Magnificent time on Magnetic Island

Paddlers coming in at Horseshoe bay

This Captain Cook was a bit confused when he got to Magnetic Island. He thought his compass had gone wonky because the island was magnetic…well it isn’t though you could say that it does have some attractive features :p – yes bad pun -.

Located across Townsville (because of some guy named Towns), “Maggie” island is actually quite large and easily accessible by ferry.

Another shot of Horseshoe bay

I was recommended to stay at the Bungalow Bay Koala Village as it’s also the home to rescued wildlife and a butterfly sanctuary. As it was close to sundown when I got here on Thursday, I first headed out to the nearby Horseshoe bay to see the sunset. In the evening, the hostel’s bar organised coconut bowling. I didn’t play but I did join the anthem singing competition held between Canada & Ireland. Finally, both teams got a free jug of beer. I went to bed exhausted at 10.30 PM and had many plans for the next day.

Being a tree for this koala

I decided to go for the full breakfast/wildlifepackage in the morning. The breakfast was great and plentiful including some lovely lamb. I did stay away from the pancakes as I can’t get my mind around the idea of having them without maple syrup. During breakfast, the wildlife park’s caretaker introduced us to the animals we would see later, cockatoos, lizards, snake, crocodile and a koala. I had also bought a photo op with the koala. Here’s the one taken with my camera. I will need to find a scanner to get you the official one. One thing is for sure, those creatures are very grippy with their claws and basically think that you’re a tree.

Just fed this cockatoo a sunflower seed

Petting a sulphur crested cockatoo.

After breakfast, I joined the tour through the park. This time around, we were taken through a real hands on experience. Not only did I get the red tail cockatoo to get on my arm but I also held a couple of sunflower seeds between my lips that it came to eat. Alas, my photographer missed the «kissing» moment. We were then invited to come and massage the scalp of a sulphur crested white cockatoo. However, it was a ladies only affair as this male doesn’t like other males.

A blue tongue lizard

A shingleback lizard

We checked out the lizards as well : bearded dragons, shingleback lizard (or bobtail) as both his head and bum look the same and a blue tongue lizard.

We then moved on to the crocodiles. I didn’t care much about holding one though I did touch its skin. It was quite smooth. And they had tied down the snout to make this 3-year-old croc safe to hold. They are currently not feeding the crocs as it’s too cold to digest. (Daytime is not too bad and definitely above 20 but it seems to drop at 10-15 at night…I slept with a sweater on the first night I was there…brrr.) And another interesting croc fact, while the sun keeps them going and alive, their food is what makes them grow.

We then went to visit another koala for the photo ops of those who hadn’t been there for the breakfast and then went to visit a mother and its joey. I learned many things about the koala. Mostly that the koala is the size of a jelly bean when it is born and moved to its mother’s pouch. In the pouch it feeds on the teats. When it’s old enough, the mother feeds it a modified poo (it’s usually hard turds) to get it accustomed to the toxic eucalyptus leaves so it can eventually eat the leaves without getting poisoned. This one had just finished its modified poo diet and has started eating leaves. Also, koalas usually sleep 20 hours a day and there are an estimated 200 of wild ones on the island. They prospered pretty well as they had no predators on the island. Unfortunately dogs are now a threat.

At home, when I’ve been to friends who had pet snakes, I always kept far. Perhaps it’s the foreign land, or the guide with her outfit, but I went ahead and held this friendly carpet’s python. My neck was a bit tight under it’s embrace but it was mostly cool. I’m glad that I can now check snake holding off my to do list.

Our guide holding a butterfly

Our guide led us afterwards to a butterfly sanctuary. It’s mostly these blue butterflies and they just flutter by the 100s. Hard to take pictures though as they flutter about so much.

Oh yeah, we also saw some fresh water turtles. They can sneak in their legs and head inside their shell when unwanted company comes along. And we saw another egg laying mammal (other than the platypus): the echidna.

a cute freshwater turtle

The view along the forts walk

Forts walk

That afternoon, after spending an hour reading in the shade at Horseshoe bay, I went and did the Forts Walk. Townsville became a military base during the second world war and is still home to the military. As part of the country’s defence, they also set themselves up on one of the summits of Magnetic Island. Most buildings have been destroyed though you can still see some of the foundations, where the guns were and a few view points including the communications tower on top of which you can climb up for a full 360 view out to the ocean and back to Townsville.

It was a great walk through the woods and with the help of other visitors, I was able to see a mother koala and her joey way up in the trees. Harder to photograph that way! I made it back down to the hostel at night fall.

View from the bunker style windows in the communication tower

From another window

Sun going down from the forts walk

The next day I walked through the woods to another bay and finished the thriller I’d been reading but didn’t go much in the water as it was rather chilly. It was a great lazy day and the next morning I headed to Airlie Beach.