Magnetic Island Week Two and Back to Townsville, 21st to 31st May 2026

 Magnetic Island Week Two and Back to Townsville, 21st to 31st May 2026

We spent another week anchored in Horseshoe Bay planning walks and exploring the whole island,  catching up with old friends, trying out the cafes and celebrating my birthday.  We took full advantage of the $1 all day bus pass. Our favourite eateries were the Arcadia Bakehouse with the best pastries, pies filled baguettes, bread and cakes. Unfortunately we only discovered this little gem on our second last day - or maybe that was a good thing as we would probably been a kilo or two heavier as a result. There is a lovely cafe (Restaurant Elsie??) in Picnic Bay on the opposite end of the Esplanade to the hotel. It is at the front of the arcade that the Brewery is in. Adele's Cafe in Horseshoe Bay has the best icecreams, I could probably say anywhere, and they serve very nice coffee. Adele's is right next to the bus stop so we indulged frequently when waiting for the bus.

Liz's birthday parmy at the Horseshoe Bay Pub. Yum, but didn't eat for 24 hours!!

After a fortnight here we did most of the walks and Peter did all of them. My knees drew a blank at the hill top walk from Horseshoe to Nelly Bay over the range. Ten km of mountain goat track pulled me up. Also the track from Horseshoe to Balding and Radical Bays is too steep and rocky for me and my tattered cartilages.  They are beautiful bays, but can be visited easily by boat in good weather.

The Billabong Walk in Horseshoe Bay beckoned again and this time we walked around the wetland by road, through the suburb and came back from the other direction. We met a local who told us about the Noni trees on the southern side of the lake. They are beautiful leafy trees with unusual fruit on them. Apparently they are an acquired taste something like a cross between smelly cheese and vomit (Google) so I'm thinking that is one best left for starvation mode. Apparently it is considered a medicine tree by the Aboriginals. 

Noni Trees   Morinda Citrifolia

I saw an Osprey catch a fish right in front of me. We had just come ashore early one morning and while Peter was 'having a chat' the bird flew down and snatched a fish out of the water. I have seen them carrying a fish in their talons, but never the act of catching one before. He had to work to gain height and fly off.

We finally saw koalas on the Forts Walk. Our necks ached from constant scoping the trees, so when we reached the last steep steps to the top and the remnants of the Forts, I elected to sit on a convenient seat and wait for Peter to come back. After a while some French tourists rocked up and began pointing and whispering about 10m from where I was sitting. There were the koalas! Two of them! sleeping in the gum tree! How did we miss them? Must have been too busy deciding not to attempt the steps.

My goal for walking has been at least 5km per day, which I have achieved easily. Some days I've managed 8km. Peter is the hero. He does much more than that and isn't happy unless he does 10km. We have solved the problem of the disparity by me using the island buses for part of the journey.

We have just spent four days in the Breakwater Marina in Townsville fueling up, topping up the water, cleaning, washing and shopping. I have had a very nice haircut. Peter should have had one! We also had lunch with Peter's sister Amanda, who took me to the hairdresser afterwards and yesterday had lunch  with his brother Clive, at the yacht Club. Both were very enjoyable occasions, except that Clive's wife Virginia had a very bad coughing bug so couldn't join us.

We are now back in Horseshoe Bay. The weather is gorgeous. Warm days, cool nights and lots of blue sky. There has been many days now of little wind and as this situation is continuing, along with some light northerlies and westerlies thrown in, we are leaving tomorrow morning, 4am, to go south to Cape Upstart and then on to Gloucester Passage and the Whitsundays. 

PS There will be some nice photos coming when we can get them from my phone onto this computer!!!! (Bad Words!!!)