Call in to the Charters Towers Visitor Information Centre and pick up some information on the Ghosts of Gold Heritage Trail. Hear stories from the ghosts of gold rush days at historic venues included in the trail - Stock Exchange Arcade, Towers Hill Lookout and The Venus Gold Battery. Back in 1871, a young Aboriginal stopped to take a drink from a sandy river bed when he noticed something sparkling from the shallows. Gold! The first goldfield known as Charters Towers was established the following year and the rest is history. Around 10 kilometre from town, Leahton Park is a massive 1100-acre property, home to the legendary Texas Longhorns! Take a horse drawn wagon ride, enjoy a camp oven billy tea and damper and visit the saddle shop. When the mood strikes you, head back east along the Flinders Highway to Townsville. With its cosmopolitan coastal lifestyle, Townsville is the perfect base to explore the wonders of the reef, including nearby Magnetic Island. Consider spending a few days here at the end of your drive.