Best Things to Do on Magnetic Island, Australia in 2 Days
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Road-tripping down Australia’s East Coast? Make sure your itinerary includes a stop on Magnetic Island – a lush, sleepy gem of an island, located just off the coast of Townsville.
Two days is the perfect amount of time to experience all the best things to do on Magnetic Island. Ready to hit the beach, hike, koala-watch, and snorkel?
This two-day guide to Magnetic Island includes everything you need to know for a successful trip, including how to get to/from the island, what to do, and where to stay!
So without further ado, here’s our guide to two days on Magnetic Island, Australia!
Getting To/From Magnetic Island
Getting to/from Maggie Island from Townsville literally couldn’t be easier.
Just purchase a roundtrip ticket from Sealink for $38 AUD, arrive at the ferry terminal in Townsville, and hop on! The journey takes around 20 minutes.
If possible, take one of the earliest ferries to maximize your time on the island – the earliest ferry leaves Townsville at 5:30 AM Monday through Saturday or at 6:30 AM on Sunday. Ferries depart roughly every hour.
Click here for more information on ferry tickets and timetables.
Where to Stay on Magnetic Island
Let’s talk about accommodation on Magnetic Island!
This island is pretty small and undeveloped, so there aren’t loads of accommodation options to choose from.
When I visited, I booked a private room at the Arcadia Beach Guest House. Conveniently, it’s right across the street from the beach at Geoffrey Bay and the rock wallabies’ spot – and just a few bus stops away from the ferry terminal.
The rooms at the Arcadia Beach Guest House were super basic, albeit clean and with air conditioning (a necessity during the humid Aussie summers). The owner also has car rentals available – so convenient!
Best Magnetic Island Accommodation Options
- Peppers Blue on Blue ($$$): Nelly Bay
- Magnetic Island Bed and Breakfast ($$): Horseshoe Bay
- Island Leisure Resort ($$): Nelly Bay
- Selina Magnetic Island ($): Horseshoe Bay
- Arcadia Beach Guest House ($): Geoffrey Bay
Click here to find more great deals on Maggie Island accommodations, including luxe vacation rental homes and apartments!
How to Get Around Magnetic Island
When it comes to getting around Magnetic Island, you have three options: hire a car, go on a guided tour, or take the bus.
Rental Car
When you arrive at Magnetic Island’s ferry terminal, you can rent a car for $100-130 AUD per day. A rental car allows you to explore the island at your leisure and get off the beaten path. But note that the roads are pretty awful in some places—without a 4WD, much of the island is inaccessible.
I decided to rent a car from my accommodation, Arcadia Beach Guest House.
Note: If you’re visiting during a hot, sunny time of year, I would not recommend getting a topless vehicle or Barbie car because the Australian sun is strong!
Guided Tour
Want to see the whole island, without the hassle of transportation? Book one of these guided tours!
Bus
If you don’t want to drive a rental car, then the bus is a good option. However, it only runs between Picnic Bay (the southernmost point) and Horseshoe Bay (the northeast part of the island), so you won’t be able to reach West Point.
Single journeys cost $3.60 AUD, while day tickets cost $7.20 AUD. Here is the timetable.
This boat tour is a must-book if you want to explore, snorkel, and stand-up paddleboard around some of Maggie Island’s most pristine bays and reefs that you wouldn’t otherwise find or access! Click here to book it now.
What to Do on Magnetic Island in 2 Days
With logistics out of the way, let’s dive into the best things to do on Magnetic Island in 48 hours!
1. Go on the Forts Walk
At around 5 PM, once it’s not too hot, head for the forts!
The Forts Walk is an easy but beautiful hike that offers jaw-dropping views of the island’s many bays.
This 1.5-hour walk is a journey through Magnetic Island’s history and involvement in World War II. As you hike, you’ll come across different structures and sites that the Australian forces built to prepare for a potential Japanese invasion.
2. Find a Wild Koala
Maggie Island is home to roughly 800 wild koalas, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see a few of them during your walk at the Forts.
As you hike, look up into the trees for the little cuties. But also pay attention to the ground – other hikers often lay out an arrow with sticks and rocks, pointing to the place where they spotted a koala. And since koalas don’t move around very much, you can bet that they’ll still be there!
During our walk, we saw two koalas high in the treetops, lazily chomping on eucalyptus leaves. So cute.
3. Explore the Bays
The best thing to do on Magnetic Island is beach hopping! Magnetic Island offers 23 beautiful bays for swimming, snorkeling, fishing, boating, and more.
Some of these bays are only accessible by boat, while others require drives down awful dirt roads — we got our car stuck in a giant pothole and it took us about 20 minutes and the help of two other people to get out!
While you’re on the island, go from bay to bay until you find your favorite. Mine was definitely the magnificent Arthur Bay!
If you want to kayak or jet ski, hang out at a café, or grab a gelato, head to Horseshoe Bay. Alma Bay is the place to lay under a shady tree. And, if you feel like snorkeling, Arthur Bay or Geoffrey Bay are your best bets. Just explore and see what you find!
This boat tour is a must-book if you want to explore, snorkel, and stand-up paddleboard around some of Maggie Island’s most pristine bays and reefs! Click here to book it now.
4. See the Rock Wallabies
If you want to see Maggie Island’s rock wallabies hopping around, then head to Geoffrey Bay. At around 5 PM, when the day starts to cool off, all of the rock wallabies will come out of hiding, in search of food.
If you want to feed them, then come prepared with fruits and veggies! Carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes are best for their diets.
5. Visit the Koala Park
If you want to hold a koala – and see other animals like pythons, turtles, freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, and lizards – then head over to Selina Magnetic Island for either the 10:30 AM or 12:30 PM wildlife park tour. Tickets cost $50 AUD per adult, or $30 AUD per child (ages 5-15).
After the presentation, hang around to check out the free lorikeet feeding experience (it was at 4 PM when I visited!). Right on time, these colorful birds flocked to the crowd, expecting a big meal.
The little parrots will land on your arms, head, face, etc. to steal as much food as they can, just watch out for their sharp claws!
6. Watch the Sunset at West Point
If you want to catch Maggie Island’s best sunset, West Point is the place to be!
Down a very long, pothole-filled dirt road, you’ll find a secluded beach that’s perfect for a sunset picnic/chill-out sesh. The only caveat is that you need a car to get here. It’s much too far to walk, and buses don’t service this area of the island.
Don’t have a car? No worries. You can also book this West Point Sunset Safari!
7. Grab Dinner at Thai Again
Ask the locals, and they’ll tell you that Thai Again is the place to grab a bite on the island. And trust me, we were just as surprised as you might be to find out that there’s actually (decently good) Thai food on this tiny island.
We decided to take our pad thai up to West Point for sunset, and it was the perfect meal!
7 Best Things to Do on Magnetic Island in 2 Days
Your two days on Magnetic Island will consist of lots of beautiful bays, wildlife sightings, snorkeling, hiking, and straight chilling.
And you’re going to love it.
Since Maggie Island is so small, there isn’t a lot to do or see, but that’s also why it’s awesome. Two days spent outside, enjoying nature and relaxing, is exactly what you need before you continue on your road trip up (or down) Australia’s east coast.
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