Many travellers start their journey along The Great Green Way from the major regional city of Townsville. Setting off along the Bruce Highway you will pass Townsville's northern beaches. Bushland and Saunders beaches both have boat ramps and accommodation, while Toolakea and Toomulla beaches are popular with bird watchers and anglers. At Rollingstone, don't miss the heritage walk and Railway Museum. Nearby is Balgal Beach, a popular fishing spot with easy access to the Palm Group of Islands. Winding through Paluma Range National Park, the historic Mount Spec Road features beautiful stonework, especially the masonry arch bridge over Little Crystal Creek where you can enjoy a dip before driving through rainforest. Further along Mount Spec Road, which was built by hand during the Great Depression, is Hidden Valley where you are sure to see platypus. The road continues to Paluma, an historic village with cosy tea houses, arts and crafts and an historic walk. Thornton's Gap crosses Herveys Range west of Townsville following the tracks that once led to the goldfields. At the top, the oldest known building in North Queensland, the Eureka Hotel, has been restored and is now the Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms.