Magnetic Island is a beautiful island located in Queensland, northeast Australia. I had the pleasure and opportunity to visit this pearl of Australia. It is from the city of Townsville that you will have to take the ferry to reach it. Are you ready to find out what to do one day on Magnetic Island? I have my exclusive images (and videos) in store for you. At the end, I leave you the links to book the ferry and accommodation (in case you would like to stay one night). I tell you that beautiful beaches and lots of local fauna await us.
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Best beaches Magnetic Island
One of the reasons why everyone goes to Magnetic Island is its beautiful beaches and bays. Can they all be visited in one day? No. But we can see the most beautiful ones without any kind of problems. Beautiful coves that give life to real paradise sceneries . If you decide to stay one night, you will be able to visit more but above all do everything more calmly. But what are the main beaches to visit and where to take a bath on Magnetic Island?
- Horseshoe bay
- Balding bay and Radical bay (close to each other with a walking path)
- Arthur bay (also famous for its beautiful viewpoint)
- Geoffrey bay (for a very particular reason that I'll show you shortly)
Day trip to Magnetic Island: Horseshoe bay
The largest bay on the island and where you will also find many bars and restaurants. Take the opportunity to have a nice swim with its very suggestive scenery. On the beach, you will also find comfortable showers to cleanse yourself of sea salt. From Horseshoe bay you can reach (in 20- 25 minutes walk) two very isolated and beautiful beaches.
Balding bay and Radical bay
After an “up and down” journey of about 20- 25 minutes you'll arrive at a crossroads where you can reach the two beaches. Whichever you choose first doesn't matter, they are both beautiful. Being challenging to reach, they make them not very crowded; enjoy healthy relaxation. A tip: bring a pair of shoes, especially if you plan on hiking the trails. If you plan to do them in havaianas, don't start at all, put them in your bag.
Day trip to Magnetic Island: Arthur Bay
I was enchanted by this place. In Australia, before seeing Arthur Bay , I had never seen such a crystalline sea before. I think I was here a good half hour enjoying the place and taking a bath. In addition to being one of the most beautiful beaches due to the clarity of the sea, Arthur Bay also has a viewpoint.
Viewpoint Arthur Bay
A 10-minute walk (uphill) from the beach reaches this beautiful place. Besides being wonderful for the view of the bay from the top, it is a photo spot. You can come here to take a nice photo and relax while admiring the view.
Day trip to Magnetic Island: Geoffrey bay and its beautiful wallabies
Nature can offer us sensational scenarios and most of the time FREE. In this bay of the island, you will have a very special encounter: the one with the wallabies. Wallabies belong to the marsupial family but are not kangaroos. They are much smaller and this differentiates them from real kangaroos.
The most interesting thing is that you can find them in nature only in Australia and Pope New Guinea. So, on your daily trip, don't miss this spot. If I can give you some advice, before reaching the wallabies bay , equip yourself with food. It won't be used for you, but to attract wallabies and feed them. They love carrots and apples.
Day trip to Magnetic Island: spot koalas along forts walk
Every time I see these beautiful creatures in Australia my eyes shine. Crossing a koala is always a sensational experience , especially if free. It may also be because if you observe them for several minutes, you realize the good life that koalas lead. They are there, sleeping 20-22 hours and eating a couple of leaves, no stress, no anxiety. Forts walk is a path that takes you to some forts and you might encounter koalas along the way.
Before starting the route, signs tell you that there is a probability of spotting them. If you spot them (as happened to me) try to be discreet. Always respect koalas and their habitats, without making too much noise. Observe them in their natural habitat, observe their movements (if awake). I hope you are as lucky as me to encounter a cute koala.
Getting around Magnetic Island
To reach the places of greatest interest on the island you can do so:
- Comfortably on the bus (like I did) with trips every 30-45 minutes during the day. The buses stop in all the places I suggested. Cheap ticket ($5 all day).
- Rent a scooter (equally convenient because you can park anywhere). About $40 a day.
- Rent a car
Accomodations Magnetic Island
For accommodation on Magnetic Island you have plenty options for b&bs and hostels. Many are beachfront, which will make your stay super relaxing. I leave you with a couple of useful links below:
Ferry to Magnetic Island price
I leave you the link to book the ferry from Townsville to Magnetic Island. The ferry leaves very early (which is good) with the last one returning around 10 pm. What I recommend is obviously reach Magnetic Island as soon as possible. The reason is simple: discover the main places calmly and without haste during the day.
What to do near Magnetic Island: Whitsundays islands
3 hours from Magnetic Island (starting from Townsville) you can reach the Whitsundays. Paradise on earth in Australia, one of the most popular and beautiful places in this land. A place to put on your bucket list and where to do many activities from Airlie beach. Afterwards I will also leave you all the links of the tours I did and where to stay.
Boat Tour to Whitehaven Beach with Snorkelling
A tour I did on two consecutive days with 2 different companies. The 1st day with a sailboat and the second (funnier) with a rafting. Whatever you choose, the whitehaven beach is a must and a must-do tour. Included in the daily tour is snorkelling, which is an incredible experience here. Do it!
Scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef
How beautiful. I saw one of the 7 wonders of the world from above the skies. In my opinion, the reef must be seen both below (by snorkelling) and from above. An experience that I will hardly forget and that showed me some unique beauties. Below I leave you the links to the tours:
- Full day Camira sailing adventure in the Whitsundays
- Whitsundays Ocean Rafting Tour: Snorkelling, Walking and Whitehaven
- Scenic flight of the Whitsundays
Where to stay in Airlie beach
Airlie beach is the town from where all the tours to the Whitsundays depart. I stayed, during my trip, in a beautiful hostel that looked like a city. Well-equipped and organised which I suggest in case you are staying here. Here the link to book a room at the Nomads hostel of Airlie beach.
Conclusions
This article is coming to an end, hoping that it has been useful to you. Magnetic Island is one of Australia's top destinations. If you are in Queensland don't miss this Australian gem. To the next trip and remember: those who travel live twice…!
If you have time, take a look at these two articles I wrote:
P.s. don't forget to click here to follow on my instagram page the places I've been.
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