Magnetic Island - Treasure of the Great Barrier Reef

The tropical jewel that is Magnetic Island is situated about eight kilometres off the coast of Townsville in Queensland and is also located within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Marine Area. It was named by Captain Cook in 1770, and the name was chosen because the ship’s compass would not work properly as they sailed past. It covers 52 square kilometres and the terrain is very mountainous. It has a small residential population of around 2500, which is substantially enlarged by the regular stream of visitors who are drawn annually to this beautiful place. A large area of Magnetic Island is given over to National Park, offering around 26 kilometres of walking tracks. The National Park is a stunning vista of large, scattered granite boulders, tall hoop pines and abundant, lush vegetation.

Magnetic Island is home to a wide range of wildlife, and while you are out walking on the tracks look out for the famous koalas, rock wallabies, possums, lots of different bird species, butterflies, spiders and lizards. If you want to go koala spotting, the most popular place to find them is on the picturesque Forts Walk. The koala population is not actually native as they were introduced in the 1930’s in response to the massive decline in the koala population on the mainland, due to hunting, disease, bush fires and habitat loss.

If you want a guaranteed sighting of a koala, go on a visit to Bungalow Bay Koala Village. There are several tours daily where you can get up close and personal with the koalas, wallabies, parrots and reptiles that live at the Sanctuary. You can even get to hold a small saltwater crocodile, python or lizard! If you want to treat yourself and visit in style, on certain days of the week they have ‘Champagne Bush Tucker Breakfasts with the Koalas.’

Fishing is a very popular way to spend a few relaxing hours, and bream, trevally, queen fish, coral trout, whiting and Spanish mackerel can be caught. You can fish from the beaches and rocky points or hire a boat and fish in deeper waters. There are boat ramps available at Nelly Bay, Picnic Bay and Horseshoe Bay. You can also book fishing trips that are accompanied by an experienced fishing guide, who knows all the best spots and can give you lots of good advice.

Many visitors also come here to dive and snorkel. Many of the sandy bays have fringing coral reefs and you can take trips out to the Barrier Reef. There is also a wreck that you can dive. The ‘Moltke’ is an old cargo boat that was wrecked about seventy years ago. The site is accessible from the shore and the skeleton of the old ship now offers a home to Batfish, Damselfish, Groupers, Butterfly fish and Crayfish.

Access to Magnetic Island is straightforward as you can either take the fast catamaran ferry service or the slower car and passenger ferry service directly from Townsville. There is an extensive timetable of sailings and while vehicles need to be booked on, foot passengers can just turn up and buy a ticket for the crossing they require.

There is a very wide range of holiday accommodation to choose from, ranging from top resorts, self-catering apartments to backpacker hostels. One of the most famous backpacker hostels where you can stay is Base. It is situated on its own beach with the option of staying in waterfront bungalows or camping. There is a pool and the bar has local DJs playing music every weekend. Another jewel in Base’s crown is that since 2004 Base has been the venue for the famous Full Moon Parties, where up to 2000 people come to party on the sand to live bands and famous DJs.

There are several different resorts dotted around the coast of the island that you can choose from; each of them with their own character and attractions. Nelly Bay is the main point of entry to Magnetic Island, as this is where the ferry port is situated. It is also the biggest residential area on the island and has a good range of tourist accommodation. There is a very good local bus service, which interlinks all the major resort areas, and the main hub is located just outside the ferry terminal as is the taxi rank. Car hire and bicycle hire facilities are also to be found close to the ferry. In addition, most of the shops and facilities are to be found here. Nelly Bay has a good beach and you can go snorkelling on the fringing coral reef. There is a children’s playground and an area with barbecues, picnic tables and toilets.

Horseshoe Bay is the largest bay on Magnetic Island. The beachfront is considered to be the main tourist drag of the island, and there is a new safe swimming enclosure. There are also play areas for children and picnic tables available. It is from Horseshoe Bay that the fishing boats set out from on their trips out to fish the teeming waters of the Great Barrier Reef. It is also the main starting point for many water based tours, such as kayaking, sailing, cruising and diving tours. You can go swimming on horseback or spotting the water birds which frequent the Horseshoe Bay Lagoon Environmental Park.

Arcadia is another beautiful bay and encompasses Alma Bay and Geoffrey Bay. Alma Bay is a very popular beach and has good facilities including gas barbecues, picnic tables, children’s play area and changing rooms and toilets. The beach is also patrolled by the Life Saving Patrol at weekends and public holidays. Geoffrey Bay is designated as a Marine National Park Zone, so you can look but you cannot do any fishing or collecting. There is also an old jetty there which is known as a good place for feeding the rock wallabies at dusk and you can buy special food pellets at some of the local shops.

Picnic Bay is at the southernmost tip of the island and used to be where the ferries docked. There is still a long jetty jutting out into the sea, which is a good spot for fishing or watching the moonlight on the water on a clear night. The island’s 9 hole golf course is situated at the back of Picnic Bay and there is a small beachfront mall offering a bar and a couple of restaurants. To the west of Picnic Bay you will find Cockle Bay and the wreck of the ship ‘City of Adelaide’.

So Magnetic Island truly is a wonderful holiday destination that has something for everyone; offering beautiful beaches, hot sunny days, stunning scenery and lots of different activities and tours to choose from.

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