Mokes, meals and Magnetic Island

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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 back-packers.

The place to be on the island is Base. This hostel rightly boasts its credentials as a great place. The place is great, but not that great to stay there. The hostel sits on the beach of Nelly Bay, 15 minutes from the nearest shops. Take a walk along the sand and you'll find a rare spot of tranquility and peace. Most welcome after the intensity of Cairns, it really is a great spot to unwind on the beach for a couple of days.

While a couple of days is enough for the traveler interested in bathing themselves in the midday sun, the island has so much more to offer than just a chance to tan, though it seems I am impervious to the sun's rays (rather than tan, i just burn.)


Hire out a Moke, what can only be described as the bastard child of the Jeep and Trabant, and the whole Island is your oyster. Cruise along the straights, struggle up the hills, hang your head out the open side. This 4 person toy car frees up the amazing sights the Island has to offer.

We set out from Base and drove across the Island to Horseshoe Bay where the first Moke, dubbed Spiderman, died. We spent the next hour or so in the water while waiting for a replacement to be sent. After that mini drama we set out again, this time to where the Rock Wallabies hung out. These little creatures do nothing but laze around all day and eat the food us tourists hand out to them. Most of them are very tame and will allow themselves to be petted, provided you have food.

Once the Wallabies were fully stuffed we set out to find some Koalas. There is a walk that takes you up to the WWII fort and gun emplacements. Its about an hour or so in total and is well worth the uphill struggle if not only for the views from the lookout. Having seen no wildlife on the way up (not even a snake or croc), we progressed back down determined to see some Koalas. We were not disappointed as the group ahaed of us had thoughtfully left arrows pointing to the trees with the grubby little bears in. It can be hard to understand the excitement that spotting such a docile and reclusive animal can engender but when they start to fall out of trees it is fully understandable.

With the sun setting, we headed to Picnic Bay for some brews on the beach. A good end to a great day.
The Island is a beautiful place to stay, in some ways it reminds me of Cornwall or Devon, where the cafes stop serving food at 3 and the shops are just over the horizon. The relaxed and peaceful atmosphere is aa welcome break from the mainland.

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Photos

Lording it All
One day all of this will be yours...

Mighty Moke
Good things come in small packages, no more so than with these pint sized jeeps.

Kalamity Koala
Watch out for falling Koalas, they're not the brightest of creatures and will climb any branch no matter how spindly.

Horse shoe Bay
Beauty, tranquility and donut riding. The peace here is only shattered by the screams of those clinging onto inflatables.

From here to eternity
From Nelly bay looking out across the ocean to an undiscovered island.

Wallabius Poserius
A species of Wallaby only found here and in some other places, like nothing more than to pose for tourists.