The Many Ways To Explore Magnetic Island

A tropical island. The sun is dropping below the horizon over a tranquil sea on Magnetic Island.
Captain Cook was the first to see its pulling power, naming it after it sent his compass haywire as he sailed past en route to Cooktown in 1770. He didn’t see fit to stop and have a look around, which is probably just as well, or he might never have left the island.
Maggie, as the locals call it, draws you in so much it can be very hard to leave. And no wonder. Although the World Heritage-listed island 8km off the coast of Queensland’s Townsville is changing as more and more tourists discover this little bit of paradise, it is doing its best to retain its undeveloped charm that enticed only those in the know even as recently at ten years ago.

As we walk along Horseshoe Bay, it’s hard to believe this is the centre of the action. A small row of modest stores, cafes, and just one hostel overlook the bay, making sure they do as little as possible to detract from the view. The locals say it’s busy on the beach, but it’s quite easy to stroll along without kicking great amounts of sand in anyone’s face (more’s the pity). The peace is tangible. No music blaring out from tacky surfwear shops, no gaggle of teenagers screeching; only the sound of the sea lapping gently at the shore.
You can soon put a stop to that, because one of the best ways to see the whole island – and certainly the most white-knuckled – is to hire a jet ski. For three hours, our guide and speed-junkie Pete takes ten of us zooming around bays at 110hp and out almost as far as the mainland, slowing for a bit of wildlife-spotting every so often (you can see dolphins and whales on a good day), and check out the preserved areas of the island only those with their own boat get to see. You can’t help but love every wet, jumping, exhilarating minute of it.

If you prefer something more sedate, you can opt for the bush and beach horse ride. This unique two-hour trek takes riders of all levels through woodland and gorse before ending up strolling along the beach. Only you don’t stop at the water’s edge. Feel like a kid again as your horse goes in up to its neck and ambles along the seabed, while your legs cool off in the Coral Sea.
There are plenty of other ways to see the island without getting wet. Hire a topless car and nip from bay to bay, dropping in on the timid rock wallabies at feeding time before getting out to walk. As a lot of the island is accessible by foot only, this is one of the best ways to explore, and to watch the sun go down. Head along the Forts walk or climb high up at Hawkings Point – or just simply stroll down Horseshoe Bay and have a romantic evening with your other half – if you’ve got one, that is.