Towing in Rollingstone: what to know
Rollingstone straddles the Bruce Highway well north of Townsville, and for towing purposes its defining feature is the Paluma Range turn-off. Weekend traffic heads up into the national park for creek swimming, camping and the cooler air of the range, and a fair number of those vehicles come back down with overheated engines, cooked brakes or a flat battery after a day parked in the sun. The highway itself carries a mix of local cars, caravans, freight trucks and holiday traffic, so breakdowns and accidents along this stretch can involve anything from a small hatchback to a loaded semi.
If you need towing in Rollingstone, the first question the operator will ask is whether you are on the highway, on the range road, or at a home in town — the gear and the route are different for each. The recommended Townsville operators send tilt trays for standard cars, 4WD-capable rigs for range and creek access, and heavy recovery for trucks, buses and caravans that have run off the road. Response times here are longer than in the city: the metro average is around 30 minutes, and Rollingstone sits well outside that.
On the range road, mobile coverage can be patchy, so if you do get through, give your location as precisely as possible before the call drops — a kilometre marker, a named creek crossing or a lookout is ideal. Most vehicles are towed south down the highway to a Townsville workshop of the owner's choice, and the call-out works the same way as a tow truck Townsville drivers would book in the suburbs — just with more distance on the clock.
Common tow truck jobs in Rollingstone
- Overheated engines and brake fade coming down from the Paluma Range
- Caravan and camper breakdowns at the Rollingstone highway stops
- Bruce Highway crashes involving cars, utes or heavy vehicles
- Flat batteries after a day parked at the national park day-use areas
- 4WD recoveries on unsealed tracks around the range foothills
How to get a tow truck in Rollingstone
- Get safe first. Hazard lights on, out of traffic, and call 000 if anyone is hurt or the vehicle is blocking a live lane.
- Call a recommended operator using the buttons above and give your exact location in Rollingstone — nearest cross street or landmark helps the driver find you.
- Describe the vehicle and problem — make, model, 2WD/4WD/AWD, whether it rolls and steers, and if it's in a carpark, driveway or soft ground.
- Tell them where it's going — your mechanic, home, a smash repairer or the insurer's assessor. Ask for the quote before the truck is dispatched.
