What do do and see on Magnetic Island, Queensland
History and nature make an alluring mix on this tropical island.
A cluster of intricately balanced granite boulders pokes skywards from the blue-green sea, a gentle swell splashing at its base. The rock formation has its origins in a great volcanic drama that unfolded 270 million years ago. More recently, it was noted by Lt James Cook as he sailed up the east coast of Australia in June 1770, pondering a curious deviation in his compass readings. The navigator believed iron ore deposits in the region’s geology were the cause, so he named the place Magnetical Island or Headland (he wasn’t sure if it was connected to the mainland). Long before his arrival, the Wulgurukaba or “canoe” people called it Yunbenun, and evidence of their visits can be found in middens and secret rock art sites. To locals, it’s known affectionately as Maggie.
There is a lot to love about this island idyll about 8km off the coast from Townsville in Queensland. Look up on one of the many walking trails and you’re likely to see a koala snoozing in the crook of a tree; look down and there might be a rock wallaby hiding amid the granite. Add World War II history, snorkelling sites, picture-perfect bays, shipwrecks and a laidback tropical languor, and Maggie is an alluring holiday destination.
Our host on an Aquascene boat tour, Adam Hinks, grew up at the island’s Picnic Bay and says wild horses couldn’t drag him away to the mainland; he doesn’t like traffic lights, for starters. A former skipper for the fledgling cruise company that is now Coral Expeditions, he set up his tour business 17 years ago when fatherhood demanded he spend more time at home. With his eldest, daughter Melia, at the helm, he takes us to some of his favourite haunts. We’re regaled with tales of a utopian, water-logged childhood when every kid had a dinghy; of naughty attempts to roll boulders down hills; and of leaping on to the ferry to Townsville for high school – “throw your bag on and take a jump”.
Hinks’s commentary is entertaining but it’s also informative. We learn that Magnetic Island is where coral spawning, the reef’s annual reproductive frenzy, was discovered in 1971 – “That’s a badge we wear with a bit of pride.” In Arthur Bay, where the reef was completely wiped out by Cyclone Yasi 10 years ago, he shows us how abundantly the cabbage coral has recovered, and we meet Shelly, a green turtle that recently took up residence. In Florence Bay, he introduces us to a rock cod called Rod and a trio of batfish that swim up to our masks as we snorkel, a school of garfish glittering around our legs. And, most memorably, he hands me a pilchard and instructs me on how to stand, just so, as a wild brahminy kite he’s befriended swoops down to pluck the snack from my hand.
My family of four is staying in Villa Kembali, one of two palatial, Balinese-style houses on the beachfront at Horseshoe Bay on the island’s north. It’s stinger season, when deadly box jellyfish and the tiny irukandji pose the greatest risk to swimmers. Although there’s a netted ocean enclosure, we’re grateful to have a pool on the terrace. With the mercury hitting 36C and the humidity sky-high, airconditioning is also a blessing. In the early hours one morning, as an electrical storm flashes across the ocean, I venture on to the veranda to watch the light show. I stand mesmerised for so long a possum creeps over and sniffs my foot. Nature is never far away on Magnetic.
My husband and I rise early one morning to beat the heat on the popular Forts Walk. Maggie became an essential part of Australia’s coastal defences when the Japanese entered the war in the Pacific. A signal station, gun emplacements, command post and other fortifications were built high on the island, with men and women stationed here from 1943-45. The remnants of these structures are easily accessible on a two-hour walk from a well-signed carpark just a short drive from Horseshoe Bay.
It’s a steep climb best undertaken at day’s beginning or end, and you can only imagine the toll it took on the soldiers and labourers who blasted rocks, cleared rubble and hauled concrete during construction. Bombs weighing 40kg a piece had to be brought up to the armoury, and two 155mm guns, weighing 10 tonnes each, were transported by ferry from Townsville, dragged over logs across a beach then towed up the mountain by tractor.
We reach the signal station while the sky is still washed pastel pink from dawn. The views are stunning. We’ve spent much of the hike craning our necks in search of koalas, of which there are an estimated 800 across the island. The marsupials aren’t native here but their introduction and subsequent isolation has protected them from the chlamydia epidemic affecting mainland populations. Here, at the signal station, we’re finally rewarded by a grey bundle curled up on the branch of a hoop pine. These tough, tall trees, which were once logged on an island that is now 75 per cent national park, sprout defiantly from crevices where rain, soil and nutrients are in short supply. I doubt their leaves would be a koala’s first choice for breakfast.
At Bungalow Bay Koala Village, a budget lodge in Horseshoe Bay, both visitors and koalas are well catered to for the first meal of the day. The Breakfast with the Koalas experience entails a guided tour of the on-site wildlife park. Ranger Matt Cooper shows us a black cockatoo, an echidna, frilled-neck lizard, and bearded and water dragons before we sit down for a generous buffet of cooked and continental fare. Cooper does the rounds with a fluffy, wide-eyed koala that clings to him like a baby. The little fellow emits a pungent blend of eucalyptus and wee but we forgive him because his cuteness factor is off the scale. Harry, a hefty hairy-nosed wombat partial to tummy scratches, and a glorious albino fluoro python are also crowd-pleasers.
Later in the day we explore the island in a rented, compact, soft-top Fiat 500 we dub Fi-Fi, a car so petite it takes two trips to transfer four people with luggage to our accommodation from the ferry terminal in Nelly Bay. When Fi-Fi struggles up the hills, we shout out encouragement to boost her 1.2l spirits. She putt-putts her way to the pub in Arcadia, where cane toad races have been held every Wednesday night for years. Having met some of Magnetic Island’s natural inhabitants, it’s time to meet the invaders.
Eight of these ugly amphibian interlopers, each wearing a coloured band to identify it, is presented to the crowd for bidding before being placed at the starting gate, a perspex cylinder in the centre of the “track”. Among the contenders are the Hulk, whose athletic prowess is perhaps talked up too much by the effusive emcee, and The Lorax, which is “bought” by a deep-pocketed punter for a whopping $200. The event is a fundraiser for the local Surf Life Saving service, and participants are in the running for a $400 purse.
When the moment arrives, the host lifts off the cylinder and the toads make a run for it, leaping towards the circle’s perimeter fringed by squealing children. It’s all over in five seconds. A wildcard toad called Minion has pipped its rivals at the post. To claim his winnings, Minion’s bidder must give the beast a kiss. He does his duty but no prince or princess magically appears to sweeten the victory. And that typifies the unaffected allure of Maggie, a ruggedly beautiful island that doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It may not have designer boutiques or Michelin stars, but it is utterly charming as a result.
More to the story
Magnetic Island has a wide selection of accommodation available, ranging from waterfront apartments to 1960s and ’70s homes transformed into beach-chic abodes and luxe architectural wonders. Premium options include Villa Kembali and Lotus House on Horseshoe Bay. Best of Magnetic is an excellent one-stop shop for accommodation and car hire, which is highly recommended, especially in the summer months, although the island does have a regular bus service. Villa Kembali from $930 a night; Lotus House from $1120 a night.
In the know
Magnetic Island is accessed by Sealink passenger ferry from Townsville. There are between 13 and 17 services a day; adult return, $34.
A car ferry service is also available; from $222 return.
Aquascene offers a range of island tours and charters. The half-day Discovery tour includes morning tea; adults $139, children (three to 14 years) $95. Stinger suits and snorkelling gear provided. All guests must be fully vaccinated.
Breakfast with the Koalas at Bungalow Bay Koala Village goes for 90 minutes; adults $70, children $40.
Dining on the island ranges from simple pub meals to more sophisticated fare. Hospitality venues across Australia are struggling with staff shortages and Magnetic Island is no different. Bookings are essential, patience is required and many venues close early in the summer months. We didn’t dine widely during our stay but I recommend The Early Bird and Boardwalk cafes for coffee and breakfast, Sandi’s restaurant for dinner and the seafood shop at Horseshoe Bay for excellent old-school burgers and fish and chips. Other popular picks include pizza joint Mamma Roma, Scallywags and The Reef Bar and Cafe.
Penny Hunter was a guest of Townsville Enterprise. This story was published in January 2022 and has since been updated.
