Things to do on Magnetic Island | Top Attractions Travel Guide

If you're a longtime reader of my blog you're probably quite aware that typical tourist beaches are not my cup of tea. When I visit an island I like something a little more secluded or rough around the edges. I'm not the type of person who enjoys lounging around on the beach tanning all day long. With red hair, pale skin and freckles I'm like a lobster by the end of the day if I engage in such activities. Moreover, I simply wouldn't enjoy it under any circumstances (even if my skin bronzed as opposed to burned). Arriving on Maggie Island it didn't take me long to start warming up to the region. With plenty of rustic charm, hiking trails, wildlife and distinct lack of people it was the kind of place where I felt I was exploring as opposed to just experiencing. There is just something about the locals as well that was really charming. Aside from being overtly friend and hospitable, they exuded a laid back kind of personality that reminds me of the small town I'm from in Canada. It is these kind of moments that make me really appreciate travel. For ideas on what to do while visiting this island, come check out our things to do on Magnetic Island top attractions travel guide:

Located just a few kilometers from Townsville, Magnetic Island was the perfect city getaway.

The island offers lots of walking trails, great beaches and a hint of rugged charm.

Here is a look at some of the activities we got to try during our visit to Maggie Island.

We are here at the Horseshoe Ranch at the north end of the island and we are going to be going horseback riding.

That was actually a really fun ride. We just finished riding our horses through the bush and one of my favorite parts was getting to see Wallabies in the wild just hopping around as we were passing through with our horses.

If you find yourself on Magnetic Island going horseback riding is a lot of fun.

This morning here on Magnetic Island we are going to be doing something pretty cool. We've gotten up really early and we are having a Bush Tucker breakfast, which is meant to be a very traditional breakfast, so we're going to show you what that is like.

We also got to try a Bush Tucker Champagne breakfast which featured a delicious spread of food including pancakes, fresh fruit and grilled meats.

And after breakfast we're going to be doing something really cool. We're going to have authentic Australian animal encounters. We're going to be putting snakes around our necks, hugging koalas and you have never had a snake around your neck, so this should be kind of interesting.

So how is that? It is good.

We have some free time this afternoon on the island and we've decided to do the Magnetic Island forts walk, which is supposed to be 4 kilometers. It is a return trip and it should take about an hour and a half. This is supposed to be Northern Australian's largest colony of Koalas in the wild. Hopefully we'll be able to spot a koala or two.

Well, so far it has been a fascinating hike but we haven't seen any koalas yet. But the one thing that is happening is that I'm sweating profusely, so I'm going to guzzle some water here.

We are here in Nelly Bay. We were just enjoying a walk along the waterfront and we noticed that there are some Wallabies over there on the rocks. Now I've never seen Wallabies before but I think they look a lot like small kangaroos, so they are pretty cute. I was kind of surprised to see them here because they usually hangout in Arcadia by Jeffery beach so it was a nice little surprise.

Now we're in the northern part of Magnetic Island or as locals like to call it Maggie Island and this is Horseshoe Bay. What we're going to be doing here is just taking a nice beachfront walk.

Our time on Magnetic Island was a nice balance of adventure and relaxation. If you ever find yourself in Queensland we highly recommend this little spot.

This is part of our Travel in Australia series. We're making a series of videos showcasing Australian culture, Australian arts, Australian foods, Australian religion and Australian people.

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All photos and video taken by Samuel Jeffery (Nomadic Samuel) and Audrey Bergner (That Backpacker).