Experience the best of Magnetic Island

Known locally as Maggie, the island lies in Cleveland Bay a few kilometres off Townsville and takes its name from Captain James Cook, who wrote in 1770 that it seemed to affect his compass. About half of it is national park, with eucalypt woodland and granite boulders above a coast cut into bays, and the small settlements of Picnic Bay, Nelly Bay, Arcadia and Horseshoe Bay sit around the shore.

The Forts Walk climbs through woodland to the ruins of a Second World War lookout and gun site, and koalas are often seen in the trees along the track. Rock-wallabies live on the boulder slopes at Geoffrey Bay, and the northern bays, such as Florence Bay, have clear water for snorkelling over small coral reefs. The island sits inside the Great Barrier Reef region, with the outer reef a longer boat trip away.

Barramundi, prawns and fresh fish dominate the café menus around the bays, eaten with a view of the water. The ferry crossing from Townsville takes under half an hour. The dry season brings clear skies and calm seas, while the wet season in summer brings heavy downpours.