Magical Magnetic Island

One of the top things to do if you make it to Townsville, Queensland is a trip to nearby magical Magnetic Island. It’s an ideal destination if you like beaches, parks, swimming, fishing, hiking or wildlife.

Getting to Magnetic Island

I accidentally called it Magical Island a couple of times because it really felt that way to me. The locals call it “Maggie” so maybe that’s why I got confused. We anchored in Horseshoe Bay for two nights, and sailed to Townsville in a couple of hours, but the ferry is even quicker. It runs regularly from the Townsville waterfront and takes about 30 minutes. Once you’re on Magnetic Island, there’s so much to see and do!

Amenities on Magnetic Island

Since it’s super close to Townsville and mainland Queensland, Maggie Island has everything you can possibly need. Compared to K’Gari, which has less residents and is mainly a tourist destination and park preserve, Magnetic’s infrastructure makes it easier to visit for extended periods.

People live on Magnetic Island, and even commute back and forth, so it’s effectively a suburb of Townsville. As a result, everything is available on the island, including shops, restaurants, and services. Even if things break down on the boat, it’s not too far to get things fixed.

Visitors can bring cars on the ferry or hire them on the island. In addition to our hikes, we used the frequent bus service that loops the island.

Hiking

Our day in magical Magnetic Island involved hiking to beaches and barracks, seeing cute Australian animals, and adult beverages with friends. It’s a lovely place, a real natural getaway very close to the mainland and civilization.

Just like in the rest of Queensland, the beaches in Magnetic Island are beautiful and barely busy. It’s so lovely.

Wildlife

The hiking trails, on the other hand, were crowded, especially the Forts Walk because of the koala bears. If there’s a hike where you’re almost guaranteed to see koala bears, it’s popular! Every visitor to Australia wants to see koalas! And we saw those cute creatures, just hanging in the trees like the Down Under version of sloths.

We also went to the spot where the rock wallabies live on Magnetic Island. They’re a smaller version of a kangaroo. These are wild animals, but the stores sell food you can toss to them to bring them out of the caves. So cute!

Honestly, that would be enough for me for one island. Beaches and koalas, and so much more to do make a visit to magical Magnetic Island a must in Queensland. We are looking forward to getting back there next year.

Have you been to magical Magnetic Island? Share your tips in the comments, or what you want to do when you go!