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Things to do on Magnetic Island

Koalas, then baysThe Forts Walk in the morning, a different bay every afternoon.

Walk the Forts Walk for wild koalas, snorkel off the beaches, and work your way round the bays. The Forts Walk is about 4km return, up to Second World War gun emplacements with the island's best view, and wild koalas sit in the eucalypts above the path. The island has fringing reef you can snorkel straight from the sand at Geoffrey Bay and Nelly Bay, rock wallabies that come down to the rocks at Geoffrey Bay at dusk, and 23 bays and beaches, from busy Horseshoe Bay to quiet Florence and Arthur Bays. The ferry from Townsville runs every 20 minutes with no booking needed.

Checked on 28 October 2026.

15 days Brisbane to Cairns, a night on the island from$2699 15 days Cairns to Brisbane, the other way from$2699 21 days From Sydney from$3249

Magnetic Island sits eight kilometres off Townsville, between the Whitsundays and Cairns. More than half of it is national park, so the list of things to do is mostly animals, walks and water.

The wildlife

Koalas on the Forts Walk.Wild ones, in the eucalypts above the path. Look up. They are easiest to see early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Rock wallabies at Geoffrey Baywhich come down to the rocks at dusk.
Snorkelling on the fringing reefthat runs off the beaches, straight from the sand.

The walks

The Forts Walkabout 4km return, up past Second World War gun emplacements to the island's best view. Cooler and better for koalas early or late in the day.
A network of walking trackslinks the bays across the national park, so you can walk from one beach to the next.

The bays

Bay	What it is good for
Geoffrey Bay	Snorkelling straight from the sand, and the rock wallabies at dusk
Nelly Bay	Snorkelling from the beach on the fringing reef
Alma Bay	Sheltered swimming
Florence Bay and Arthur Bay	Quieter, with snorkelling off the rocks
Horseshoe Bay	The biggest beach, and where most visitors end up

There are 23 bays and beaches in all. The snorkelling is fringing reef close to shore, not the outer Great Barrier Reef.

Getting across and around

The ferry from Townsville runs every 20 minutesand needs no booking.
There is a bus on the islandand most people hire a scooter or one of the small open-sided cars instead.
You do not need to bring a car.The island is small, around 50 square kilometres, with the bays along its eastern side.

Give it a night

The koalas and the wallabies keep the early and late hours, which are the hours a day visitor spends on the ferry. Staying over puts the Forts Walk in cool morning air and Geoffrey Bay at dusk, which is the island at its best. There is more on the day-trip option on our Magnetic Island as a day trip page.

The trips that stay on the island

Thirteen of our east coast trips include a hostel night on Magnetic Island, with the ferry included. They are the longer runs, 15 days and up, because the shorter ones go straight past Townsville.

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 Brisbane to Cairns Explorer	21 days, 20 nights	Brisbane / Cairns	$2949
21 Days Cairns to Brisbane Explorer	21 days, 20 nights	Cairns / Brisbane	$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