Magnetic Island is one of the larger islands you can visit in the Great Barrier Reef Marine park and one of the top places to visit when you are in Townsville. There are so many different things to see on the Island, below we have detailed out everything we got up to during our 2 day trip.
Due to its incredibly hilly and mountainous terrain, the only way to get to Magnetic Island is by boat. There is both a passenger and a vehicle ferry, we highly recommend taking a car across as the best attractions can be quite far apart. Not to worry if you don’t have a car, there is a bus route that takes you between the main settlements on the island (Horseshoe Bay, Arcadia, Nelly Bay and Picnic bay) You can also hire one of the very popular and very fun looking "topless" cars, keep in mind these do book out well in advance if you are looking to go this route.
First up, we went past Picnic Bay, taking the road out to the western side of the island, aptly named West Point. On this road is one of the many shipwrecks around the island; the wreck of the SS City of Adelaide. After a long career as a passenger and cargo ship, it was being towed to Picnic bay from Townsville to be scuttled and used as a breakwater. Unfortunately, it ran aground just outside of Picnic bay at Cockle bay where it remains to this day. Unfortunately, you can't see the wreck very well from the small beach and whilst you can swim out to the wreck, it is quite far off shore. We found the best way to see it is from the air, if you're fortunate enough to have a drone, it makes for an excellent photography spot.
There is not much else to see as you travel along the gravel road out to West Point, and when you arrive you are met with a small number of holiday homes and a nice beach. It isn't anything special, but if the other beaches on the island are too busy (which they normally are), West Point beach will likely be quiet as not many people choose to venture out to this side of the island. After visiting West Point, we headed back to the main section of the island to find one of the best animal experiences in the Townsville region.
Located just out of Arcadia on Geoffrey Bay is a short walk along the old Arcadia Jetty. This is the home of a small resident population of Allied Rock Wallabies, you can generally see them crouching in behind some of the larger boulders but if you are there early in the morning or late in the evening you will likely see them moving around potentially along the path as well. As with all wild animals, please don't touch them, however you are able to feed them as long as it is approved food such as carrots and certain fruits which can be purchased from the nearby general store. This is a great free attraction to bring the family and see one of Australia's unique animals up close in their natural habitat.
After a morning exploring you may be looking for somewhere to have lunch, there are several picnic areas all around the island with views out over the different bays and beaches. A couple of our favourite spots that we visited were; the picnic areas along Geoffrey Bay just outside of Arcadia and Gerry Kearns Park in Horseshoe Bay. Both areas had nice tables and were in close proximity to the water and a beautiful view.
One of the main drawing points to Magnetic Island are the bushwalks, there are many walking tracks all across the island with a couple of hubs where multiple tracks lead off from. Many of the hikes leave from the Forts Junction car park, partway between Arcadia and Horseshoe Bay. The beaches and bays in the north eastern section of the island can only be accessed by these hikes or by boat. These beaches are some of the best on the whole island and include; Arthur Bay, Florence Bay and the extremely picturesque Radical Bay. The bush walks are not too difficult but depending on the time of day the weather may affect you, plan to complete the walks early in the morning as there is little shade cover on most of the trails and it gets very hot.
Another main drawing point of Magnetic Island is its military history, during World War 2 it was one of the first lines of defence for Townsville and Queensland and there was a military fort built on the island as an artillery battery and observation post. The Forts as it is now known can be accessed by the Forts walk, along this walk you will also get the chance to spot some of Magnetic Islands resident Koala population, sleeping or feeding in the trees above. The end of the Forts walk takes you up to the top of the complex of buildings and allows for nearly 360 degree views of the island.
Our last recommendation for Magnetic Island is to enjoy the amazing beaches. Unfortunately when we visited it was during stinger season and we didn't come prepared with stinger suits to go swimming, make sure you plan ahead when visiting any area in Northern Queensland, particularly if you will be travelling between November -May . There are many beaches around the island to swim and snorkel off, some of the quieter beaches like Radical bay and Arthur bay are so beautiful when you have them all to yourself.
You can also snorkel all around the island, as it sits in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park there are extensive reefs and plenty of fish life to see. There are 2 main snorkelling trails that are recommended for tourists and these are located in Geoffrey Bay and Nelly Bay, depending on your swimming ability make sure to check if you should attempt to snorkel anywhere else around the island.
We spent almost 2 full days exploring Magnetic Island and have got to say it was truly worth it. Whilst everything that we completed could be done as a day trip, we found 2 days to be the perfect amount so we could spending some time relaxing during our stay.
When visiting northern Queensland, be sure to add Magnetic Island to your list on your way up the coast!
Comments