Locals call it Maggie. It sits 25 minutes by ferry from Townsville, has 23 named bays, granite hills full of wild koalas, and accommodation that won't bankrupt you. If the Whitsundays feel too produced, this is the alternative.
- State
- Queensland
- State capital
- Brisbane (1,350 km south)
- Traditional Owners
- Wulgurukaba people
- Size
- 52 km²
- Population
- ~2,500 permanent
- Best time to visit
- May to October
How to get there
SeaLink runs the passenger ferry from Townsville's Breakwater Terminal to Nelly Bay. It's 25 minutes, departs roughly hourly through the day, and is one of the better-value ferry trips on this list. There's also a barge for cars run by Magnetic Island Ferries from a different terminal in South Townsville, useful if you want your vehicle, not necessary if you don't.
Townsville is reached by direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns. The airport is a 15-minute taxi ride from the ferry.
On the island, public buses run a roughly hourly loop between Picnic Bay, Nelly Bay, Arcadia and Horseshoe Bay (the four main settlements). You can also hire a car, scooter, or one of the topless mini-mokes that have become a local thing.
Approximate costs
| Item | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Passenger ferry return (adult) | $36 |
| Car barge return (vehicle + driver) | $220 to $280 |
| Bus day pass (Sunbus) | $8 |
| Mini-moke / scooter hire (per day) | $120 to $170 |
| Hostel dorm (per night) | $35 to $50 |
| Apartment / B&B (per night) | $150 to $280 |
| Resort (Peppers, per night) | $280 to $480 |
| Forts Walk (free) | $0 |
What to do
The Forts Walk
The signature walk on the island. Around 4 km return, takes most people 90 minutes to two hours. The trail climbs through eucalypt forest to a series of World War II observation posts and gun emplacements built to defend Townsville from a feared Japanese invasion. It's also the best place to see wild koalas, they're often spotted in the trees lining the path. Slow down, look up.
The bays
Horseshoe Bay is the main beach, north end of the island, with most of the cafes and water sport rentals. Alma Bay in Arcadia is small, sheltered, and the local-favourite swimming spot. Florence Bay requires a short walk and rewards you with one of the best snorkel sites, coral gardens close to shore. Radical Bay needs a 20-minute walk in but you'll often have it to yourself.
Snorkelling
Magnetic Island sits inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park but technically outside the reef proper, it's a fringing-reef island. The corals are hard, smaller-scale, and surprisingly accessible: you can snorkel straight off the beach at Florence, Arthur and Geoffrey Bays.
Wildlife
Koalas in the bush. Wallabies on the walking tracks (especially around Geoffrey Bay at dusk, they come down to the rocks to feed). Curlews wandering through restaurants. Sea turtles in the bays. Ospreys overhead.
When to visit
May to October is dry season, warm, sunny, low humidity, no stingers. This is the obvious window. November to April is wet season: hot, humid, and box jellyfish in coastal waters. The stinger nets at Picnic Bay, Alma Bay and Horseshoe Bay are reliable, but the experience is different. School holidays in Queensland push prices up; otherwise the island is rarely overcrowded.
What to bring
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Sun hat, sunglasses
- Snorkel kit (or rent at Horseshoe)
- Reef shoes
- Walking shoes for Forts Walk
- Stinger suit Nov-April
- Insect repellent (mozzies and sandflies)
- Water bottle
- Light rain jacket in wet season
- Cash optional, most places take card
A bit of history
The Wulgurukaba ("canoe people") are the traditional owners of Magnetic Island and the Townsville coast. Their cultural sites include rock art and shell middens still visible on the island's coast.
Captain Cook sailed past in 1770 and named the island "Magnetical Island" because his ship's compass started behaving erratically as he passed. (The island has no special magnetic properties, Cook's compass was probably just struggling near the local granite.)
During World War II, Townsville was a critical base for Allied forces in the Pacific. The fear of invasion was real, Townsville was actually bombed by Japanese aircraft three times in 1942. The island's fortifications and observation posts were built rapidly in 1942-43, and it's their concrete remains that you walk through on the Forts Walk today. The guns themselves were dismantled after the war.
Where this is on the map
Just off Townsville on the North Queensland coast.
Other islands you might pair with this
If you want a contrast in scale, head south to Hamilton Island for the resort experience. If you want even further into the wild, Lord Howe Island off NSW is also coral-edged and spectacular, just much harder to get to.