We took the passenger ferry from Townsville to Magnetic Island, a short hop of half an hour. Arriving on Magnetic Island, we were met by James, our Airbnb host, who kindly  offered to take us for a short orientation drive around the island before taking us to our new home.

I didn’t know what to expect, as outside Australia, Magnetic Island is not that well known. Fortunately, first impressions were favourable. The tropical island has a rugged beauty with lots of steep hills covered with hoop pines and large boulders. There are lots of gorgeous beaches, and not many people – only 3,000 permanent residents live on the island –  which means you might end up having a beach to yourself!

The climate is tropical – 300 days of sunshine a year. There are nature reserves all over the island and many parts of it cannot be reached by road. This is good for the wildlife –  as we soon discovered when James pulled over to an empty housing lot covered in gum trees and suggested we get out and have a look. Within minutes we’d spotted 6 or 7 sleepy Koalas lounging about in the trees.  They really are cute, like big ole teddy bears. Magnetic Island is said to have the healthiest population of koalas in Australia.

After our quick tour of the island, we went back to the Airbnb with James. The house is in Nelly Bay (appropriately enough!) which is where the ferry from Townsville comes in. It’s a great little spot with a fantastic ‘outdoor living room’ which backs onto a tree lined creek. The creek acts as a corridor for wildlife – apparently, it’s not uncommon to spot Koalas just behind the house.

Next we headed out to hire a car. We couldn’t resist hiring an open topped car – it’s basic but a lot of fun to drive, especially as there is hardly any traffic on the island. Just hope it doesn’t rain…!

In the afternoon, James’s partner Martin offered to take us on a walk. There’s an iconic walk at the top of the island called the Forts Walk. It’s an amazing walk which has a lot to offer. Firstly, the views are unbelievable – you can see right across the island and beyond to Townsville and a neighbouring island called Palm Island. Apparently, it’s a closed aboriginal community which is not open to visitors. Secondly, it’s a great place to spot Koalas in the wild – we only spotted one, but I have to admit after this morning’s coup we weren’t trying very hard. Thirdly, it’s the site of  extensive World War II defences. The island was used as a defence post in the war and the walk passes through artillery installations, ammunition bunkers and a series of forts which you shin up ladders to reach and which offer incredible views. We listened to some war time memories from people who were stationed here during the war and were surprised to hear that there were three days of raids on Townsville in 1943. Japanese invasion was believed to be a very real threat. It all felt very far away as we looked over the beautiful, peaceful landscape.

By the time we had finished the walk, the sun had gone down behind the hill and it was starting to get dark. Martin made a quick detour on the way home and took us to a coastal sight near Arcadia where Rock Wallabies live. We were lucky enough to see at least a dozen, bouncing all over the rocks. I spotted a cute little baby in his mother’s pouch. I think they were hoping we would feed them – apparently, they will take carrots and apples from your hand –  but sadly they were disappointed this time.

That night, we sat outside on the terrace and listened to male Koalas calling. The throaty call is deep and primal as they warn each other off their territory. Maybe Koalas are not so cute after all…!