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magnetic island: general info
· city links
· history
things to do
· bushwalking
· hostels
· tours
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MAGNETIC ISLAND
Calling Code: +61 7
Those partying hard on the backpacker circuit could take the view that Magnetic Island in Australia's
Tropical North Queensland offers a fabulous respite from all that hard handiwork. That's not to say partying hasn't
got its place on 'Maggie' - it has - but the island oozes laid-back charm where sunshine and the great outdoors beckon.
Magnetic Island is a large, mountainous island lying just 8km off the coast from Townsville. Those who want to escape
the crowd can find a secluded sunny spot among more than 20 bays and beaches surrounded by bizarre rock formations and towering pines. Coral reefs lie just
20m offshore. And with an average 320 days of sunshine annually, the Island has the perfect weather to enjoy it all.
Those who have slept off the hard party work under a shady tree will find more than enough to do when they wake up. There's parasailing,
scuba-diving (including introductory courses), horse-riding, camel rides, water-skiing, sea kayaking, boat cruising and more. A
fantastic jet-ski tour does a circumnavigation of the whole island.
Perhaps it isn't so laid-back after all. The island is nature-lover's paradise with more than 25km of walking tracks. It's not too hard
to spot a koala in a tree and, apparently, the best place to spot them is on the Forts walk in the late afternoon. If you love birds
then you'll be in heaven. They're everywhere: squawking. chirping, walking, flying and generally carrying on. Some notable species
include the bizarre curlew, a stick-like bird which gives out weird crying noises at night, and the gregarious rainbow lorikeet which
flies around in great groups, squawking, flapping and getting in the tourists' hair if there's food about.
Budget travellers are well catered for. There's about six or seven hostels with pools and bars. One of the bigger villages on
Magnetic - Picnic Bay - has a shopping mall.
As a great place to unwind or seek some action, Magnetic Island is worth seeking out.
If there's a place you've stayed or something you've done, but we haven't listed, review it for us!
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Hostels