Magnetic Island – Budget Travel Guide
The glorious island oasis that is Magnetic Island offers a blissful escape in North Queensland. Situated off the shores of Townsville, this island reaps sunshine and warm temperatures all year round.
Magnetic Island is one big natural beauty that is well worth a visit. With four main townships, and over half of the island being classified as Magnetic Island National Park, it is a nature lover’s paradise with plenty of sights to see and activities to do!
So…
The main spots to check out include:
How to get to Magnetic Island?
Magnetic Island is accessible by ferry from Townsville. A short 20 minute ride transports you from Townsville Breakwater across the water to picturesque Nelly Bay.
Townsville is located 350km south of Cairns, making Magnetic Island a perfect stop off on an east coast tour, whether going up or down the coast by car or bus.
- The Greyhound bus stops off in Townsville, where you can spend a night (this is what I did, I was heading down the coast from Cairns and this was my first stop), or head straight to the ferry port. You can check out times and prices of the Greyhound bus here.
- There is also an airport in Townsville should you wish to fly in.
Note: Before heading across on the ferry, I’d recommend stocking up on supplies. There is no ‘cheap’ supermarket once there. I didn’t think this through before going, consequently living off all that I had stashed in my backpack – Nutella on toast and some pesto pasta for three days. I was clearly being a true budget backpacker!
How long to go for?
3 nights is ideal, giving two full days to explore.
That doesn’t mean it’s not worth going if you have less time! Hop on an early ferry and stay 1 night if that’s all time permits.
I stayed 3 nights, but missed half of the first day, and basically lost a full day of exploring thanks to some very heavy rain. I manage to cover so much just in 1 full day that this didn’t cause too much dismay. That second full day however, weather on your side, would just give the edge of having additional time to enjoy the gorgeous beaches and partake in any extra activities.
Where to stay? (budget travellers)
There are two hostels you will choose between – Nomads Magnetic Island – Base or Selina Magnetic Island.
I stayed in Selina Magnetic Island (formerly Bungalow Bay Koala Village (YHA), which was great! I did get the chance to check out Base too, and I definitely wouldn’t have minded staying there either. I’m a big fan of hostels nestled in nature, both of which are. They also have the rooms set out in the form of cabins, which I liked a lot! Here is a little about the two:
– Nomads Magnetic Island – Base
Location: Nelly Bay
- Closest to the ferry port, so is easily accessible upon arrival whether by walking or a very short bus ride.
- Another highlight of its location is that it is right on the beach. Perfect for a morning snorkel on the Nelly Bay snorkel trail!
- The more lively, party hostel. I made it here when it rained one day and very much joined in the party scene because the YHA was really not providing such! The bar area is pretty big, they provide different events each night and it’s a fun night out. So that’s pretty much the deal breaker – you want to party, stay here!
– Selina Magnetic Island
Location: Horseshoe Bay
- Although located further from the ferry port, it really could not be easier to reach this accommodation by bus. The local bus leaves from the ferry terminal and takes only 15 minutes to arrive directly outside Bungalow Bay. It is cheap too – $3.
- Only a 5 minute walk from Horseshoe Bay beach.
- Camping available as well as budget bungalows.
- Wildlife park onsite (opportunity to meet koalas up close).
- The more secluded, chilled hostel of the two. Home to a relaxed bar area and bean bags for lounging on makes it a prefect hang-out, but not quite party, spot.
Note: It’s not like the typical city YHA hostels which tend to be big, and often lacking a certain desired vibe. This accommodation is worlds away. I loved the little bungalows! This YHA, along with the one in Port Stephens which has a similar vibe, are my favourites of this hostel chain!
How to get around Magnetic Island?
- Rent a car: Probably the most popular option. The topless convertibles are a hit with backpackers. They are a great choice if there are a few of you looking to get around together, and have the most freedom.
- Bus-hop: SunBus, the local bus company, makes for an easy option for those not wanting to hire a car – perfect for solo travellers. The plus: pretty reliable and cheap (be sure to use a go card (QLD transport card) to save money). The downside: Not super frequent – only 1/2 buses per hour, but this can easily be fitted around your schedule!
- Walking trails: There is an abundance of walking trails connecting the main spots of interest. An excellent option to stay active, and really take in the island.
How did I get around? Well, fair to say I didn’t spend my time on Magnetic Island in the classic instagrammable ‘look at me and my new travel friends renting a Barbie car to explore the island’ kind of way. The walking trails were my go-to, hiking around a good chunk of the island. I am so glad this was the option I chose, what better way to explore and get a real feel for a place? A lot of it might immerse you in the bush, but there are also so many extra views out to the ocean on offer this way too!
Of course I also hopped on the bus a few times to get to and fro the ferry port, as well as after getting lost on the trails in the almost dark and being no where near my accommodation when I emerged to civilization (woops!!).
Travel guide from my trip
Day 1
After taking the 2:15pm ferry from Townsville, I took the bus from the ferry port at Nelly Bay to Bungalow Bay Hostel, Horseshoe Bay. The bus met the ferry on arrival and I was so happy it stopped directly outside Bungalow Bay. No walking required! Perfect as I was still struggling after somehow destroying my ribs in Cairns, I could barely lift my backpack on my back (anyway, that’s a whole other story)! So, without much hassle I reached my accommodation and got settled in – a little 3 bed bungalow, cute!
I was immediately happy with my accommodation, however was eager to have my first taste of the island. So, I soon headed down to Horseshoe Bay beach area, just a five minute walk away.
Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay is actually the largest bay on the island. It comprises of a patrolled, enclosed swimming area, watersports activities on offer, a strip with restaurants, shops, bars, and is a great spot from where to set off to explore some of the beautiful, more secluded beaches.
Despite staying at Horseshoe Bay, I actually did not send too much time here. I did that classic thing where you feel you should explore more beyond the immediate area. In hindsight, I maybe should have appreciated this gorgeous beach more than I did at the time, I just didn’t have enough time though I guess! Too much to see!
Balding Bay
Leaving from Horseshoe bay on a rocky and steep, but relatively short (1.5km each way) path, I reached a hidden gem: Balding Bay. The walk is worth it, and is actually the only way to access this tranquil spot of paradise. The track is the same one as you would take to reach Radical Bay, veering off before reaching such – making it more worthwhile if heading there too!
I had no idea what to expect, I was just following the signs to this random bay, and what a great decision that was. I arrived and had the whole bay completely to myself, I loved it! It was late afternoon by this time so I didn’t stay too long, not wanting to be caught out in losing too much light. But it was the perfect introduction to the island. I headed back to Horseshoe Bay beach to chill and read a while before a quiet hostel night.
Day 2
Time to really explore.
The normal way to do such around the island: rent a car or bus-hop. Not the life I was about, the walking trails were where I headed. These allowed me to have a pretty active day – hitting 24km of walking.
I wasn’t following any kind of plan as such when I set off for the day (minus the first stop). The only real plan was to explore through taking random paths and seeing where I ended up (story of my life!).
Forts Walk
A walk on most people’s Magnetic Island itinerary (it is the most popular on the island after all), is Forts walk. I made this my first stop to be sure not to miss it. It is a relatively easy, around 90 minute return walk (including stopping to take in the history, wildlife and views).
Highlights of Forts walk:
- This walk leads to the remains of WWII fortifications, so it is an interesting, historical one. There are informative signs around too to help you delve into the history and put the surroundings into perspective.
- Wildlife sightings. Thanks to the eucalyptus trees along the path, Forts walk provides perhaps the most accessible viewing of wild koalas on the island. So, remember to look up high and check for the cutest, usually sleeping, native animals. I saw quite a few on my walk here, so I was super happy!
- Rewards you with beautiful panoramic views of the island and beyond.
Sphinx Lookout
Following Forts walk, I found myself on a trail from Forts Junction, heading towards Arcadia. I spied a sign to Sphinx Lookout, so of course had to head there (who doesn’t love a good lookout?). It is such a short detour from the main trail which is perfect, I am glad I checked it out! This lookout is accessible only from the bush-trails. You can make it a relatively short walk, however, by departing the bus/parking your car closer to an access area of the main trail.
I got the lookout to myself and enjoyed just chilling there and taking in the views from this area, despite already having had the 360 views from Forts walk! This is probably the best spot for some awesome views over Alma Bay.
Heading back to the main path, I made my way down to Arcadia, one of the main areas on the island.
Arcadia
A further 1km on the trails took me to the suburb of Arcadia. This is a great area, home to the beautiful Alma Bay, a popular, patrolled, swimming beach. I enjoyed some time on the beach here (later on though – I was too eager to keep exploring at this point, but had to come back to appreciate this beach!).
Additionally, in this area exists the beautiful Geoffrey Bay, one of the best snorkelling areas and home to rock wallabies. I didn’t get the chance to properly check this out but if I had had more time a snorkel here would have been on my to-do list!
Gabul Way
Next up was a walk over the lovely, elevated Gabul Way walkway, linking Arcadia (from Geoffrey Bay) to Nelly Bay. This is a relatively new feature, established in 2013.
Instead of having to get lost in the bush-land, this walkway provides a safer, more straightforward means of connecting Arcadia and Nelly Bay. There is no such thing as the views being obscured by the bush here, the coastline visible for the 750m long walk. You almost want it to last longer!
Nelly Bay
The main significance of Nelly Bay lies in it being home to the ferry terminal.
Some more features include:
- Where Base Backpackers is situated.
- Nelly Bay snorkel trail is a highlight of this area, starting just 100m from Base.
- Location of rental car hire.
- IGA and Foodworks supermarkets (best bet for cheap supplies, still over-priced food though – this is island life after all!)
Lets be real, my time at Nelly Bay was spent realising I had walked a lot, eaten little, and deciding not to venture any further away from Horseshoe Bay. So what did I achieve here? I searched for something to eat, as in I was SO hungry – who goes on a mad trail explore and doesn’t take snacks? Not me usually! I settled on an over-priced sandwich from the IGA – the one time I actually paid the expensive prices of Magnetic Island. After a brief walk around I headed back to where I’d just been beforehand – Arcadia.
This time, however, I continued exploring, taking an alternative path back – aka once again taking random bush trails and hoping for the best! Made it to Alma Bay and was happy to have a little beach relax.
Then came the fun part, and the downside of bush-trails and having no sense of direction..
I’m not sure why I was apparently so against jumping on a bus this day – just couldn’t get enough of walking. I was pretty exhausted by this point though! Deciding it was time to call it a day, I took a trail expecting to reach Horseshoe Bay, however that did not quite happen…
Somewhere on the trails I realised I was getting nowhere, or at least not near any form of ‘end’ point. By this time, the sun was beginning to set, and there was no one around. Actually, I did pass one person at one point and oh did I have regrets for not asking them for directions! I genuinely started to panic, as in started running to try to get somewhere, anywhere! Yet I still no idea if I was getting deeper into the forests or on a way out. I was SO glad to finally reach the end of a trail, even if I then realised I had gone in some form of loop and ended up back in Arcadia. Safe to say, I was well over walking by this point and resultantly caught the bus back to my accommodation.
To be honest, the fact that this was the only time in the day I got super lost is quite an achievement! (Maybe the fact I had no actual route mapped out any of the other times helped!)
24kms of walking later, I was done for the day! I had an awesome exploring (and getting lost) day, although not too much time for chilling and fully enjoying the beaches. But hey, I sure did experience the island (or at least the trails) a lot more than I would have by rental car!
Day 3
My third day was a very unfortunate one weather-wise, it was wet, so wet. I decided to brave the rain anyway because I feel too guilty doing nothing on travel days. So, I headed out for another explore on foot, probably shouldn’t have bothered – safe to say I got absolutely drenched!
Anyway, I ventured it to Radical Bay. I’m not even going to try to report on Radical Bay, because to be honestly, I couldn’t really appreciate it as it was so miserable out.
I soon admitted defeat with the weather, abandoning plans of checking out Florence Bay too. I returned to the hostel completely soaked and a bit miserable thanks to such. It was time to chill in bed for a bit and eat some lunch. My day took a turn for the better when some travel mates I met previously told me to come join them at Base Backpackers, where a rainy day alone turned into a pretty crazy party day!
I hopped on the bus to Nelly Bay, where I experienced the party hostel on the island. I definitely deserved it after all that walking the previous day! Cider jugs, party games, a good old time – I got to experience first hand that Nomads -Base Backpackers was certainly more lively in this sense than my hostel. The party gal in me was very happy!
Day 4
I was lucky enough to still have a half day to enjoy (recover from the previous night) before leaving the island.
Not much was achieved but a wander along by the lovely Horseshoe Bay beach before heading back out to Nelly Bay by bus to catch the 3pm ferry.
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Note: Picnic Bay is the fourth township on the island, and considered the main one. I didn’t actually make it here, if I return I’ll definitely be hitting up this area too! So, add it to your list if you have enough time.
Overall, I really enjoyed my little solo trip to Magnetic Island! If I were to visit again I’d be sure to do some snorkelling and make sure to have more time to just relax on the beaches! I actually fully considered staying an extra night, but my accommodation was fully booked and I wasn’t feeling like moving my stuff to the other hostel. So I stuck with my plans to leave, heading back to mainland Queensland to catch the bus down to Agnes Water!
