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Seaweed, shells and washed up coral on the beach at Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island, Queensland

Tuesday in Townsville Picnic Bay Magnetic Island

February 5, 2013 By Jan Robinson 9 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


The day after Australia Day, we decided to take our motor boat from Townsville North Queensland to Magnetic Island.  Locals use the term The Island or Maggie, but not it’s proper name Magnetic Island. First stop of the day was Picnic Bay, the first bay to be settled on the island.

What You Will Find in This Post

How to get to Picnic Bay Magnetic Island

Just 8km from Townsville, depending on where you depart from, The Island is a commuter suburb of Townsville, but most importantly it is a relaxing holiday getaway.  A good option for families on holidays is to take the family car over on the Magnetic Island barge Fantasea.

Although Picnic Bay Magnetic Island is the closest Bay to Townsville, the Magnetic Island Ferry or Barge, docks at Magnetic Island Marina Nelly Bay.  From there you could drive your own car/hire car, or taxi/bus to Picnic Bay.

 

Magnetic Island Things to Do

Magnetic Island Beaches

Magnetic Island beaches, especially Picnic Bay are free of man made rubbish. When there has been extremely rough weather coral sometimes washes up from the fringing reef, making beach walks particularly interesting.  Coral is bleached white by the sun but you can see by how this coral still has colour that it has only recently arrived on the beach.

There is nothing more interesting than looking for natural treasures on the beach.

 

Seaweed, shells and washed up coral on the beach at Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island, Queensland

Magnetic Island Fishing

Picnic Bay Jetty

Picnic Bay Jetty is an excellent place for some Magnetic Island fishing. It is quite often deserted and it is long enough that you can try lots of different fishing spots. Smaller fish tend to stay around the pylons while the biggies are most likely to be found off the end of the jetty in deeper water. Floating baits from a balloon is a good way to attract larger pelagic species like mackerel, tuna and queen fish.

 

Magnetic Island Food

Picnic Bay Hotel

The picnic bay hotel has a lovely outdoor eating area beneath shade sails. We always have good meals here and our vegetarian daughter claims she had one of the best salads ever here.


Photo Collage of Picnic Bay Hotel on Magnetic Island, Australia Day Blackboards and bars

Magnetic Island Swimming

Picnic Bay Stinger Enclosure

During the stinger season it is not safe to swim in the ocean, but Picnic Bay has a stinger enclosure at the front of the Picnic Bay Surf Life Savers Club house. 

The beach is great for the kids and the water is usually calm. Always swim in a stinger enclosure or wear a stinger suit if swimming outside of an enclosure during the stinger season.

Officially the stinger season in Townsville is from NOVEMBER TO MAY.

Recovery Day was very relaxed at Picnic Bay Magnetic Island.  There were about ten people in the mall area and everyone else was cooling off in the Stinger Enclosure and relaxing on the beach.

Looking our from the shady Fig Trees on the Esplanade and Mall of Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island.

Where to stay in Picnic Bay Magnetic Island

I love staying at a Magnetic Island beach house. If your beach house backs on to natural bushland there is always the chance that some inquisitive rock wallabies will visit you in the afternoon. If not you can still feed rock wallabies on Magnetic Island. Read about it here.  Airbnb has cost effective holiday homes. If you do decide to go with Airbnb and are a first time user you will receive a discount by using the link in our sidebar.

Views from Magnetic Island to Townsville

There is something comforting about being on a beautiful tropical island in Australia and looking back to the mainland. Even though it is close, it seems so wonderfully far away.

The above photo taken from Picnic Bay foreshore shows Townsville in the background. Mount Stuart, with a blue tinge, is the furthest mountain while Castle Hill’s red rock face is in the foreground and Townsville Port on the left of screen.

 

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Filed Under: Townsville, tropical lifestyle

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

Previous Post: «Milford Sound is a must see in New Zealand. It is fantastic whatever the weather. Fantastic Friday in Milford Sound
Next Post: Wwoofing Interview – A Ticket to Budget Travel A Photo of Lucille and her horse Jed in the hills along the Murray River between Jingelic and Ournie.»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Krista

    February 5, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    What a beautiful place to spend the day. 🙂 My friends just moved to Cairns and spent two days in Townsville because of the floods. I’m so glad you are safe and sound. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      February 5, 2013 at 8:19 pm

      It was so hot that day Krista, but as long as the boat kept moving we were O.K. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lisa Wood

    February 5, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    gosh its stunning up there – I never realised Townsville had so much to offer! Sure has given me a glance of what we can explore if we ever get up that way again 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      February 6, 2013 at 7:36 am

      Make sure you contact us when you come up here Lisa.

      Reply
  3. jenny@atasteoftravel

    February 7, 2013 at 1:43 pm

    I didn’t realise Magnetic Island was so close to Townsville. It’s great having somewhere close to head in the boat for the day. Picnic Bay looks a lot more upmarket than Rotto!!

    Reply
    • Jan

      February 7, 2013 at 2:34 pm

      You will not believe this (I am ashamed) – I lived in Perth for two years and never went to Rotto. Not because I did not want to, but Marty had already been there and we had so many other week-end trips to do. It is on the top of my list for when I return though! I don’t think Maggie is up market at all except it does have one fancy apartment block at Nelly Bay Harbour called Bright Point. I always remember it as being more vibrant when I was a child. Today it is very quiet, but I love The Island. It is in my blood like Rottie is in yours.

      Reply
  4. Shane Curtis

    February 8, 2013 at 10:33 am

    Oh the water was beautiful and the weather was perfect.
    I would love to go there too.

    Reply
    • Jan

      February 8, 2013 at 7:31 pm

      It was lovely thanks Shane.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. West Point Sunset Magnetic Island says:
    May 2, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    […] It was many years since we had visited West Point and then it had been in our boat, so we really had no idea about the condition of the road.  We both had memories of a dirt track so were pleasantly surprised to find that the bitumen continued past the golf course at the back of PICNIC BAY. […]

    Reply

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