Time had come to leave Australia, mainland anyway. We caught our trusty greyhound up to Townsville, a wonderful name for any settlement and then caught the ferry to Magnetic Island. Now as naming goes in Australia what you see is what it’s called usually but not here. Captain James Cook noted that his compass changed as he passed the island and so called it Magnetical Island, which was later shortened to Magnetic or just Maggy to the locals. Although now it is believed it had nothing to do with the island it was just a cheap Ikea compass. A small island just 14Km from top to tail with three main settlements and a lot of national parkland, we stayed at the top of the island in Horseshoe Bay, the young hip, adventure place, according to some
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