Like many of Queensland’s holiday islands, Magnetic Island offers lots of outdoor fun. But what makes ‘Maggie’ unique is that it’s the only island you can drive to. Catherine Lawson reports
Tourists in Cairns pay big bucks for ferry rides to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, while smart travellers are simply jumping in their cars, driving to one of Magnetic Island’s glorious reef beaches and diving in.
Located just 50 minutes by car ferry from Townsville, Magnetic Island – affectionately known as Maggie – is a dramatically beautiful island. More than half of it is national park, and the best of Maggie’s 25 secluded, coral-fringed beaches form a spectacular World Heritage-listed marine park.
Magnetic Island is one of the largest islands on the Far North Queensland coast, and you’ll need your wheels to really explore the beaches and bushland, and to sample the tropical menus of the relaxed cafes dotted around the island.
Roads lead to a dozen secluded bays and white sandy beaches, where colourful coral reefs lie just metres from the shore. There is great snorkelling along the rocks at Alma and Arthur Bays, and around the magnificent coral bombie in the middle of Florence Bay. In the protected waters of Geoffrey Bay, the wreck of the small German barque ‘Moltke’ lies near Arcadia Wharf and is a great spot to snorkel at low tide. There’s also plenty of sites for serious divers, including Australia’s best wreck dive – the Yongala – wrecked during a cyclone in 1911.
If you’d rather explore life above the water, take a sea kayaking trip or the popular jetski tour that circles the island, stopping off at seldom visited beaches.
Maggie also offers plenty of adventures away from the water. There are 25km of walking tracks on the island which lead to lofty lookouts and trail back down to tiny, bright blue bays.
Hiking up away from the sea, a dramatic landscape of balancing granite boulders studded with hoop pines and eucalypts, gradually gives way to a backdrop of verdant mountains where an unusual combination of wildlife thrives.
Magnetic Island is Australia’s most northern home to large, free-ranging koala colonies. In fact, on a walk to collect supplies at popular Nelly Bay, we spotted a huge koala in a roadside gum tree just metres away. 
At dusk all over the island, black-tailed rock wallabies clamber from their daytime resting spots onto the granite boulder headlands that border the island’s bays.
There are plenty of accommodation choices on the island, from camping and budget thatched huts by the sea to self-contained apartments and four-star resorts.
The rainy season pretty much ends in autumn, while the middle of the year is guaranteed stinger-free. At this time of the year, the water remains deliciously warm but cooler temperatures make exploring more comfortable.
For self-drive travellers, Maggie is accessible, affordable and not yet trampled by the hordes. Most importantly, it’s a stunning tropical paradise with all the characteristics of a perfect island escape.
Getting there: Magnetic Island Car and Passenger Ferry departs Townsville seven times per day (weekdays) and six times per day on weekends. Return tickets are from $131 (standard vehicle) and bookings are essential. To book call (07) 4772 5422 or visit www.magneticislandferry.com.au.
Staying there: For accommodation ideas, head to www.magnetic-island.com.au. You’ll find everything from backpacker to luxury accommodation. There are supermarkets, ATMs, bars, restaurants and essential services at Picnic, Nelly and Horseshoe Bays, and Arcadia.
4WD
