"Compasses do work here" Magnetic Island by northeast80

Got a deal through the hostel in Townsville and stayed a few extra nights.
Saw koalas and echidnas, walked to beaches you can only get to on foot, through old forts and boulder strewn landscapes.
Stayed at Bungalow Bay on Horseshoe Bay in, guess what, bungalows.
Met a strange German and some great Irish, who gave me their cheap wine to finish (ooh the hangovers)

Koala

Koalas on the Forts Walk, sorry I can't edit photos on this so you'll have to get the magnifying glass out, and turn your head.
Also saw an owl kill a bird then a crow try to steal it. You do have to find small pleasures occasionally.

Horseshoe Bay

I walked a lot on Magnetic Island, it isn't that big after all. Horseshoe Bay beach was lovely and long, I sun bathed here a few times, there are a few bars but it was very quiet, I walked past Balding (a nudist one aparently) and Radical Bays. Stopped at Florence Bay and snorkled and sunbathed, I did the Forts Walk from here which was great, a self guided walk through the old forts, I saw so much wildlife on my walks and hardly saw any cars well the roads are not good, only 4WD material really. I snorkled at Arthur Bay, though there was more fish than coral on this bay. Another day I walked to Alma Bay via an art gallery with art made from dead cane toads! Once in Alma Bay I went to a garage sale and the Arcadia Pottery Gallery with a range of local potters work. Swimming in Alma Bay was good, but a busy one. Walked on Geoffrey Bay with lots of coral on the waters edge, had a cappucino and cream bun near Nelly Bay, by that point my ankle was hurting so I got the bus back at $3.