When I was up in Cairns visiting friends, I decided to check out Paddywhacks - given that they had been awarded best steak restaurant for 2010. Food was absolutely wonderful! The meat was nice and tender, price was good and service was excellent. Staff constantly come around to check on you to make sure that you're good for drinks, as well as that you are enjoying your meal. The cool thing as well is for Qantas Frequent Flyer members you can swipe your card to collect points. Great atmosphere as well and the outside area is covered to protect against rain (which is common for Cairns). Highly recommended. Check it out.

Approximate cost: $23

If you're up for an event, such as Jupiters Townsville Cup, Ladies Race Day or Melbourne Cup - Townsville Turf Club is a great place to go. They've really improved over the years, offering more seating for the public as well as having areas such as a designated "hot zone" (live bands, extra seating). The marquees they do as well are fantastic! I went into one for Jupiters Cup and it was fully air-conditioned, RIGHT next to the track, 3 course meal + cheese and biscuits and alcohol included all day. They do private events too, so you can organise a private marquee with or without catering which is great for corporations and events. The cool thing as well is if you sign up for membership, you get free entry in all year around for yourself and one guest/partner. Worth checking out.

Approximate cost: $20

I love shopping at Robin's Kitchen - the range is extensive and the staff are so friendly and helpful. The moment you walk into the store, you're greeted by the sale staff and they are more than happy to offer you with assistance or advice for kitchenwares. I've found that if you subscribe to their email mailing list you get notified of great offers - like last week, I bought one set of glasses, got another set for free! They layby as well so if you're hiding Christmas presents, you can layby up to 2 or 3 months I think. Which is great. One week I even had an issue with a shoulder injury and the ladies there offered to place my cookware set in the car. Going above and beyond your normal service. Highly recommended!

Approximate cost: $100

Staff at Riverside Pizza and Ribs are great. They offer discounts for people in the area, I think Hospital, JCU and one of the local Vet Clinics when you show them your ID. They also do ice cream (ferraro roacher is my favourite). Pizzas there are absolutely fantastic! a 14 inch pizza with heaps of toppings for $17 - and it's cooked there on the spot. They also do delivery as well (I've not done home delivery so can't comment on that aspect of the service) but the amount you pay for your pizza - you get a decent sized meal out of it! If you haven't already, try it out.

Approximate cost: $17

I've bought a few items from these guys in the past and their service is always great. They have a 24hr turnaround on all their emails (sometimes I've seen them reply within an hour or two), as well as having MSN chat and phone to call if you have issues with an order. I had a case where there was an issue with the website and it hadn't generated a receipt so I emailed the staff (being Sunday night) and they got back to me Monday morning, saying they had found my order and would ship out and I'd receive it within a few days. Staff are great and answer all queries quickly and efficiently, and I've found that sometimes they can even do a better deal on their products if you have found an item elsewhere cheaper (within reason of course, and factoring in shipping). Great work guys!

Approximate cost: $50

If you're interested in learning Sign Language (Auslan), DSQ would probably be one of the best services to go through - and they're rather flexible. I've completed Auslan Level 1 and 2 - and that was moving between Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns. Lessons in each town start at the same time and they cover the all the same content so if you are travelling and don't want to miss a lesson, just message DSQ and they'll advise you of where to go. Discounts are provided for students as well. Good service and a good skill to have.

Approximate cost: $120

My PS3 console had been damaged in the mail when it was shipped over from the US. UPS had dropped it and as a result, the bluray drive stopped working in it. I sent it in to get repaired (paid for by UPS) and Beetronix were able to repair it without issue. Given that it was a 60GB console too (the one that reads PS2 games) they were able to replace the parts without removing the backwards capability support. All repairs are guaranteed and they offered a 3 month warranty with my console. Great service from the staff.

Approximate cost: $100

I've been up to the tea houses several times now, with my parents, grandparents, friends and even for a birthday morning tea. The tea houses are set in a lovely environment where you can sit either inside the old style building or outside under the shade of the trees. The staff are very friendly and for my birthday event, I was even able to get a discounted deal on the price of tea and scones (just had to email the manager before hand). My recommendation would be if you plan to head up there - make a booking! They are very popular and so you don't want to find yourself without a seat. Service, food and quality are all great. Also, as a side note, for the coffee lovers, I've been told that the Kopi Luwak coffee is something all coffee fans must try. It has a very smooth taste - but it is expensive (though, apparently worth it).

Approximate cost: $12

If you're interested in ice skating in Townsville, check out these guys. I think they're the only ice rink located north of Brisbane. They have disco/social nights on Friday and Saturday, $15pp, as well as doing lessons on Wednesday and Saturdays. (Possibly other days too, don't know off the top of my head). They do school events and parties, generally works out about $10-15 p/p. Parents can watch their kids for free (cost is only for use of rink and hire) so you can watch your kids while they skate. Nice place to escape the summer heat.

Approximate cost: $15

GREAT service! I flew down from North QLD to Brisbane to pick up a great deal on an ex-demo kite, saving about 70% off the cost of a new kite. Everything came with a warranty and they offered a complementary lesson with my purchase. The staff here are fantastic and are very safety conscious - all students are given equipment to use (you can hire kites and board too), but for the lesson students are supplied with water, an impact vest and a helmet with inbuilt radio communication. Best safety service I've seen compared to other places. Staff are friendly and they have a great range of equipment and expertise. If you're an avid kite-boarding fan, or looking to learn - would highly recommend these guys.

Approximate cost: $120