North Queensland · Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Townsville & Magnetic Island

Wild koalas on the Forts Walk, the legendary SS Yongala shipwreck dive, a world-first underwater sculpture museum, sunset sailing and North Australia's most accessible island paradise — just 25 minutes by ferry from the mainland.

Browse Local Operators SS Yongala Wreck Dive
25 minFerry to Magnetic Island
50%+National park — Maggie
Top 10World dive sites — Yongala
Jun–SepBest visibility season
All operators GBR Marine Park accredited
🐨 Wild koalas — Forts Walk
🤿 SS Yongala — world top 10 dive
🎨 Museum of Underwater Art
⛵ Sunset sailing from Nelly Bay
Townsville & Magnetic Island

The Reef City and its Island Paradise

Townsville is North Queensland's largest city and one of Australia's most underrated tropical destinations. The Strand foreshore, Castle Hill's pink granite lookout, GOMA-quality gallery culture and some of the best reef and wreck diving in the world sit alongside a genuine, working city that hasn't been over-touristed.

Magnetic Island — "Maggie" to Queenslanders — lies just 8km offshore and is reached in 25 minutes by SeaLink ferry. More than half the island is national park, which is why North Australia's largest wild koala colony makes its home in the eucalyptus forests above Horseshoe Bay. The Forts Walk — built during WWII — is one of the most reliable koala spotting walks in Australia, with stunning views over the island's bays as a bonus.

3–5Koalas per Forts Walk
1911SS Yongala sank
2019MOUA opened
30mYongala depth
Magnetic Island bays with crystal blue water and granite boulders Townsville North Queensland
Trusted Local Operators

Townsville & Magnetic Island's Best Tour Operators

From the Netflix-famous Izzy's Koala World guides to world-class reef and wreck diving, family sailing and the island's exclusive west coast eco tour — every experience here is run by people who live and breathe this place.

Netflix · Izzy's Koala World
Magnetic Island Tours wild koala spotting Forts Walk small group guided tour

Magnetic Island Tours

Locally owned and run by the family behind the Netflix hit Izzy's Koala World — including Tim (Izzy's Dad) as a guide on the exclusive Behind the Scenes tour. Small-group day tours of Magnetic Island covering wild koalas on the Forts Walk, WWII fortifications, hidden bays, wildlife and local history. The Maggie Comprehensive tour covers the full island; the Behind the Scenes tour goes deeper. Daily departures from Nelly Bay. 5-star rated across all platforms.

Wild KoalasWWII FortsHidden BaysSmall Group
Contactfor current pricing
Visit magneticislandtours.net.au →
Most Awarded
Adrenalin Snorkel Dive SS Yongala wreck Museum of Underwater Art Townsville reef

Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive

Townsville's most awarded reef and wreck operator — the definitive way to experience the SS Yongala wreck and the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA). Full-day tours from Townsville and Magnetic Island to the Yongala (one of the world's top 10 dive sites), remote coral gardens and the globally unique Coral Greenhouse sculpture at John Brewer Reef. Snorkel or scuba options; introductory diving for beginners. Master Reef Guides on board every departure.

SS Yongala WreckMOUAOuter ReefMaster Reef Guides
From $229pp full day
Visit adrenalinsnorkelanddive.com.au →
Family Sailing
Big Mama Sailing Townsville Magnetic Island sunset private charter small group sailing

Big Mama Sailing

Family-owned and operated by Stu, Lisa, Fletcher and boat dog Coco — sailing from Townsville and Magnetic Island on three vessels including Big Mama (60ft Adams Ketch) and the racing yacht Ragamuffin III, a veteran of the Sydney to Hobart. Half-day, full-day, sunset sailing and private charters. You're welcomed aboard as guests in their home — Big Mama and Ragamuffin are liveaboards. BYO alcohol policy keeps it relaxed and accessible. Small exclusive groups only.

Sunset SailingPrivate ChartersRacing YachtFamily Liveaboard
From $85pp half day
Big Mama Sailing →
West Coast Only
MI Ride Discovery Tours west coast Magnetic Island eco adventure bus tour wildlife

MI Ride Discovery Tours

The Magnetic Island experience most visitors never find — guided small-group bus tours to the island's west coast along West Point Road, exploring areas inaccessible to regular visitors. The 3.5-hour West Coast Eco Adventure covers koala spotting, native fauna and flora, geology, island history and a morning tea stop. Sunset tours also available. Exclusive access makes this the island's most distinctive land tour for those who've already done the Forts Walk.

West CoastExclusive AccessKoalasEco Adventure
Contactfor pricing
MI Ride Discovery Tours →
Ferry + Tours
SeaLink Magnetic Island ferry Townsville day tours snorkelling sailing experiences

SeaLink North Queensland

SeaLink operates the passenger ferry between Townsville and Nelly Bay — the essential first step for any Magnetic Island visit (25 minutes, frequent daily services). Beyond the ferry, SeaLink packages guided snorkel adventures, scenic bus tours of the island, sailing experiences and whale watching cruises. The most practical booking point for combining ferry access with organised activity packages for day trips from Townsville.

Ferry ServiceSnorkel ToursBus Tours
From $38pp return ferry
Visit sealink.com.au →
Wildlife Park
Bungalow Bay Koala Village Magnetic Island wildlife park koala encounters ranger tours

Bungalow Bay Koala Village

Magnetic Island's on-island wildlife park at Horseshoe Bay — personalised small-group ranger tours through tropical gardens to meet the island's famous koalas up close, plus turtles, pythons, wombats, baby crocs and lizards. Ideal for families or anyone who wants a guaranteed close koala encounter in a conservation context. Located right beside Bounce, the island's activity hub — easy to combine with snorkelling or paddleboarding the same day.

Koala EncountersRanger ToursFamily FriendlyConservation
From $25pp wildlife tour
Visit bungalowbay.com.au →
What Makes Maggie Special

Magnetic Island's Essential Experiences

🐨

The Forts Walk & Wild Koalas

The 2.8km Forts Walk from Horseshoe Bay to the WWII coastal defence fortifications offers near-guaranteed koala sightings in the eucalyptus canopy — typically 3–5 per walk. North Australia's largest wild koala colony calls this island home.

  • Trailhead at Horseshoe Bay — best walked early morning or late afternoon
  • WWII gun emplacements and observation posts at the summit
  • 360° views over Florence Bay, Horseshoe Bay and the Coral Sea
  • Magnetic Island Tours guides know every regular spotting tree
🎨

Museum of Underwater Art

The world's first underwater sculpture museum — created by Jason deCaires Taylor, the artist behind the Cancun and Canary Islands underwater galleries. The Coral Greenhouse at John Brewer Reef is a living art installation that doubles as a coral restoration site, accessible by snorkel or scuba with Adrenalin.

  • Coral Greenhouse at John Brewer Reef — snorkelling and diving
  • Ocean Siren installation on Townsville's waterfront — free to view
  • Art, science and coral reef restoration combined in one experience
  • Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive is the primary access operator
🌅

Island Beaches & Bays

Twenty-three secluded bays ring the island — Arthur Bay, Florence Bay and Geoffrey Bay all offer excellent shore snorkelling with turtles and reef fish. Horseshoe Bay is the social hub with cafes, water sports hire and the Bungalow Bay wildlife park. Picnic Bay Jetty is famous for sea turtle sightings at dusk.

  • Geoffrey Bay — sea turtles reliably seen from the jetty at dusk
  • Arthur Bay and Florence Bay — excellent shore snorkelling
  • Horseshoe Bay — water sports, cafes, wildlife park
  • West coast bays via MI Ride — accessible only by guided tour
1911 · 30 Metres Depth · World Top 10

The SS Yongala — Australia's Greatest Shipwreck

The SS Yongala was a passenger steamship that vanished in a cyclone on 23 March 1911 with 122 people on board. For 47 years its location remained unknown. When divers finally found the wreck in 1958, they discovered a time capsule — now one of the most biologically rich artificial reefs in the world.

Lying at 15–30 metres depth off Cape Bowling Green, the 109-metre hull is blanketed in hard and soft corals and surrounded by an extraordinary density of marine life: enormous schools of trevally and batfish, resident bull sharks and tiger sharks, sea turtles, giant grouper, manta rays and eagle rays. The wreck is protected heritage and cannot be entered — but the exterior is extraordinary enough. Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive is Townsville's benchmark operator for Yongala day trips.

109mWreck length
1911Year of sinking
15–30mDepth range
47 yrsUntil discovery
Book via Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive →
Coral-covered SS Yongala shipwreck dive site Townsville Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Common Questions

Townsville & Magnetic Island FAQ

Guest Reviews

What Visitors Say

★★★★★

"Magnetic Island Tours with Neil was the best tour we did in all of Australia — not just the koalas (extraordinary, 4 of them within arm's reach), but the WWII history, the hidden beaches, the genuine love this man has for his island. We stayed an extra two days because of this tour."

— Heike & Thomas, Germany
★★★★★

"The Yongala with Adrenalin is simply unlike any dive I've ever done. The density of life on that wreck is staggering — tiger sharks circling overhead, a turtle sleeping on the hull, batfish so thick you can't see through them. The crew were exceptional. A genuinely bucket-list experience."

— James W., UK
★★★★★

"Big Mama sunset sail was the perfect way to end our Magnetic Island day — small group, beautiful boat, Stu and Lisa are genuinely wonderful hosts. The cheese board, the wine, the light over Horseshoe Bay as the sun dropped — we couldn't have scripted it better. Highly recommend."

— Carla & Mike, Melbourne

Ready to Explore Magnetic Island?

Talk to our team about combining Townsville, Magnetic Island and a North Queensland reef and rainforest tour into one itinerary.

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Townsville & Magnetic Island

Wild koalas & Yongala wreck
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