Townsville is my home town.   Situated in the dry tropics of North Queensland, 300 km to the south of  Cairns, Townsville is the capital of the North.   Our largest regional city, "the 'Ville" is home to the country's largest military base, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, James Cook University and the largest health service in Northern Australia.   Townsvilleans are used to the natural challenges of cyclones, droughts, floods and fires, and yet love the place.   For all of the heat and humidity of summer, the recompense with glorious cool winters and the beautiful Magnetic Island a short ferry ride away makes it all worthwhile.