Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island

Traveling down the East Coast is easy for backpackers. There is a few options, but the cheapest and the method I chose - is a hop-on - hop-off bus where you can jump on and off any where down the coast, as long as you continue in the direction your going - south in my case. Once you arrive at the place there is usually an army of buses sent from the different backpacker hostels there to pick you up. You just choose which one and jump on. Easy!!!

I got my Greyhound bus to a large town called Townsville - it's meant to be a place not particularly noted for it's charm and I didn't really stay there long enough to find out. For the reason people roll up there is because it has a ferry point to the nearby Magnetic Island. The boat ride is quick and you can be sunbathing on a deserted beach in no time.

Magnetic Island was so named by captain Cook (he did a lot of naming) because his compass stopped working on the volcanic terrain which encompasses the island. It is a small-ish island and is relatively sparse of people. In the day, you can easily find a beach to yourself without much searching and at night, if you want it - you can party at a hostel nightclub till the early morning - I did both.

I had met a guy - Paul from Ireland, on the bus down from Cairns and we spent a few days chilling and drinking. I did manage to fit in a few hours sea kyaking too, before the exhaustion set in.

After a couple of days it was time to move on. Paul followed me down the coast, as we both headed to Airlie Beach - a place bizarrely with very little beach but certainly with a lot of boats!!!