveland Bay beach, which has sweeping views of Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island is an island offshore from the city of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. This mountainous island in Cleveland Bay has effectively become a suburb of Townsville, with 2,107 permanent residents. The island is accessible from Townsville Breakwater to Nelly Bay Harbour by ferry...

. The beach is punctuated at intervals by tidal creeks. Cycling or jogging alone the sealed foreshore pathway is a popular past-time but swimming is not encouraged due to a risk of crocodile or jellyfish attack.

At the southern end of the beach area is Soroptimist Park

Soroptimist Park, Townsville

Soroptimist Park is a foreshore park located in the suburb of Rowes Bay, Townsville, Australia.-Attractions:It contains lawns, barbecue areas, shade areas and an adventure playground, specifically designed to be suitable for all children, including those with disabilities. The park also contains...

, which has lawns, barbecue

Barbecue

Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...

 facilities and an adventure playground designed specifically to be suitable for all children including those with disabilities. The park includes several attractive pieces of public art, contributed in 1988 and 1994. The northern end of the beach, near Pallarenda is a popular site for Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...

.

History

Rowes Bay was named after Charles Seville Rowe, one of the first settlers at Cleveland Bay. Only after the Second World War did the name Rowes come into general use - prior to this the area was recorded as Rose Bay and Ross Bay.