The topic of this blog is our memorable day spent in Magnetic Island, affectionately called ‘Maggie by the locals. I’ll let you into some facts about this destination, why we chose to visit it as our first Australian island and how our day panned out.
Wildlife
Koalas aren’t native to the island but were introduced here in the 1930’s as a way to protect them from the open season on the mainland. Around this time, koalas were hunted for their waterproof pelts used in garments. Horrific, but unfortunately not unbelievable.
With additional threats to the koala on the mainland such as destruction of habitat. Magnetic island holds the largest colony in queensland of around 800 koalas and is one of the best places in Australia to see wild koalas.
You know what a wallaby looks like? A smaller kangaroo marsupial, rock wallabies are similar, but have adaptations to live in rocky regions, such as Geoffrey’s Bay. They are a bit smaller than wallabies and feet adapted to rocky terrain. These furry friends are quick. They dart from hiding place to hiding place but will enjoy a small amount of carrots.
Magnetic island is just along the great barrier reef with great snorkel spots and snorkel trails to follow. Along these you can see plenty of exotic fish and different coral such as brain coral, cauliflower coral and staghorn.
Magentic island significance during WWII
During World War II, Magnetic Island, played a significant part in the defending the region. The island’s strategic position in the Coral Sea made it an ideal location for military fortifications to protect Townsville. In 1942, as the threat of Japanese attacks loomed, the Australian Army established a series of fortifications, including the Magnetic Battery, with two 155mm guns installed at the northeastern tip of the island. These fortifications were part of a broader network designed to safeguard the coastline and provide early warnings of enemy approaches.
The island also hosted military camps and facilities that supported the thousands of troops stationed there. Radar installations and anti-aircraft batteries were set up to enhance the island’s defensive capabilities. The presence of these military assets transformed Magnetic Island into a critical component of Australia’s wartime infrastructure. Today, remnants of these fortifications can still be seen at Forts Walk, a historical reminder of the island’s role during World War II. The combination of natural beauty and historical significance makes Magnetic Island a unique destination for both history enthusiasts, Ben and nature lovers, me!
Why Maggie?
As our first Australian island, you may ask why we skipped out on K’gari (Fraser) island and whitsundays? First and foremost, visiting Magentic island only set us back by $40 each for a return trip. As well as the ferry was only 40 minutes each way so we got to spend the whole day there. It’s a relatively small island so we felt it was more manageable to see, and had trails and snorkel trails you could take yourself round.
The total we ended up spending was $40 for ferry tickets, $5 on coffee, $4.20 on an all-day bus ticket, $5 for a snorkel card and $7 on gelato. At $61.20 for a good day spent on a beautiful Australian island, we were happy as larry.
Not only the cost, but the accessible WWII sites that Ben was interested in and the koala population drew me in. The lower popularity of this place and it’s proximity to the great barrier reef was also a big draw.
The Magnetic Island Ferry
We arrived early to catch our Magnetic island ferry which gave us views of the island as we approached. Jurassic park came to mind, with mountains and valleys covered in dense tropical vegetation and at their edge, white sandy beaches meeting sapphire blue waters.
Geoffrey Bay
We left the ferry, grabbed a cup of coffee and waited for the next bus to take us to Geoffrey Bay. There, we sought out a dive shop that sold laminated cards. These detailed the fish and coral you can spot while snorkelling or diving. I secured it to my wrist with a rubber band and we went off looking for the old boat ramp, where the snorkel trail begins 390m from shore.
Ben stayed on dry land while I went in for a snorkel. Once at the reef, I saw different corals and fish around, all vibrant, healthy and wonderous. The snorkel trail continued with 4 different boy markers which you can hang on to and rest.
The trail also had part of a shipwreck and a propeller from WWII. I didn’t go out hunting for these as I was snorkelling alone and didn’t want to swim too far away from the buoys. Nevertheless, it was amazing to see all sorts of coral and get in the water.
Rock Wallabies
Once dry, we had a meander further along the bay and spotted 4 or 5 rock wallabies. They’re pretty fast and darted along our path to take shelter within the rocks. We had read about their affinity for carrots so left a couple of piles on the rocks for them to enjoy at their leisure. The little skittish fellas didn’t want to come too close to us (and I don’t blame them).
Forts walk
As it turns out, the public transport on Magnetic island is as bad as it is in the UK. After waiting about 40 minutes for a bus that never showed up, we decided to walk the extra 30 minutes to the beginning of Forts Walk. To our utter displeasure we heard the bus drive past about 10 minutes into our extended walk.
But, let me tell you this for free, if we had gotten on that bus, I’m convinced we wouldn’t have arrived at the precise time a baby koala popped it’s head out from it’s mammas arms. We wouldn’t have seen its tiny little body crawl onto the shoulder of its mothers. We would have missed it crawl around the other shoulder and reach up to have a tasty snack of eucalyptus leaves.
And how special that moment was. Imagine our awe, at seeing our first wild koala after 7 months in aus, and moments later seeing our first ever baby koala, with it’s tiny little fluffy ears poking up. I had to be dragged away by Ben, I could have watched the little guy all day.
Florence bay, Magnetic Island
Throughout our walk we saw more koalas and looked at the WWII relics. It’s a perfect location take in the epic 180 views of the coral sea and surrounding islands. We left Forts walk to visit Florence bay and have a peaceful swim in warm ocean waters. With only a handful of people around it truly did feel like a little paradise.
I’m very thankful we’re not in jellyfish season and we both emerged sting-free. We threw our clothes back on and finished the walk making our way up to the bus stop. Low and behold, the bus was 40 minutes late, and even when it did arrive, the driver informed us they couldn’t take anymore people on board.
Our heroes came in the form of two friendly Americans who invited us in their taxi back to the ferry port. Absolute legends. Just before our ferry left, we got an ice cream that we had 100% deserved after walking over 25km.
Back to the mainland
On the ferry we got to watch the last of the sunset. The red light shone through smoke from nearby bushfires (which may have been ‘back burning’). The deepest red I’ve ever seen from a sunset, with an ominous, foreboding tone.
Overall, the trip was perfect. Call it magnetism but we’ve already vowed to return to Magnetic Island. The compromise is we’re going to rent bicycles instead of spending the entire day walking, a fair trade. There are still areas of magnetic islands we didn’t have the good fortune to visit but we hope to soon.
