http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Australia , Queensland , Magnetic Island en-us Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:27:29 +0000 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:27:29 +0000 Unausgeschlafen ging es an diesem Tag Richtung Townsville das 300 Kilometer nrdlich von Airlie Beach liegt. Dabei hat uns eine Frage von der vorherigen Partynacht stndig beschftigt bdquoWarum gibt es eigentlich im McDonaldrsquos ab 3.30 Uhr nur noch Frhstck und keinen Cheesburger mehrldquoUnterwegs haben wir wohl an der kleinesten Tankstelle Australiens Halt gemacht und uns Wraps nac http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-462071.html beautiful magnetic island even in winter. blue sky and water great waking possibilities and it was easy to spot koala on trees http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-453391.html From Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays we drove north stopping off at Ayr for lunch where it was about 35c so just a wee bit warmer than the original Ayr in Scotland As Jen got out of the car she accidently stood on her watch that had fallen on the ground so that made 2 of us without a watch as Gordon lost his on the Lares Trek in Peru Och well who needs to worry about the time anyway. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-449867.html lsquoHot and stuffy Townsvillersquo as it was noted in our guidebook lived up to its name probably not helped by local bush fires. We wasted no time stuffing our rucksacks full and jumping on a ferry to Magnetic Island. We spent the first two nights in The Base hostel with a rowdy bar and a large village of huts and teepees. We spent time on the beach and in the bar as well as investigating t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-447161.html Frhmorgens fuhren wir mit der Autofhre nach Magnetic Island. Die Fhrenberfahrt dauerte ca. 30 min.Magnetic Island ist eine 52 km groe Insel mit etwa 2.100 Einwohnern und gehrt zum Stadtgebiet von Townsville. Die Insel ist im groen und ganzen ziemlich bergig nur an seiner Westkste sowie an den besiedelten Buchten Horseshoe Bay Nelly Bay Geoffrey Bay Picnic Bay befinden sich flache A http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-446823.html Meanwhile... back in Bowen Brett was going a bit stir crazy on his crutches trying to run the job from the couch with his leg up. At least the skatepark is almost done and he is actually doing really well. He even snuck out in the truck a few times while I was away...The day I flew back in from Canada our friend Tarra a.k.a. TP flew up from Melbourne for her 2 week school holiday. We haven' http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-440389.html 30th June 2009After the shortest stay in a hostel of the trip so far 7 hours we were off bright and early to the airport for our flight to Townsville. Straight after landing in Townsville we caught a bus to the ferry terminal and made our way to Magnetic Island. After the long but smooth journey some old guy offered us a lift to our hostel on Magnetic Island we arrived at Xbase backpackers. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-429985.html Well it just goes to show planning gets you no where.That change of plan we had in mind of 'battling' south to our next stop well it never happened. Although thats not to say we didn't try..... 530 Sunday morningmade a coffee and gave the boat one last check for anything not secured down properly. SW predicted to blow around 1520 knots great.Started up motor pulled up anchor and away we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-423196.html Waiting is definitly not for the impatient.Ok so here we are at Magnetic Island been here now for 2 weeks initially we decided it could end up being a long stay you know waiting for those winds to come through and and push us comfortably South ......well change of plan we found that there are so many times you can walk the same tracks and sit on the same patch of sand on the beach just watch http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-421871.html Day 87 Magnetic IslandYippee wersquore off to Magnetic Island today and the ferries run from really early in the morning so guess what wersquore up at 6am againWersquore not sure whatrsquos happening to the Queensland weather at the moment but this morning we have again experienced spots of rain. Obviously we had to send the evidence off for analysis as itrsquos just so hard to bel http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-421068.html 1. Arcadia Beach Guest House right on the beach king sized bed amazing shower breakfast waiting for us in the morning picked up from the ferry in a Rolls Royce our own fridge..does it get any better2. Relaxing on beautiful coral strewn beaches Alma Bay Geoffrey Bay Horseshoe Bay3. Wine brie bread and shapes for dinner on the front porch overlooking the ocean4. Friday night dinner http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-417956.html Spent a day sailing around the Whitsunday's on the boat 'Camira' was expecting it to be really tacky and touristy we'd gone for the cheapest option avaliable but was pleasantly suprised. Did some snorkeling but the visability was really poor and the reef wasn't that excited made me exciting for all the dive trips I'm doing before I leave Aus though Went to Whitehaven beach was really stun http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-412443.html 12th14th Arrive early in the evening Phil and Zoe already here somewhere. Find a hostel that resembles a block of flats somewhere in leamington and quite rowdy too...fisrt things first a shower.....much needed too Then sesh clothes straight on and out to a lovely wine bar to meet up with the parents ...Phil ZOe. Nice and cheap wine bar Zoe already on it withabottle of wine down so we join them f http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-403700.html Well a lot has happened since our last entry. Firstly as you all may know by now we got engaged Wersquore both really happy and excited and canrsquot wait to celebrate with everyone in Canada or else over here when some of you visit us hint hint. Other than being busy getting engaged but wersquove also been travelling great distances and encountering local wildlife. Wersquoll start http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-402945.html Voila une autre destination vers laquelle je m'etais dirige afin d'aller faire un peu de plongee. Malheureusement encore une fois le beau temps n'etait pas au rendezvous et meme s'il ne pleuvait pas il faisait quand meme assez gris. Du coup pas de plongee vraiment possible.J'en ai donc profite pour decouvrir l'ile et faire les differentes ballades qui s'offrent aux visiteurs et on peut dire http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-398829.html The bus ride from Airlie Beach to Townsville was about 5 hours or so which got us in around 7pm. By this time the sun had basically set. Canrsquot see much of the town when itrsquos dark. So we hopped right onto the ferry to Magnetic Island. Supposedly the story behind its name is when Captain Cook sailed by his compasses started going a bit crazy and he blamed it on the ldquomagneti http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-398563.html The city of Townsville sheilds the beauty that lies of its shore. The Island gained its name due to the strange effects on compasses in the age of Captain Cook. Magnetic Island once a fortress to safeguard the East Coast against long range attacks from the Japanese during WWII it is now the home to 2000 inhabitants and about as many backpackers.The place to be on the island is Base. This hostel http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-393990.html OMg i have just had the BEST day like EVER.Id had a total downer day yesterday a combo of being a bit lonely eating waay too many carbohydrates and probably too full of alcohol and not enough sleep So i was in bed by 9pm thats bad for sophi if im ever in bed that early something must be upBut anyway i woke up after a great nights sleep trying to forget about the spiders i could see on the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-386038.html in my last blog i was in the town of 1770 soaking up the sun and chilling out. on my second day i spent the morning on the beach and then did the scooteroo tour that runs in the town. this is ace you basicly get given a motorbike and spend the afternoon riding around the town with other bikers looking out for kangaroos and watching sunset from the view of a little pub. i was a bit nervous getting http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-384544.html It seems like a lifetime ago now that i was on Magnetic Island as i'm writing this from Fiji So i'll keep this one brief I think it took about 6 hours to get to Townsville from Airlie Beach but there wasn't much to see or do in Townsville or many places to stay so i headed straight on the ferry to Magnetic Island. The hostel i stayed at was right on the beach and had a decent bar and a stream ru http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Magnetic-Island/blog-378428.html