After the Townsville Marathon: Magnetic Island Overnight

The Route: Townsville → Nelly Bay → Horseshoe Bay → Nelly Bay → Townsville Airport Logistics: SeaLink passenger ferry from the Breakwater Terminal to Nelly Bay, about 20 minutes, with multiple daily sailings. Check the timetable, book ahead and confirm the check-in time at your accommodation. Marathon Month: August Duration: 1 night

Townsville Breakwater Terminal ──(about 20 mins ferry)──> Nelly Bay ──(island bus)──> Horseshoe Bay
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Townsville Airport (TSV) <──(ferry, then about 15 mins by taxi)─────────────────────────────┘

The Townsville Airport Marathon finishes on a Sunday morning in August. Staying a night on Magnetic Island removes the need to catch a particular afternoon ferry, and it puts you on the island for the quiet hours when most day visitors have gone.

August on the island: the dry season. Days are warm and sunny, usually in the mid twenties Celsius, and evenings are mild. The sea is clear on most days, and the main stinger season is outside this month, though local advice should be checked. Humpback whales pass the coast in winter and are sometimes seen from headlands, but sightings are never guaranteed.

Night One: Nelly Bay and Horseshoe Bay

Nelly Bay is the ferry port, with a short, level foreshore, a café and a small shopping area, so it is the easiest base. Horseshoe Bay on the north side has the best beach, a long, gently curving stretch of sand with a foreshore path and cafés. A walk of about a kilometre along the firm sand at low tide is enough. The bus links the two bays, and the route is winding and hilly, so use it.

Koalas live on the island, and the Bungalow Bay Koala Village at Horseshoe Bay offers guided wildlife sessions. Check the times, prices and any booking requirements. The Forts Walk is the best-known place to see wild koalas, but it is a steep climb of a few kilometres and should wait until the legs recover.

For a bed, Peppers Blue on Blue Resort at Nelly Bay is a resort with a pool close to the ferry, and Bungalow Bay Koala Village at Horseshoe Bay offers simpler accommodation in the middle of the wildlife. Book early, because winter weekends can be busy.

For a meal, Noodies on the Beach at Horseshoe Bay serves food by the sand, and the resort restaurants at Nelly Bay are the easy choice for a first night. Check opening days, because some island venues close on Mondays or Tuesdays.

The Morning After

A swim in one of the sheltered bays and a slow coffee is enough. Snorkelling is possible at several bays, and equipment is available for hire on the beaches, but check the water conditions and the current advice before entering. Do not cycle the hilly roads.

Rock Wallabies and Quiet Bays

Magnetic Island has a colony of rock wallabies, and Geoffrey Bay, on the ferry side, is one of the best-known places to see them. They are usually seen at dawn and dusk among the rocks at the end of the bay, and a short, level walk from the road takes you close. Do not feed them, and keep a respectful distance. Check any current signs about access.

Arcadia and Alma Bay, on the east side, are sheltered and gentle. The path between the bays along the foreshore is sealed and mostly level, though it does rise and fall in places, so use the bus for the longer stretches.

Getting Home

Take the morning ferry back to Townsville, about 20 minutes, and allow time for the walk to the terminal. Townsville Airport (TSV) is a short taxi ride from the Breakwater Terminal, roughly 15 minutes, and a pre-bookable shuttle also serves the airport and city hotels. Check the timetable, and leave a generous buffer before a flight.