Townsville / Magnetic Island - WALLABIES - 1 of 4

TOWNSVILLE is the largest city in North Queensland with a population of about 200,000 located about 839 miles north of Brisbane and gets over 300 days of sun per year. The Wulgurukaba (canoe people) and Bindal peoples were the first aboriginal people here and some remain. As a big freight and container port city it has a very good economy and in addition has major zinc and copper refineries located here. Townsville has supported Australia’s defense for more than 130 years and its airport still plays an important role, remaining as an operational air force base. Townsville holds a “funny” 2011 Guinness World Record, for the ‘Longest Horns (9.3’) in the World’ for their Texas Longhorn steer, named JR.

A major attraction and the place we went to for the day was Magnetic Island (Maggie). Only 5 miles away by a 20-minute ferry, we “ran” for the first ferry of the day to meet a tour there and spend as much time as possible on this island known for as the home to Northern Australia’s largest wild koala population ... over 800. Magnetic Island is 20 square miles, population of 2,500 and 78% of the island is protected as a National Park and bird sanctuary. A $42Million investment in copper mining was recently made here too.

Named "Magnetical Isle" by Captain James Cook in 1770 after he believed a magnetic pull from the island interfered with his ship's compass. Numerous scientific surveys and instruments have since been used to explore the island, but no magnetic properties or anomalies have ever been discovered in the local granite boulders or hills. The interesting boulders we found here are explained as beginning 275 million years ago when molten granite was pushed to the earth’s surface with volcanic force and over time the rocks weathered away so that the underlying granite has decomposed along fracture lines, creating rounded domes and boulders that are strangely perched (Cook blamed their position on magnetic forces- see photos).

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the island began to develop small fishing and farming settlements. In 1970, Magnetic Island became the first off-shore island to receive a water supply from the mainland, when a pipeline was laid allowing the islands population and usage to grow to where it is today.

Our all-day tour took 10 of us all over the island and we got to see what life is like here. We started at Nellie Bay and saw some beautiful homes, but most were quite modest. We went to Geoffrey Bay and found “allied rock” wallabies among the rocks on a jetty (of course there was a heliport there too). These wallabies have distinct feet that are made for rocks- smaller than most wallabies and they live 11-15 years old. We went to a few beaches (with very cordoned off places to swim where it is jellyfish and croc-free), went to Picnic Bay for a picnic of course, and watched typical kids jump off a pier, saw the major fishing areas, the schools and many interesting trees and fruits.

It seemed like a relatively regular normal place to live … except maybe for the people on the beach that were taking their duck for its daily walk. Actually it is a beautiful and serene place for vacationers as well as locals. We learned of the cyclones that come here and the damage they have caused but Magnetic Island’s position usually protects them in many areas.

We had a very nice day visiting Magnetic Island with other visitors and a tour guide that ran his tour company after a few other professional career, Very interesting and educated. (4 videos)Read more