Is Magnetic Island worth a stop on the east coast?
Yes, and it is the stop most people have not heard of. A 20-minute ferry from Townsville, with wild koalas on the Forts Walk, fringing reef off the beaches and far fewer visitors than anywhere else on the coast. Thirteen of our longer east coast trips include it.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
Magnetic Island sits eight kilometres off Townsville, halfway between the Whitsundays and Cairns. Most east coast itineraries skip it because they are in a hurry, which is exactly why the ones that stop there are worth looking at.
Why it is worth a stop
- Wild koalas on the Forts Walk.One of the densest wild colonies in Australia, on a two-hour walk past Second World War gun emplacements with views over the whole island.
- Fringing reef off the beaches.Like Ningaloo rather than the outer reef — you snorkel at Geoffrey Bay and Nelly Bay straight from the sand.
- Half the island is national parkwith 23 bays and beaches and a hoop of walking tracks joining them.
- Rock wallabies at Geoffrey Baythat come down to the rocks at dusk.
- It is quiet.After the Whitsundays and before Cairns, it is the one place on the run that does not feel like a stop on a run.
Getting there
- A 20-minute ferry from Townsvillewhich is on the Bruce Highway between Airlie Beach and Cairns.
- The ferry is includedon the trips that stop there — the table below.
- No car needed.The island has a bus, and most people hire a scooter or one of the open-sided mokes.
The trips that include it
| Trip | Length | Route | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Days Brisbane to Cairns Explorer | 15 days, 15 nights | Brisbane / Cairns | $2699 |
| 15 Days Cairns to Brisbane Explorer | 15 days, 14 nights | Cairns / Brisbane | $2699 |
| 21 Days Cairns to Brisbane Explorer | 21 days, 20 nights | Cairns / Brisbane | $2949 |
| 21 Days Brisbane to Cairns Explorer | 21 days, 20 nights | Brisbane / Cairns | $2949 |
| 21 Days Sydney to Cairns Adventure | 21 days, 20 nights | Sydney / Cairns | $3249 |
| 21 Days Cairns to Sydney Adventure | 21 days, 20 nights | Cairns / Sydney | $3249 |
| 23 Days Sydney to Cairns Budget | 23 days, 22 nights | Sydney / Cairns | $3349 |
These are the longer east coast runs — 15 days and up. Prices update on their own.
The honest version
- It only appears on the longer trips.Fifteen days and up — the shorter runs go straight past Townsville.
- If you want it on a shorter triptell us when you book and we will see whether it can be added.
- It is not a reef trip.The snorkelling is good and it is fringing reef, not the outer Great Barrier Reef you get from Cairns.
The trips
15 Days Brisbane to Cairns Explorerfrom $269915 days, 15 nightsHostel, Boat, CampingView trip
21 Days Brisbane to Cairns Explorerfrom $294921 days, 20 nightsHostel, Boat, CampingView trip
21 Days Sydney to Cairns Adventurefrom $324921 days, 20 nightsHostel, Boat, CampingView trip
10 Day Brisbane to Cairns Highlightsfrom $199910 days, 9 nightsHostel, Boat, CampingView tripPeople also ask
- What is the best way to travel the east coast of Australia?
- East coast Australia itinerary — 7, 10, 14 and 21 days
- Are the Whitsundays worth visiting?
- Is Cairns worth visiting?
Where this comes from. Each trip's own itinerary and inclusions sheet, as held on its page here. Prices are the current from price and update on their own.