An island situated 8 kilometres north of Townsville in Queensland, Magnetic Island houses the villages of Nelly Bay, Arcadia, Picnic Bay and Horseshoe Bay, but it has also come to be considered as a suburb of Townsville. The island can be reached via ferry from the Townsville Breakwater to Nelly Bay Harbour. The town’s name was derived from the apparent “magnetic” effect it had on the compass of Captain Cook’s ship, which he noticed as he passed by it while sailing up Australia’s east coast in 1770. The island is also locally known as “Maggie Isle” or “Maggie Island” and was once called Yunbenun by the island’s traditional Aboriginal settlers. More than half of the island’s land area is occupied by the Magnetic Island National Park,...
An island situated 8 kilometres north of Townsville in Queensland, Magnetic Island houses the villages of Nelly Bay, Arcadia, Picnic Bay and Horseshoe Bay, but it has also come to be considered as a suburb of Townsville. The island can be reached via ferry from the Townsville Breakwater to Nelly Bay Harbour. The town’s name was derived from the apparent
An island situated 8 kilometres north of Townsville in Queensland, Magnetic Island houses the villages of Nelly Bay, Arcadia, Picnic Bay and Horseshoe Bay, but it has also come to be considered as a suburb of Townsville. The island can be reached via ferry from the Townsville Breakwater to Nelly Bay Harbour. The town’s name was derived from the apparent “magnetic” effect it had on the compass of Captain Cook’s ship, which he noticed as he passed by it while sailing up Australia’s east coast in 1770. The island is also locally known as “Maggie Isle” or “Maggie Island” and was once called Yunbenun by the island’s traditional Aboriginal settlers. More than half of the island’s land area is occupied by the Magnetic Island National Park, which serves as a bird sanctuary and a haven for wildlife. The island has long been recognized as a holiday destination, offering various hotels, resorts, public facilities and infrastructure for visitors’ use. Activities on the island include fishing, swimming, snorkelling, guided sea kayaking, diving and sailing and cruising trips.