Magnetic Island Packages

Magnetic Island is 52 square kilometres of island sitting 8km off Townsville in North Queensland. About 44% of it is national park. There are more koalas per square kilometre here than almost anywhere else in Australia. The snorkelling on the fringing reef is genuinely good. And you can hire a barbie car (an open-sided electric buggy with a built-in BBQ, yes really) to get around the island.

It's one of those places that gets undersold because it sits in the shadow of Cairns, but people who stop here consistently rate it as one of the highlights of their East Coast trip.

Getting to Magnetic Island

The Sealink ferry runs from Townsville to Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island. It takes about 20 minutes and runs multiple times a day. Townsville itself is around 3.5 hours south of Cairns by bus or car, so Magnetic Island works as either a standalone stop or a day trip from Townsville if you're already spending a night there.

What to do on Magnetic Island

The koala spotting at Bungalow Bay Koala Village is the one thing most people do, and it earns its reputation. Breakfast with the koalas is exactly what it sounds like: you're in an open wildlife sanctuary while koalas do their thing nearby, and you can handle them under staff supervision. The rock wallabies that gather at the feeding area at dusk are also worth sticking around for.

Snorkelling at Alma Bay and Geoffrey Bay is good year-round: fringing reef, calm water, turtles fairly regularly. Nothing as dramatic as the outer Great Barrier Reef but perfectly solid reef snorkelling right off a beach you can walk to.

Hiking is underrated here. The Forts Walk is about 4km and takes you through wallaby habitat to WWII lookouts with views across to Townsville and the mainland. Do it in the late afternoon for the light and the wallabies.

Magnetic Island packages

We offer packages that include accommodation on the island, activities, and ferry transfers so you're not piecing it together yourself. Most people spend 2 nights, which gives you enough time to actually relax rather than rushing through the highlights.

Browse our Magnetic Island packages above, or see the full Cairns region tours page for more in Far North Queensland. Also worth a look: Mission Beach activities if you're heading between Cairns and Townsville, and our East Coast packages if you're planning the full trip.