Magnetic Island

Caught the ferry from Townsville over to Magnetic Island for the day - always good to get out on the water and see the mainland from a different perspective. The ferry ride's short and sweet, and you get decent views of both Townsville and the island as you approach.

First stop was Nelly Bay where we grabbed coffee at Tiny Palm. Good coffee and a pleasant spot to get your bearings before exploring the rest of the island. The cafe's got that relaxed island vibe you'd expect.

Best discovery of the day was the bus system - just $1 for an all-day ticket that gets you anywhere on the island. Absolute bargain and takes the hassle out of getting around. The buses are regular enough and cover most of the main spots, so you can hop on and off without worrying about transport.

Made our way over to Horseshoe Bay for lunch, which turned out to be a bit disappointing. The setting's lovely - proper tropical beach with palm trees and decent swimming - but the food was pretty average. One of those places that's probably coasting on the location rather than focusing on what's on the plate.

Still, hard to complain too much when you're sitting near a beautiful beach with an ice-cold beer. Sometimes the setting makes up for mediocre tucker, and Horseshoe Bay's definitely got the scenery sorted.

The island's worth the day trip from Townsville, especially with that $1 bus ticket making it so easy to get around. Just maybe pack a picnic instead of relying on the lunch options.Read more