Australia v Cook Islands at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Saturday 31 October 2026: Free Shuttle From Lou Litster Park, Lowths Bridge Closes Early, Gates 4:30pm or 5:30pm (Townsville, QLD)

If you are driving to Australia v Cook Islands at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday 31 October, park at Lou Litster Park and take the free park ‘n’ ride shuttle, or walk in over Lowths Bridge from the CBD. The stadium says it has limited event-day parking on site, and the City of Townsville says Dean Street Carpark closes from 2pm on event days. Kick-off is 7:05pm on the stadium’s and the council’s pages.

The official pages do not agree on every time. The stadium’s event page says gates open at 5:30pm. Translink and the council’s What’s On Townsville page both say 4:30pm, with a curtain raiser at 4:45pm. This guide sets out both and tells you what to do about it. It was checked on Monday 26 October 2026 against the stadium’s event, getting-here, parking and accessibility pages, Translink’s event transport page and the City of Townsville’s stadium parking pages. Townsville is on Queensland time (UTC+10, no daylight saving), so every time below is Queensland time.

What time do I need to be there?

Plan around the earlier set of times. Three official pages list the day’s timings, and they differ:

What	Stadium event page	City of Townsville What’s On	Translink
Lowths Bridge closes	3:30pm	2:30pm	Not listed
Merchandise opens at Gate A	3:30pm	2:30pm	Not listed
Park ‘n’ ride shuttle starts	5:15pm	4:15pm	4:15pm to 7pm
Ticket box offices open	5:15pm	4:15pm	Not listed
Gates open	5:30pm	4:30pm	4:30pm
Curtain raiser	Not listed	4:45pm	4:45pm
Australia v Cook Islands kick-off	7:05pm	7:05pm	7:00pm
Main game finishes (approx.)	9:05pm	9:05pm	Not listed
Shuttle after the match	Not listed	Not listed	8:30pm to 10pm

The tournament’s own match page for this fixture shows “9:05 AM Sat 31st Oct”, which matches none of these and looks like a time-zone display, so we have not used it. If you want to see the curtain raiser, work to the 4:30pm gates and the 4:15pm shuttle. If you only want the main match, the 7:05pm kick-off is the same on every page, but arriving at least an hour early gives you time for bag checks, which the stadium says to allow for.

Can I park at the stadium?

Not reliably. The stadium’s parking page says it has limited event-day parking on site and points drivers to its getting-here page for other options. The on-site spaces it describes for this event are accessible spaces booked in advance (see the accessibility section below). The day-to-day car park off Pride Close is private.

Dean Street Carpark is the main overflow area, and its status on the day matters. The City of Townsville’s stadium event parking page says Dean Street Carpark is closed from 2pm on event days and that every vehicle must be removed before 2pm or risk being towed at the owner’s expense. The stadium’s parking page calls the same car park free all day, but that line is about function parking on days without an event. For a match day, go by the council’s notice and do not leave a car there.

Option	What the official pages say
Lou Litster Park park ‘n’ ride	Free shuttle to the stadium; enter from Charters Towers Road onto Brodie Street
Dean Street Carpark	Closed from 2pm on event days (council); towing applies to vehicles left inside
On-site spaces	Limited; accessible spaces must be booked and are not guaranteed
Streets around the stadium	Event parking rules apply, with fines for staying beyond the permitted time without a permit

What are the street parking rules near the stadium?

The council says parking in the Stadium Event Restricted Parking Areas is regulated from one hour before until one hour after the advertised start time of an event at the stadium. It applies to on-street parking, including driveways from the kerb to your property boundary, but not to vehicles inside a property. Fines go to owners of vehicles parked for longer than the permitted time without a registered permit, and the usual no-standing, taxi, bus and disability zones still apply.

The council’s page does not say which start time counts when a curtain raiser comes before the main match. If you park on a street near the stadium, assume the earlier time applies and read the signs on the street you choose. Residents can apply for a Stadium Event Residential Parking Permit through the council, which is how people who live in the area keep access to their own streets. The restricted area is drawn on a council map (a PDF linked from the stadium parking page), and that map is the place to check whether your street is inside it.

How does the free shuttle from Lou Litster Park work?

Translink’s event transport page for this match says free event shuttles run between the Lou Litster park ‘n’ ride and the stadium before and after the match. Translink spells the name “Lou Lister” on that page; the stadium spells it “Litster”. It is the same park. Translink gives these times:

Direction	Times	Where you board
Before the match	4:15pm to 7pm	Lou Litster park ‘n’ ride, off Brodie Street
After the match	8:30pm to 10pm	Stadium departure stop, outside Gate C

The stadium’s getting-here page says the park is reached from Charters Towers Road onto Brodie Street, and that the shuttle drop-off and pick-up is about 150m from Gate D. Translink’s map puts the after-match stop outside Gate C, so look for the shuttle signs when you leave rather than walking to a particular gate in advance. The stadium’s event page starts the shuttle at 5:15pm, an hour later than Translink and the council, so do not arrive at the park expecting a bus before 4:15pm, and do not count on one before 5:15pm until the stadium and Translink agree.

The stadium describes the shuttle as accessibility friendly, with accessible parking closest to the pick-up point at Lou Litster Park.

Is Lowths Bridge open?

It is open to people on foot and closed to vehicles. The council says Lowths Bridge on Stanley Street is closed before and during events because of pedestrian traffic. The stadium’s event page lists the closure from 3:30pm; the council’s What’s On page lists 2:30pm. If you are driving across it to reach the CBD side, finish before 2:30pm.

The stadium’s getting-here page names three walking routes into the precinct:

• Lowths Bridge, about 250m to Gate A.
• Victoria Street Bridge onto the Central Park Boardwalk, about 700m to Gate A.
• Little Fletcher Pedestrian Bridge, about 600m to Gate E.

The stadium calls walking the best way to get to the venue. Translink adds that the stadium is a short walk over Lowths Bridge from the CBD.

Can I catch a bus, taxi or rideshare?

Yes. Translink says to use its journey planner to find which scheduled Sunbus services will get you there and home. The Townsville City bus hub is on Ogden Street, about a 550m walk to the stadium, and Translink lists Townsville City Stop A (Stop ID 890891) and Stop B (Stop ID 890892) for scheduled services. Normal fares apply on scheduled services, and Translink says you must have a paper ticket to travel. It also warns that there are limited late-night services in Townsville, so check your last bus home before the match rather than after it.

Way in	Where it drops you	Distance the stadium gives
Scheduled bus	Ogden Street bus hub	About 550m to Gate A
Rideshare and private drop-off	Dean Street Car Park side of Morey Street, if set up for the event	About 500m to Gate A
Taxi rank	Central Park side of Dean Street, if set up for the event	About 300m to Gate A
Charter bus drop-off (up to 22 seats)	Inside the Dean Street Car Park, entered from Rooney Street; no booking needed	About 500m to Gate A
Private and charter bus parking	Central Park side of Dean Street; booking required	About 400m to Gate A

The stadium words the rideshare zone, taxi rank and bus parking as “pending event requirements”, which means they are not promised for every match. It does not confirm the zones for this one, and Dean Street Carpark is on the council’s closed list from 2pm, so check the signs and staff directions on the day. Bus operators can apply for bus parking through the stadium’s form, which the stadium says is open now.

If you cycle, the stadium has two bike racks: the north rack near the Jonathan Thurston statue and the south rack in the plaza nearest Gate F. The stadium spells his name “Johnathan” on its page.

What can I bring in?

Bags must be smaller than 40cm by 40cm and fit under your seat, and the stadium recommends leaving yours at home to speed up entry. Under its conditions of entry the following are not allowed:

• Glass bottles and containers, cans, aerosols and selfie sticks.
• Alcohol brought in from outside; the venue is also cashless.
• Flags or signs that represent teams not competing, including national flags, and flag poles over 1.5m long or 2cm wide.
• Megaphones and musical instruments such as horns, whistles and drums, unless approved beforehand.
• Drones, skateboards, scooters and other wheeled recreational items.
• Hard eskies; soft eskies must fit under your seat.

You can bring homemade food in a container that is not glass, a factory-sealed water bottle up to 1.25L, tea or coffee in a thermos, and an empty bottle to fill at the water stations. Umbrellas are allowed but must not be opened in the seating or concourse areas. Prams must be collapsible and fit under your seat, or be stored in a cloak room. The stadium also warns that the event may include flashing and strobing lights, smoke and pyrotechnics, and that smoking and vaping are banned anywhere in the venue, with outside smoking areas provided.

What does a ticket cost, and who needs one?

Tickets start at $19. Ticketmaster is the only authorised seller for this match at the stadium. Children aged 4 to 15 on the day of the match can buy a child ticket, and children aged 3 and under are free if they sit on a knee. The council lists the event as suitable for all ages, with disability parking and nappy-changing facilities. Prices are as listed on the stadium’s and the council’s pages on 26 October 2026 and could change.

What if I need accessible parking or a quiet space?

Accessible parking on site is limited and booked in advance. The application form opened at 8am on Monday 26 October 2026, and the stadium says submitting it does not guarantee a space. There is a dedicated accessible pick-up and drop-off zone on Pride Close, closest to Gates D and E, for taxis and private vehicles carrying people with accessibility needs. The stadium also lists accessible transfer points where staff help with wheelchair transfers, a quiet room on Level 1 on the western side, an accredited Changing Places facility near Aisle 113 on the north-west corner of the Level 1 concourse, a Listen Everywhere assistive listening app and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program. For other questions, the stadium’s phone number is (07) 4722 7729.

Sources

• Queensland Country Bank Stadium — Rugby League World Cup 2026 (event timings, ticketing, bags; checked 26 October 2026)
• Queensland Country Bank Stadium — Getting Here
• Queensland Country Bank Stadium — Parking
• Queensland Country Bank Stadium — Accessibility
• Queensland Country Bank Stadium — Conditions of Entry
• Translink — Rugby League World Cup, Men’s, Australia v Cook Islands
• Translink — Queensland Country Bank Stadium shuttle buses
• What’s On Townsville — Rugby League World Cup 2026: Australia v Cook Islands (City of Townsville)
• City of Townsville — Stadium Event Parking
• Rugby League World Cup 2026 — Australia v Cook Islands (match page; time shown does not match the venue)

Featured image: Queensland Country Bank Stadium seen from Castle Hill, Townsville (photo: WolfishJT / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Stadiums Queensland, the Rugby League World Cup, Translink or the City of Townsville. Event details can change; check the stadium’s event page and Translink before you travel.