Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia
A retreat to magnetic Island for some cabin camping, Kayaking and Koala cuddling.
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We spent 3 nights on the island, enjoying the jungle like atmosphere of our cabin at [missing text. If memory serves me well, it was Bungalow Bay Koala Village ].
We ran 6k through the forest, up and over rocks and boulders, and up and down to some secluded beaches.
We spent a day kayaking (~20 km) along the shore, through crystal clear water, and stopped at a couple of secluded beaches where not another soul (or even boat) could be seen.
We started our final day with a champagne breakfast with the Koalas (and python), and then rode scooters around the island. It was my first time on any form of self-propelled two wheeled device. It was a fun way to see the island, and especially nice because there was very little traffic on the roads.
When we returned to Townsville, we went straight to the airport, expecting to find another great deal at one of the many rental car agencies. That’s when we realized we were no longer in the quiet, chilly, part of Australia. It was now peak tourist season. Everyone from Melbourne and Sydney (and Europe) was up here, renting cars, and staying in hotels. Only one of the agencies had a car, and was more than happy to gouge us. For over $100 a day, we were able to get a car from Budget to drive ourselves up through the Atherton Tablelands, to the Daintree National park (Cape Tribulation), and down to Port Douglas. This wasn’t something we could conveniently do on a bus, so they had us. But after paying less than $30 /day in the south with Hertz, it was quite a shock.
