Route · AU

Darwin to Townsville

1 operator run this water, from 2 h 50.

Getting from Darwin to Townsville

Somewhere to stay in Townsville partner Left luggage in Townsville Everywhere from Darwin Everywhere from Townsville

Every way across

One row per operator and speed. Where a service is sold as fast and its average does not clear 45 km/h, the word appears in quotation marks — the boat is fast craft, the crossing is not.

Airnorth, Qantas DRW → TSV 1860 km non-stop E70 in the air 4 h 20 est. rate not held 658 km/h average

Other ways to reach Townsville

If this crossing does not suit, these quays also reach Townsville without a change. It is the question a single-route page cannot answer about itself and an atlas can.

Cairns – Townsville 51 min Qantas

Mackay – Townsville 55 min Qantas

Winton – Townsville 1 h 09 Regional Express

Cloncurry – Townsville 1 h 20 Qantas

Mount Isa – Townsville 1 h 28 Qantas

Brisbane – Townsville 1 h 53 American Airlines

Sydney (Mascot) – Townsville 2 h 37 Jetstar Airways

Melbourne – Townsville 3 h 04 Jetstar Airways

Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal – Townsville not held Sealink

Palm Island – Townsville not held Sealink

And other ways to reach Darwin

Maningrida – Darwin 58 min Airnorth

Kununurra – Darwin 1 h 03 Airnorth

Groote Eylandt – Darwin 1 h 17 Aero-Service

Nhulunbuy – Darwin 1 h 18 Airnorth

Dili – Darwin 1 h 24 Airnorth

McArthur River Mine – Darwin 1 h 24 Airnorth

Alice Springs – Darwin 2 h 08 Emirates

Cairns – Darwin 2 h 36 Jetstar Airways, Ponant Cruises

Kuta, Badung – Darwin 2 h 42 Indonesia AirAsia

Adelaide – Darwin 3 h 47 Jetstar Airways

Where else these quays go

Also from Darwin

Adelaide · Alice Springs · Benoa · Brisbane · Broome WA · Cairns · Dili · Fremantle · Groote Eylandt · Keelung · Kununurra · Kuta, Badung · Lautoka · Manila

Also from Townsville

Brisbane · Cairns · Cloncurry · Mackay · Melbourne · Mount Isa · Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal · Palm Island · Sydney (Mascot) · Winton

Which months this runs

Season not heldwe can say when we looked, not which months run

Our records for the Darwin–Townsville crossing were read on 11 August 2026 and describe the network as it ran that week. We hold no month-by-month variation, so this page cannot tell you whether a crossing runs in February.

If you are travelling well outside August 2026, confirm with the operator before you plan around it.

What we do not know

No fares. Not for this crossing, not for any crossing, not for any mode.

No departure times. No rate is held for this pair either, so we cannot say how often it runs.