Magnetic Island

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Tropical and very humid Magnetic island a short ferry ride from Townsville was another place we had heard about from people we had met on our travels, and when I head about it being a natural Koala sanctury we had to go.

We spent 3 night here in a nice little bungalow amoungst the wildlife. And it was nice to be staying amoungst all this nature, you could constantly here the birds singing in the trees, and of course this meant no wake up alarm needed here.

Magnetic Island is a small little place with most of it being a national park. Around 200 wild Koalas live in the euculyptus trees here as well as other marcupials like the kangaroos, and there small version but i dont know what they are called. (See pic)

Were we stayed was also within this national park and they had there a small animal sanctury, where you go in groups and a ranger takes you through showns you the various residents they have there and you even get to hold them..... Of course I did this so I could hold my new favourite friend the Koala (reminder to you all out there who call these animals koala bears! they are not bears they are Marcupials!) So while there we also held a young crock called Godzilla, a snake, a Koala and Dave held a skink (looked to yukky to me was a cross between a snake and a lizard)
So my third and I think final Koala friend was a 7.5 year old bachelor called Barney and is known for being a bit of the stud amoung the lady Koalas! He was heavy and a bit smellier than the others I had held preiviously but I still enjoyed it. But to say thank you for waking him up I got pooed on! Luckily the Koala poo is small hard little pelletts that just fall strait to the floor! After this little tour inside the sanctuary the guide took us out and through the hostel to a tree just across the road and showed us our first wild Koala just sitting there high up in the tree, he said that it had been there for 3 day's and might still be there next week. Koalas don't move very quickly seeing as they sleep for about 20 hours a day and spend the rest of the time eating (sounds like Dave). Looking up in to the tree Dave spotted him and named him Nigel.

We hired a little 4X4 car for the next day to go and explore the rest of the island. We saw some very pretty unspoilt beaches that you can only get to by 4X4. But the weather soon turned a little out of our favour a few hours later, it chucked it down and that meant we couldn't go to the west side of the island as they only have dirt roads and are prone to floods when it pours with rain. So we headed another part of the Island that had a "mall" aparently, however when we got there it was a tiny row of about 4 shops, 2 restaurants and 1 pub that were closed at 5:05pm, we saw about 3 people in the time we was there, felt really odd and headed back to our hostel. As we got on our road it had stopped raining so we carried on driving to see another bay but we got a little lost down these dirt roads, and what we saw instead was lots of Roo's jumping around everywhere, and let me tell you they have no sense of the green cross code! I had to drive very slowly as I was scared I might run one over!

So that was about it for our time on Magnetic Island, nothing magnetic about it by the way! We got the ferry back to Townsville and visited an aquarium that had reef fish to see while we waited for our bus to our next destination up the east coast Mission Beach.

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Photos

Dave and Godzilla
Godzilla is a 2 year old salt water croc. He's extremely vicious and doesn't like being handled.

El and godzilla
Just out of shot is the brick that fell out of El's shorts, just before being given Godzilla.

Holding a Skink
These little animals are completely harmless, but you'd be a fool to pick one up. They look exactly like a death adder and you wouldn't want to mix them up.

El's third koala
This is Barney, El's third koala. He poo'd on her. hehehehehe

Dave and Barney
This is as close as i need to get to these evil little animals. Just look at his beedey little eyes, you can tell he's up to no good. Even the handler called him a "bad mutha fucka"

Barney
I don't trust him, it's like looking into the eyes of a killer.

Dave and snake
This is a carpet python and absolutly harmless, it just wants to steal your body heat.

Snakes on an El
Looks like she only just "lived to tell the tale". What a monster (the snake not El).

Bird Man
what can i say other than, all the birds love Dave.

Comments

[Claude]

The Koala suits you, I am not so sure about the snake! Dave thanks for all your long and interesting accounts.

[Declan]

Is that a snake in your pocket? No really is that a snake in your pocket?!
Hey Dave and El, it looks like your having a great time over there and consider me very envious. After reading your blog I was inspired to become one with nature myself but all that happened was that I got roughed up by a gang of squirrels in the park, funny enough their leader was called Barney do you think he was a relation to your Koala? Anyway keep having a great time, stay safe and keep on trucking.

[Tommy]

Declan is lying
The Squirrel's name was in fact Petula!!