Magnetic Island | Part One

My parents and I have just recently returned to Brisbane after four nights on Magnetic Island. To get there, we first had to get from Brisbane to Townsville. We did this on a 2.5 hour Virgin Australia flight, each with a book to entertain us. When we landed, we didn’t have to wait for any baggage, so we just stepped out into the taxi rank and bundled into the next cab that came along.

Our drive to the ferry was filled with chatter. Aussie drivers are always up for a chat: about you, themselves, or the weather. We arrived at the ferry terminal in perfect time to grab a ticket and board, just before the boat departed. It was just a twenty-minute ride to the island, and when we disembarked it was less than five minutes to our Airbnb that looked out over Nelly Bay. 

Over two storeys, the two bed, two bath apartment had an excellent view of not just the water, but the wallabies that sprung from rock to rock outside. From either balcony, we could watch them bounce and lounge in pools of sunlight. To see them up close, we soon headed to Geoffrey Bay, to the Rock Wallaby Walk. The hilly walk from Nelly Bay had beautiful views of the ocean, and when we reached the bay we walked along the sand. I dipped my hand in the water and was surprised at the warmth. 

We reached the rock wallabies and found them super friendly. You aren’t supposed to feed them (or wildlife in general), but many people brought vegetable snacks and pellets to share. Regardless of whether you had food, many of the wallabies were friendly and happy to hop along next to you. It was so exciting to see these beautiful creatures enjoying their habitat.

We decided to get a soft drink nearby before we headed back to the Airbnb, and chose a chilled cafe where a territorial curlew squawked and almost growled at us when we dared move. It watched us the entire time with its enormous eyes.

After a trip to the IGA to pick up some items for dinner that night and some other meals to come, we returned to the apartment to make a simple but tasty evening meal. We had an early night, in preparation for the following day’s adventures.