After the ten day drinking binge that was Airlie Beach we continued our march northwards towards Townsville. After spending a quiet night in Townsville in a vain attempt to let our livers recover, we headed to the ferry terminal in order to travel over to Magnetic Island. This is an Island roughly comparable in size to Great Keppel though with two thousand permanent residents living on it. It is much more well known then Great Keppel island and the dynamics of it are rather strange. Half is given over to large luxury resorts and the other half is very much backpacker orientated. Unable to get in at the party central Base backpackers we went one bay over to Travellers Resort Backpackers located in Picnic Bay. For $20 (about 8 pounds) a night we stayed in a lovely little place with a great owner who is only too happy to give advice about the island.
The first afternoon was spent scoping out the area and lying by the beach soaking in the incredible heat. In the evening it was bar time of course! The next day upon the recommendation of the hostel owner me and Mark hired scooters to get from one end of the 9km road to the other. Needless to say it was great fun. With a top speed of only 60kmph, they still made you feel like you were going a million miles an hour. So me and Mark spent an enjoyable day discovering all the nooks and crannies on the island. For only $40 for 24 hours it is definitely worth doing as it really gives you the freedom to explore everything. However it also does mean that you run the risk of ending up in a ditch or nearly killing diners outside cafes both of which I came very close to doing…..
The next day due to the heat I was up at 5:30 (!) to watch the sun come up so in the dawn I sped along on my scooter to a great point and watched the sun come up over the sea. It was truly a special moment. Afterwards I got Mark up at 8am with a small amount of grumbling, and we both hopped on our beasts and rode to a laybay near to a place called Radical Bay. Here we embarked on a walk we had wanted top do the previous day but abandoned due to the sheer heat, which was to take us to one of the highest points on the island. We decided upon this not just for the view but because along the way there were meant to be Koalas aplenty and also buildings left over from WWII when the island was used as an outpost to guard against the Japanese. While the Koalas were conspicuous by their absent, the ruins were there plain to see. While most of the barracks had been removed leaving only foundations, near the summit the gun emplacements, ammo stores and command post were still standing. So after 45 minutes we arrived at the top and were greeted by a wonderful view over most of the island. You could certainly tell why this spot was chosen as it commanded views both over the Coral Sea and back towards Townsville. It certainly was worth the walk in the increasing heat to stand at a point not only with a fantastic view but also a lot of history.
After this very rewarding walk we had to return our scooters which was a hard thing to do as the bug had certainly bitten me hard. It was a great experience roaring around the twisty coastal roads of Magnetic Island. I say roaring with a touch of artistic license. Anyway after missing the bus back to the hostel and having to wait 1 and 1/2 hours for the next one, we rejoined Dave and went and had a solid 9 holes at the Magnetic Island golf club. For only $20 we hacked and sliced our way around the lovely little course. After the first hole (around 8 shots each) we quickly gave up the idea of actually keeping score and just relaxed. My drives were very admirable, Dave’s short game was on form and Mark just pulled the odd demon shot out with no pattern emerging. After this we definitely needed a beer as the heat had taken its hold, so we retired to the bar for the night. Magnetic Island is certainly a must on any travelers schedule as there is plenty to do and the locals are extremely friendly.
So now me and Mark are currently in Mission Beach. While there is almost nothing to do here when the weather is like it is (rainy and misty) we are staying in one of the best places of all time. A little outside the village it is located in the dense rain forest. We are in a cabin that is only made of mesh walls. So at night you have all the sounds of the forest surrounding you. It is truly a fantastic experience and the beds are very very comfortable. however the odd bug does creep in and make noises uncomfortably close to your head. It is a very unique and relaxing experience. Also within 2 hours of arriving we saw the areas resident Cassowary which are strange almost prehistoric looking creatures. We were very fortunate to see this remarkable creature as the Mission beach area only has a population of about 50 and the animal is on the verge of extinction! We have two more nights here while Dave meets up with Jack and John in Cairns before we head up to Cairns. Unfortunately we only have about a week and a half of traveling around before we have to take up residence in Cairns to try and sell the car. Better make the most of it!
Jack xxxx
